Should I get rid of my Prius? Help!

[desertrider2215]

Congrats on the new Prius!

[RobH]

Originally Posted by desertrider2215

Life is short, and I enjoy buying nice things. Even though most of us don't need extra stuff and should save every penny, it doesn't hurt to enjoy some of the money also. Cars must be just a piece of machinery to you, but to other people it may be more. and who ever said that it is my happiness? uhh

Ah, the thrill of throwing a sports car around a twisty mountain curve...

I'll say it again. Whatever car you've got, keep it for the next few years.

I looked at the Mini for quite a while. In the end, it just didn't cut it compared to the Prius. Zero space, no spare tire on the fun one, BMW service (lots of it), even a bike rack is a specialty item at 4X the normal price. About the only noticeable technology is that you need a factory scantool to assign a switch to whatever accessory it's controlling. The local BMW/Mini dealer has about 80 loaner cars that they provide while cars are being serviced. I don't know how many the local Toyota dealer has - my Prius has never been there in 3 years.

The Prius has real oh-gee-wow technology and practically double the mileage of the Mini. A Prius technology Mini should get 80 mpg, not 30. If you've just got to spend the money, how about a Lexus LS250h?

Things to do with the money you don't spend on churning through 3 cars over 2 years:

Take a ride on the Vomit Comet. Experience real zero-G as the plane flies multiple zero-G arcs in the sky.

Run the Badwater Ultramarathon. It's every July (but this year's is already full - try for next year). A 135 mile footrace from the bottom of Death Valley up to Mt. Whitney Portal. Visit beautiful downtown Mushroom Rock, Furnace Creek, Salt Creek, Devil's Cornfield, Devil's Golf Course, Stovepipe Wells, Keeler and Lone Pine (actually, Lone Pine is the only town in the list...). Spend the money on renting a RV with a big ice bucket to cool off in.

Take a raft trip down the Colorado. Or the Salmon River in Idaho.

Take up paragliding, or sky diving. Get a Dune Buggy.

There are lots of places to spend money you don't need. More car than you need is just flushing it.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by desertrider2215

Life is short, and I enjoy buying nice things. Even though most of us don't need extra stuff and should save every penny, it doesn't hurt to enjoy some of the money also. Cars must be just a piece of machinery to you, but to other people it may be more. and who ever said that it is my happiness? uhh

It is always easier to spend other people's money.

[4G63]

seriously theres no reason to compare the 2. ur pretty much choosing between fun/performance and mpg/praticality. theres no way to make a prius as fun-to-drive as a mini. and there's absolutely no way to make a mini as pratical as the prius. u might wanna consider something in between the 2...?

[subarutoo]

When I bought my Prius I kept my Impreza for fun. I drive the Prius a lot more, but really enjoy the Impreza too. Pick up a used Mini, keep the Prius, and have the best of both. It works for me. I also have a nice road bicycle which is more fun than both cars combined, and gets better mileage!

[lindak]

Look at the Jetta TDI. You'll get mileage in the same general range as a Prius, but the Jetta is a heck of a lot more fun to drive. It's not a mini Cooper, and maintenence isn't all that fun, but it is one nice driving car.

Disclaimer - I'm considering getting rid of my fun little Jetta in favor of a Prius. Wanna swap?

[alanh]

I'm a tech geek and love the Prius, but I'll be the first to admit that the Prius is not a sports car. If that's what you want, you'll be disappointed.