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

[MontyMan]

Why did I mention that bit about clicking off the a/c button when passing, when the OP clearly is considering a NEW car which has an electric a/c compressor which would make such maneuvers unnecessary? I guess my brain took a vacation.

Dee Dee Dee on myself!

......MontyMan.

[mrsims]

I, as other posters in this thread, sold a Subaru WRX (though mine was NOT an STI) to get the Prius. I would echo others thoughts in that it is a different experience.

If you still want to down-shift and run it up an on-ramp at 80, the Prius is not the car. If you want to push the pedal firmly down and have a response that will get you up to a sane speed and fast enough for merging, however, the Prius will be fine.

The driver I am in the Prius is a better driver than what I was in the Subie. I am more aware of what is going on around me and trying to think further ahead in pursuit of higher MPG, which I find to be my new challenge. Add the difference in $ between the regular (87 octane) the Prius gets and the premium (93) the Subie took AND the fact that for the NEW Prius my insurance is $30 cheaper per 6 mos. than the WRX and I am seeing, I feel, real money savings. For the record, I am 40 with a clean driving record.

The only thing I'm pretty sure I will miss is driving rough Forest Service roads at a bit of speed, but I shouldn't have been doing that anyway. Those are one lane roads with turn-outs and the other drivers are mainly hunters going much slower. It was really not the safest thing to do. Leaving the road would've been very bad also.

I agree with others in that if you can rent a Prius for a weekend or something, you will likely be getting the best comparative information you possibly could.

Good luck in your decision.

Mike in Little Rock.

[hill]

After finishing law school in the early '90's, I gave myself a graduation present: 1989 Porsche speedster - Black w/ blond leather - chrome rims (used-3yrs old). My life was complete . . . so much so, that I sold it about 3 years later
I find the Prius more satisfying, evidenced by the fact that I got it in 04 and have NO intention of letting it go untill the wheels fall off and stop rolling. As stated in an earlier post ... test drive, then BUY.

[NoMoShocks]

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).

Rae Vynn is right on the money to improve Prius' handling and stability for either Touring or Base models, upgrade tires and get BT Tech Stiffening Plate and BT Tech Strut Tower Brace. The two BT Tech parts are well worth the $500 transforming the handling into a different animal all together.

If you can buy your car from a dealer that has their own tire shop of otherwise will credit you for the new tires on the car and let you upgrade them before you drive off the showroom floor, this is a good way to go. I have Nokian WR, but Goodyear Comforttreads are another favorite around here. Goodyear Integrity that comes OEM on Base model don't grip wet pavement well at all and lack lateral stability on wet roads. I have heard OEM tires on Touring (Bridgestone??) are not much better.

Traction Control will not allow Prius to lay rubber. As soon as a tire slips a few inches, the computer applies braking to keep the tire just below the threshold or slipping, so you actually get more acceleration than you would if you could lay rubber.

If I floor the throttle from a stop on dry pavement, I feel a little vibration and the Traction Control light on the dash flickers, which is the modern day equivalent of laying rubber. But makes no sense to throw energy from the ICE into the friction brakes. It only wastes petrol. I use 2/3 or 3/4 throttle get you moving just as fast without activating Traction Control.

[longrider]

My other car is a 2004 Corvette Coupe and I can honestly say I enjoy spending time in both equally. It's just two different kinds of fun. The Corvette is all about brute force and handling and the Prius is more of a chill and relax car. You inevitabley make a game of seeing how high you can get your mpgs in the Prius. Had mine a month now and my only regret is I didn't buy one sooner.

[Madeleine]

I agree! This is totally how we feel. Having sold the 5 series, our present other car is a 2.8 Roadster. We adore the thrust your back into the seat feeling, the smooth roar, the satisfying "happiness IS the corner"... and yet, we only regret not having a Prius touring sooner. It is such a pleasure to drive that at the moment, we are actually torn on whether to take the Prius or the Z on a trip to the coast!

Do yourself a favor and add custom dealer installed leather and heated seats. I never thought I'd like them so much, but it has really turned the Prius interior into a pleasure ride. I just sink into the seats, put on the iPod, and drive like the content and purring Prius owner that I've become. It is a WONDERFUL car to own. Who knew the future would be so swell?

[mrblaise]

Hey there! I'm an attorney too, and sold a BMW 530i to buy my Prius this year. You do lose a bit of the sports car feel, but I believe you gain so much more in fuel savings, hybrid fun, and knowing that you're doing your part to help the planet. It's also fun to add a few modifications to make your Prius "yours". I put on the wheelskins cover, the BT Plate and the mud flaps. Next is the shark fin antennae (already ordered) window tinting, a Sherwood dash and leather interior. My car is my new hobby and I'm loving it!

Originally Posted by hill

After finishing law school in the early '90's, I gave myself a graduation present: 1989 Porsche speedster - Black w/ blond leather - chrome rims (used-3yrs old). My life was complete . . . so much so, that I sold it about 3 years later
I find the Prius more satisfying, evidenced by the fact that I got it in 04 and have NO intention of letting it go untill the wheels fall off and stop rolling. As stated in an earlier post ... test drive, then BUY.

[BS Mann]

Just put my 2003 Corvette coupe in the garage after 5 years and 100,000 miles of commuting, and got the 2008 Prius Touring. It has been a fun first week of commuting in the Prius, I have enough power to merge on the highway without fearing the trucks bearing down, and I love all the steering wheel controls and voice controls for everything.

The best part is switching back to regular gas and getting almost 3 times the gas mileage! The pulse-glide technique has gotten me 55mpg the first week, and I am hoping for 60+ once it is broken in!