Will you still be happy with your Prius if gas gets cheap?

I think the Prius is the most enjoyable tech car I've ever had. I would be happy with it at any gas price, due to it's innovative features, quiet ride and being good for the environment.

Gas here was $2.24 on my last fill up, but I bought it when I thought $2.00 was outrages. Even if I see .99c again, I'll still be glad to be part of the Prius movement.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ibcs @ Sep 6 2006, 12:22 PM) [snapback]315337[/snapback]</div>

Viva les Prius!

 

My Prius gets twice the mileage of the car it replaced. So I do a little mental math each time I fill the Prius.

This was yesterday's thunk . . . $2.79 (pump price) divided by two equals ~ $1.40 per gallon.

$1.40? Yeah, I'm happy.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Sufferin' Prius Envy @ Sep 6 2006, 12:44 PM) [snapback]315346[/snapback]</div>

Fun and simple math to make you smile everytime you pump!

 

I originally bought my Prius for the gas savings- it was quite simple- I was spending a minimum of $500 per month on gas BEFORE gas prices went up- so let's say $1.25 per gallon. So, simple math would say that with gas being more than double, I would have been spending at least $1000 per month in fuel alone. I already had a car payment, and to trade in my car, my car payment went up $50 per month, and extended my payments 4 years. So, now with gas prices around $3 per gallon, I only spend $125 - $150 max per month on gas- Hmm sounds like I am saving quite a bit- even when/if prices go to $1 per gallon!

Wow, $1000 per month I could have spent... $12,000 per year! That is outrageous.

After buying my Prius I fell in love with it- so yes the money savings was the main purpose, but now I really love it! And now with my '06 with Blue Tooth and other bonus features I love it more! Much better than buying "an economy car".

 

When I can fill up for under $5 I'll call it cheap. Till then it is too expensive and I don't think I have to worry about it getting below even $1 a gallon again ever, or at least not till everyone has switched to another fuel.

 

Allow me to add to this broken record:

For me, gas is cheap. As far as the pocketbook goes, I could afford to drive a Hummer. I bought my Prius for the technology, and in order to dump less carbon and less other pollution into the air that I and all the rest of us have to breathe. Gas prices had nothing to do with it.

As has been stated over and over again, no new car can justify its purchase based on saving money at the pump.

 

Yes.

Since when is $2.65 cheap?

It was way below that when I bought my Prius and I considered gas at that time expensive.

Then again, I remember my Dad driving us around looking for 19¢ a gallon when I was a child.

 

I find it kind of "funny" but gas was 27 cents a gallon in 1962 and I thought that it was expensive. I paid $627.16 for gas the first year and $625.24 the second year of ownership and if it goes down 30% I'll still smile. Just gives me more money for a new welder or milling machine.

 

I'd still be happy, I love the back up camera, the technology, and one of the main reasons I bought it was the low emissions so I'd still feel good about that and even if gas takes a dive for a while we're still saving and CONSUMING less!!!!!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Soylent @ Sep 6 2006, 10:52 AM) [snapback]315285[/snapback]</div>

Whatever, Soylent. Whatever.

 

I was grieved by the price of gas, in fact I got double sticker shock last weekend when I went to Indiana. I left $3.15 gas in Illinois to find $2.64 in Indiana. Apparently they were not only cheaper in gas taxes, but were a bit ahead of us on the recent price decline, so I was shocked.

I pulled in to gas up, but just stood there.... After about a half hour just staring at the pump with no clue how to handle this, I finally figured it out.

I gassed up the car, then pumped an additional 2.8 gallons into the garbage can in order to get my fuel cost back up to where I am ok with the Prius still.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daronspicher @ Sep 7 2006, 07:25 AM) [snapback]315645[/snapback]</div>

See, now, if you were driving a conventional car, you could have just let it idle for that half hour and it could've used up those 2.8 gallons. With the Prius, no such luck!

(I have a mental image of an SUV driver going dumpster-diving with a paper cup and a hose for your unused gasoline...)

 

I'll add my name to this long list of happy owners even if gas gets cheap. The only thing that will make me unhappy is when Toyota comes out with the next generation Prius and it has new technology that I can't go without B) . Haven't enjoyed driving as much as in this car since....well, the memory is the first to go.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Sep 6 2006, 04:54 PM) [snapback]315492[/snapback]</div>

It's all a matter of perspective. If you are broke, $1 is expensive for a meal. If you are Bill Gates, $1,000 is cheap for a meal.

 

Just to add to the chorus:

I didn't buy the Prius to save money, I bought it to minimize my consumption and pollution. Same reason I bought an energy efficient house, built a home server with an ultra-low-power C3 CPU instead of an Intel or AMD power hog, installed fluorescent light bulbs everywhere, put up solar powered security lights, recycled all my CRTs and replaced them with LCDs, put recycled paper in the printer, and so on.

I also love the distinctive futuristic design of the car. Hatchbacks are incredibly practical, it can seat 4 full-size (6') adults comfortably plus luggage, you can fold down the seats and put a 7' table in it (my wife does scrapbooking shows as a home business), and so on. I like the smoothness of the transmission, the quietness of the car in city driving, the way the aircon works even with the engine off in a traffic jam, the navigation system, the ergonomics of the steering and other controls. It's just about perfect.

There are only three things I'd change: 1. Add a sunroof. 2. Fix the crapflaps (see thread elsewhere). 3. Add an iPod input (I have a 2005 Prius).

I'm finding it hard to imagine what might tempt me to switch vehicle. No, giving away gasoline for free wouldn't do it. I'm intrigued by the Smart42 and its relatives, but they're only practical as a second vehicle, and aren't as low pollution or as efficient as the Prius anyway.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Soylent @ Sep 5 2006, 12:37 PM) [snapback]314695[/snapback]</div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rufaro @ Sep 6 2006, 09:05 PM) [snapback]315582[/snapback]</div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Soylent @ Sep 7 2006, 07:05 AM) [snapback]315685[/snapback]</div>

Ok. I'll just go curl up and die now. Happy with my Prius.

Have a nice day!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Ichabod @ Sep 5 2006, 02:12 PM) [snapback]314636[/snapback]</div>

I would absolutely still buy the Prius even if prices came down..for all the reasons cited.

 

Woo Hoo, if gas dropped back down to .99 again I could buy an Escalade or one of those Hummer H3's, and hang out with the rest of the senetors..... (spell check)!

LOL just kidding, I would keep my Hybrid and my truck..