Why did you get your Prius?

I got my prius not because of the gas price, mpg, new tech, etc. In fact, I hate the way it looks, the way it drives (wobbly and poor handling), and its concern for my safety (being smaller than an avg vehicle). I like how it is so quite, but most importantly I am too lazy to fill up the tank every week. No joke.

 

We just paid for a new 2010 IV w/o Nav and here is why.

My wife's 1997 Honda Civic Coupe is coming up on it's 180K maintenance and my wife is sick of driving it. Economical it would have made sense to dump the money into the Civic, but we decided it was time. A new car would lessen her frustration on her daily commute and be considerably safer.

Our criteria for a new car was:

1. Better fuel economy than her Civic (she was getting 38mpg)
2. Hatchback
3. Automatic transmission (she was sick of manual)
4. Enough room for me to drive (6'4" 210lbs)
5. Leather seating (cloth absorbs our after exercise stink)

We had narrowed the list down to the Ford Fiesta, Honda Insight, and Prius. If the Fiesta wasn't a first year model (for the plant building it in Mexico) and it was available to test drive we might have gone that route. The Insight might have been a good choice with after-market leather, but the Prius is more refined and seemed worth the premium.

 

I got an externship for the summer, and hopefully school year also (crossing fingers).

Needed to drive 70ish miles a day, and could not afford it any other way.

I smile each time I fill up and only put about 20 dollars in to fill up the tank.

With my parents sonata I was getting 20-22 mpg and putting in 45 dollars

 

Honestly, I've admired the car's technology for years, but waited for the big foo-fah over "runaway Priuses" this past winter to finally buy, thinking this is probably a good time, as availability should be up and cost down. Don't know how well that really worked out (many got theirs cheaper than I) but I'm glad to have it.
Main factors: economy, love the tech, and utility (vehicle will actually hold plenty when it needs to). My daily driver was getting very long in the tooth too (92 Volvo wagon with 230K).
Finally, I believe gas will progress back to 4.00/gallon in the near future (and higher, probably). The savings in gas over a ten year, 150K life cycle will pay for the car if this occurs. Gas could well go over 6.00 here in the states (and NEEDS to, imho).

 

1 - MPG
2 - Technology
3 - Room for 4 adults
4 - looks and options on the V

 

1 - Its a company car and the tax break is fantastic.
2 - Its a very practical design - Can fit my bike in the boot, Good room in the back.
3 - I like all the gadgets on my Prius T -Spirt - Hard drive CD ripper, Sat Nav is very good.
4 - Nice wheels 17"
5 - Fuel ecconomy is as good as my old Diesel and better
6 - Futeristic shape and LED headlights.
7 - Its really nice

 

160 miles a day to work in mostly gridlock (can take two hours or more to get home after a 10 to 16 hour shift)

Looks a lot better now even though I can't get the damn carpool stickers, or find someone to carpool with from anywhere near where I live...

Was driving a fun and easy to modify (for speed not for electronics because of integrated climate into main screen of HU in car) 09 Pontiac G8GT with a 6.0 V8 that runs on 87 octane, with a 6 speed and independant rear suspension, in a very nice looking white exterior with 19" rims and red and black leather/trimmed interior.

In gridlock though it only got about 20 to 21 mpg at best average, since it only does cylinder deactivation when cruising and I was either stopped for long streches or going 80 to 100 mph in long streches when available, so I'm surprised it did as well as it did. Plus a huge trunk and tons of rear seat legroom for trips.

The prius is making it at least fun to try and get better mileage, it has led ights, nav etc. and its easy to add my own electronics since it went away from integrating everything into the main HU like the Gen 2 or my G8GT...

 

I always like the new technology i had heard about the prius from 2004, but i didn't like the interior and the small engine. Last Summer i saw the Gen III on the internet and i like the new look to much. Then i went to a dealer to see it. That was it love from the first time. I finally order it last September. It came here last January.
Now the thinks that i love most is:
1) It's Quiet.
2) I can drive 800Km in the center of Athens with 40Lt.
3) Driving in slower than maximum speed in hi-way is fun.
4) Fun also is trying making more Km with the same Fuel.

 

I was giving my daughter my '05 Focus last summer since she needed to commute to school, so I was in the market for a new car for my 45 mile (round trip) daily commute. The Ford Fusion hybrid was actually my first choice, due to my getting a Ford Partner discount through my employer, which would have gotten me a few more bells and whistles for about the same price as my IV (the lower mpg on the Fusion wasn't a deal breaker for me.) As it turned out, the Fusion assembly plant in Mexico has shut down for the entire month of March due to "swine flu", so the particular model I wanted wouldn't be available for another 6-8 weeks, which turned out to be the deal breaker for me. The Prius IV was my second choice, and I don't regret having to settle for "second-best." Great car, some minor quirks (the latest being the entire lower front edge of the driver's seat leather detaching itself from the metal frame), but an exceptionally quiet ride, along with a current lifetime (since July '09) average of 47 mpg. What's not to like?

 

Except that we're exporting $20k or more to Japan...

But at least they're spending all that money we send them on Priuses instead of overpowered cars.

 

Because my wife said so!

I test drove a Fusion Hybrid and was ready to purchase it, but the salesman in Fredericksburg, Va made a fool of himself so we walked out. We went to the Toyota dealer next door, my wife drove the prius liked it and said you can't beat the MPG (100 mile daily commute).

I was never a fan of the Prius, I thought it was more for the Tree hugger, che, hugo chavez, Mao loving, pointy head intelectual, leftwing, maggot infested, dope smoking FM type. Not that there is anything wrong with those folks (ok maybe the first five on the list), but $$$$ talks, I have cut my fuel cost by $150 a months by my estimations.

I love driving this car, especially on route 210 going into DC, I just put it in EV mode and watch the MPG's increase. I am sold!!!

Semper Fi

 

I wasn't clear. My response is in reference to oil and US energy independence, not the car so much.

 

My wife and I were looking to replace my aging PT Cruiser. We live at 7000 feet about 25 miles out of Albuquerque. We have an old Cherokee we use when the snows get really bad.

I did some reasearch for about two weeks, and decided that it was between the Prius and the Suzuki Kizashi. The Prius offered 50 MPG and a reasonable amount of interior space. The Kizashi had about the same space, about the same MSRP, but had AWD, a desirable feature where I live.

I drove the Kizashi and was extremely impressed. It had European style handling and marvelous features, like dual-control AC. It was probably one of the most comfortable vehicles I every drove. It was rated for 32 MPG hiway.

On the other hand, the Prius had fairly adequate acceleration, was reasonably comfortable, and got 50 MPG.

I was terribly conflicted: really nice AWD car, or 50 MPG.

I continued my research on the Prius, and found a lot of reports on poor winter traction. If that could not be overome, the Prius was out, in spite of 50 MPG.
Then I ran across threads talking about keeping a separate set of wheels and tires for winter (studless or studded). Sounded doable to me.
Then ran into the idiotic issue over the TPMS. Spending $120 (that's what the dealer wanted) for the dealer to re-cal the TPMS everytime I changed rims seemed ridiculous.
Finally decided that I would get the extra set of rims with winter tires, and the Devil with the re-cal.

Prius won out, but just barely.
Did I mention it gets 50 MPG?

 

We was looking on the consumption of our old car, which consumed too much (Citroen C4, 1.6 petrol with 4 gears automatic consumed about 12 l/100 km with normal drive (mostly citydrive)).
We have now reduced the consumption to about 6 l/100 km, as we still have to get used to the silent why of driving, and that the electric power actually could help us in the accelleration...
In Belgium the state offer 15% tax reduction buying an eco-friendly car, so even big cars like the Prius can be choosen.

 

Another former TDI owner.

My TDI Jetta Wagon was 5 years old with 43,000 miles and had been almost completely trouble free. Other than scheduled maintenance it only required one $15 part in the 2.7 years that I owned it. I got the bug for a new car and after the TDI I couldn't tolerate the idea of anything that got less than 40 mpg (6L/100km). It also needed to be fairly roomy inside. The only choices that meet those criteria in the US are the Prius and VW TDI.

The TDI will remain one of my favorite cars of all time.

The new TDI emissions system in the US is very complicated in a less confidence inspiring way than the Prius is complicated. I also like to try different cars, so I bought a Prius. So far, (just under 2 full days) I love it.

 

Why? Sadly (or not so sadly... Depending on your perspective) it was because the kids just grew up and went of to college . Leaving us with little reason to have a big ford expedition which got 13-15 mpg. The prius is just about right and saves us about 7$ in gas every 50 miles. So now it's cheaper to go visit!

 

I bought mine because, well, I needed a car.

For years I'd been driving various cheap cars and hand-me-downs since I didn't really have the money to get anything decent. Last year, I was driving a 1994 Chevy S-10 Blazer that I'd gotten for free from a family member, and by then it was having some serious problems (namely, it was leaking oil like mad, the 4x4 system didn't work right, and it had bad brakes -- not to mention a bashed-in rear window towards the end due to same). I had always wanted a Prius, but I wasn't sure if I'd be able to make the payments.

Then I got a raise last fall, and it became an option. It's coming up on the 10000-mile mark now, and I haven't had any problems with it (though some doofus did rear-end me while I was out in the snow this winter ).

 

Sadly, it would be worth noting that the OP has never signed on PriusChat ever again after starting this thread. So no one is reading these great answers.

 

Why did I get a Prius....well I wanted one when they originally came out and the concept seemed right at the time, but the technology was unproven so I waited. Instead I purchased a 2000 BMW 528I which I loved but with gas prices on the rise (burns premium) I wanted to reduce my costs of operations and find a better environmental alternative. This Prius was the right ticket. Don't get me wrong we still own our trucks but they are for hauling and getting the kid back and forth to school in the Fall and when the weather is bad. Otherwise, this Prius is doing her thing at 59.9 mpg on a 60 mile round trip day. Haven't gased her up since I picked her up last week and dont' expect to have to until Sunday or early next week. Couldn't ask for a better deal. Would I purchase again...more than likely yes.

 

I've wanted a Prius for years,
but 2 things moved me to get it now.

First, the great deals available.
I've got a $250 payment for a 15,000 mi. a yr. lease,
and I know I couldn't have got that deal a couple years ago.

I was still hesitant to give up the higher ground clearance
in my RAV4, until the BP oil disaster.

That whole thing makes me sick, and pushed me over the edge
to a decision.
I'm determined to give less of my money to any oil company....