On the fence on buying a Hybrid after owning two sports cars, will I be disappointed?

[928Quest]

My other car, 1991 Porsche 928 GT made the cover of the local Porsche magazine this month, it the dark one with the white intereior. Picture was taken at the Pavillions car show in Scottsdale. Little do my fellow Porsche owners suspect I also drive a Prius.

I went on a day trip today to northeren Arizona, and anyone who has driven I-17 can tell you there are some serious mountains to drive over from Phoenix to Flagstaff. Set the criuse on the Prius to 78mph and away I went. Got 43mpg on the way to Flagstaff, and better on the way back home for a grand total of 49.3 mpg for the trip. Yes, slower would have been better, but I wanted to see what the Prius could do if you did not baby it.

Yes, there were some times when the engine sounded like a weasel in distress, but I was passing alot of other vehicles on the way and I think that the Prius did a wonderful job.

The Porsche would not have even noticed the mountains...at twice the speed. But then again the local police frown on 150MPH. I have owned many sport cars, and I love the Prius because it is high performance of a different kind.

[patsparks]

Originally Posted by Rae Vynn

Seriously, the ICE is a 2 lt, with like, um, is it 75 horse? but the electric motor kicks in some SERIOUS torque, when you punch it!!

I haven't actually laid rubber, but I've picked up and MOVED entering the freeway, enough that a coworker that carpooled with me (a total gear head with a cougar of his own) was IMPRESSED!!

I did replace the OEM tires, and installed a BT Stiffening Plate, which, I feel, greatly improved handling on the highway (tires first,... then the plate).

Where did you get a Prius with a 2.0 litre engine? Mine is only 1.5 litres.
There is almost 400 foot-pounds of torque from the petrol engine and the electric motor combined from a standing start and it is available up until the electric motor hits 1200RPM. The traction control prevents wheel-spin beyond a chirp. You can shock a turbo ricer off the line and by the time they have recovered your cruising at the speed limit. I love doing this then after the ricer speeds past I wait to see the flash of a speed camera reflected off their rear number plate. More fun than adding bacon to the salad at a Bar Mitzvah.

[drees]

Originally Posted by 928Quest

Yes, there were some times when the engine sounded like a weasel in distress, but I was passing alot of other vehicles on the way and I think that the Prius did a wonderful job.

LOL, "weasel in distress" is a good one - reminds me of the last time I took the Prius over the Grapevine during my last trip from So Cal to No Cal.

Only things I miss about the Prius when compared to my lightly modded WRX:

• Flat cornering (have aftermarket swaybars and springs in the WRX) and near instantaneous turn-in that goes with it.
• Turbo-charged performance (near double the horsepower is fun to have).
• Seats which have some actual side bolstering and are height adjustable.

Things I don't miss:

• Jiggly ride (because of the stiffer suspension in the WRX it sometimes gets to be too stiff on bumpy roads).
• Spending double on fuel (25mpg vs 46mpg and the WRX needs premium).

I miss the handling the most - it's nice to be able to fling the car around a corner now and then without the car flopping over and the tires wailing in despair, but as the others have mentioned, the Prius is fun to drive for other reasons.

[sluday]

Originally Posted by xsmatt81

yeah wait. There are going to be changes for 09's for the better

Where did you see this? I can't find any info on changes for the 09 Prius.

[davidtm]

Originally Posted by patsparks

More fun than adding bacon to the salad at a Bar Mitzvah.

[patsparks]

Thank you Tom, thank you for noticing.

[Rae Vynn]

Originally Posted by patsparks

Where did you get a Prius with a 2.0 litre engine? Mine is only 1.5 litres.

Ooops... forgive me my transgression.
Not being a gear-head, small details occasionally get fuzzy.

I'll go back and sit in my corner now....

[patsparks]

Originally Posted by Rae Vynn

Ooops... forgive me my transgression.
Not being a gear-head, small details occasionally get fuzzy.

I'll go back and sit in my corner now....

Off you go then!

[Madeleine]

Your question is a good one.
My short answer to you is this, two concepts: 1) Touring is more to your taste, 2) re-define performance. For details, see below...

Many of us I suspect have wondered similar things. I am used to the way BMW feels. I've seen some people say that the Touring model P. is "germanic". I've gotta say, not in my book. It is more nimble, more responsive and certainly more stable, but germanic? Don't set yourself up for disappointment. WAIT THOUGH... please read on.

I think for many decades, people often get personal about their autos... they attribute the car's power with that of the drivers etc. and certainly relish a love affair with "high performance".

I appreciate your question because as Prius owners, we all have a tremendous opportunity here to be a part of the future and help to redefine High Performance as something more valuable to our environment.

You asked if Prius has the power to pass slow cars when you need it? Yes. However, I think you will only feel a happy YES to Prius if you redefine performance in terms of cutting edge excellence MPG, emissions, safety etc. and reasonably great in handling.

We have a second car, and it occasionally gets used (28mpg) for social activities... but what I am finding as a Prius owner, is that my daily driving is more engaging, more invigorating in a totally new way... and I am really tuned into the strategy of moving intelligently through the streets. Is it the same as a BMW or other "ultimate driving machine"? No, it is something different, something evolved.

Happy pondering, and if you buy a Prius, welcome to the evolution!
Madeleine

[Ichiro]

stumpy, looks like we've taken a similar path to the prius.
i used to own an 05 WRX STi (car before last). don't have a hayabusa but I used to ride a cbr600rr nearly every day to work.

A few yrs later, i'm 34 yrs old w/ a few more responsibilities and 2 young kids. I've accepted the emasculation of driving a Prius

Originally Posted by stumpy_c

It's hard to answer your question as preferences are so subjective.

The car I owned previous to my Prius was an '06 Subaru WRX STI. While the Prius is obviously not even in the same league in terms of performance, it is absolutely not the dog most people assume it is. It handles well enough on the mountain roads around my home, has plenty of get up and go for normal (sane) driving, is stable on the highways up to about 90MPH and will actually cruise at 100MPH fairly willingly if you need to get somewhere in a hurry (I used to do 120+ in the Subie everywhere I went, heh...stupid).

In return I get almost three times the gas mileage, less than half the insurance bill, 25% of the fuel cost, tires that last more than 6 months and cost a third as much to replace, half the oil changes and a lower monthly payment. There are definitely trade-offs to be made in switching from a sports car to a hybrid, but the way I see it they are both REALLY cool in their own ways.

I don't find myself really missing the Subaru in the sense that I regret having jumped into a Prius, but sometimes I do get a bug to go out and pretend I'm 18 and immortal again. I bought a Hayabusa to quell the need for speed when it beckons. Difference is that the bike does it at almost 40MPG - the Subaru did it at 18 on a good day (and on premium fuel).

Good luck with your decision.