Automobile Club Slammin' my beloved Prius

[hobbit]

Funny about the Matrix. A friend got one a while back because she's
got two kids and thought it would be all kinds of roomy. No
complaints, but that's what she decided on even though a Prius
was also in the running.
.
_H*

[Boo]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(KateBell1977 @ Sep 6 2007, 01:34 PM) [snapback]507987[/snapback]</div>

OMG the dealer gave me a loaner car it was a matrix! it is smaller than my baby prius! inside the matrix was cramped i was like i miss my prius its so roomy inside and its look makes it look small on the outside but is big inside. AAA is wrong! i have AAA so i dont have to wait in long lines at DMV and a backup for my roadside from my prius and durango becasue sometimes AAA is quicker to respond
[/b]

Actually, the Matrix is very similar to the Prius in size. Up front it's about the same. In the rear, the Matrix has less hip room, but much more cargo room. I know what you mean however about feeling cramped inside the Matrix. I bought one for my ex a couple of years ago and I felt almost claustrophobic inside. I think some of this has to do with the Matrix's high body sides.

[hill]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Boo @ Sep 6 2007, 05:22 PM) [snapback]508134[/snapback]</div>

BTW, the Prius is a small car on the outside --- it's 3 inches shorter in length than the Corolla. It's the hatchback design that makes the interior more spacious.

But the size of small cars has grown over the years. When the Corolla and Civic first arrived in America in the late sixties, they were around 140 something inches long.
snip
[/b]

I think the Civic came in the 70's actually. I had the earlier version prior to the Civic, the coupe and the coupe 'Z'. Air cooled 2 cylinder. It was a '70 or 71. THAT's a small car.

[daniel]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(kimgh @ Sep 6 2007, 10:40 AM) [snapback]507990[/snapback]</div>

On the other hand, maybe it's just as well she could call AAA! Who knows what type of "volunteers" she would encounter.

AAA: Peace of mind for Dad and Mom, that's the ticket!
[/b]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hill @ Sep 6 2007, 11:30 AM) [snapback]508028[/snapback]</div>

As for Toyota quality, I agree, and understand the point regarding breakdown unliklihood. But as someone posted above, there IS the flat tire scenerio ... and I KNOW my wife aint gona get out an take care of it. Still, I will be shopping for another company other than AAA, like 'Better World' for towing.
[/b]

How does AAA provide peace of mind??? You get a flat, you call them and they send a tow truck. If you don't have AAA, you call a tow truck directly. Either way, it's the cell phone, not AAA, that allows the motorist to call for professional help rather than depend on "volunteers."

You can buy a membership an an "Arrogant, Anti-environmental, Archaic" auto club, or you can pay 1/5 as much for roadside coverage as a line item on your auto insurance. Either way, when you get a flat, you call for help on your cell phone. If you are out of cell phone range, AAA is worthless.

[hill]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daniel @ Sep 6 2007, 10:12 PM) [snapback]508289[/snapback]</div>

How does AAA provide peace of mind??? You get a flat, you call them and they send a tow truck. If you don't have AAA, you call a tow truck directly. Either way, it's the cell phone, not AAA, that allows the motorist to call for professional help rather than depend on "volunteers."

You can buy a membership an an "Arrogant, Anti-environmental, Archaic" auto club, or you can pay 1/5 as much for roadside coverage as a line item on your auto insurance. Either way, when you get a flat, you call for help on your cell phone. If you are out of cell phone range, AAA is worthless.
[/b]

ok! ok! I'm checkin' with State Farm too.

[Boo]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hill @ Sep 6 2007, 09:48 PM) [snapback]508274[/snapback]</div>

I think the Civic came in the 70's actually. I had the earlier version prior to the Civic, the coupe and the coupe 'Z'. Air cooled 2 cylinder. It was a '70 or 71. THAT's a small car.
[/b]

You're right. It was the Corolla that arrived in 1968 and the Civic in 1972. Back then they were both 140 something inches long ... about the length of the current Mini. Loved the 1970's and 80's Civics. They were a lot more fun to drive than our Prius.

[daniel]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Boo @ Sep 6 2007, 08:09 PM) [snapback]508321[/snapback]</div>

You're right. It was the Corolla that arrived in 1968 and the Civic in 1972. Back then they were both 140 something inches long ... about the length of the current Mini. Loved the 1970's and 80's Civics. They were a lot more fun to drive than our Prius.
[/b]

I had an '89 Civic wagon. It was a great car, fun to drive, and handled sportily. It had plenty of cargo space. But it accelerated slowly. The Prius felt like a jet plane by comparison, when I first got it.

[Boo]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daniel @ Sep 7 2007, 10:23 AM) [snapback]508526[/snapback]</div>

I had an '89 Civic wagon. It was a great car, fun to drive, and handled sportily. It had plenty of cargo space. But it accelerated slowly. The Prius felt like a jet plane by comparison, when I first got it.
[/b]

That's right. Your '89 and my <strike>'85</strike> '87 Civic wagon accelerated slowly --- and that's putting it nicely. All economy cars accelerated slowly back then. But other than that, it was in many ways my favorite car. Only 158 inches long, but with that tall wagon design and all that glass, it was spacious and felt cavernous --- even for the rear seat passengers. And it even had the highest crash test ratings at the time. I liked those Civic wagons so much, that the other car I was considering buying when I bought the Prius, was the Honda Fit which sounds like a much improved successor to our Civic wagons: the Fit also measures 158 inches long, has more or less the same capacity as our Civic, has great crash test results, accelerates more quickly, and is supposed to handle great --- it beat out the Corvette and other sports cars and sports sedans in an auto magazine's slalom tests.

BTW, I still see your generation's Civic wagon on the streets often enough --- usually in blue, and sometimes the blue all wheel drive version.

[zenMachine]

Took a look at my AAA membership last night and realized that it ended yesterday. So I decided to ditch it and joined BWC. The timing couldn't have been more serendipitous...

[hill]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(zenMachine @ Sep 7 2007, 12:17 PM) [snapback]508596[/snapback]</div>

Took a look at my AAA membership last night and realized that it ended yesterday. So I decided to ditch it and joined BWC. The timing couldn't have been more serendipitous...
[/b]

Arghh, checked my card & it's good 'till Nov. I noticed the AAA ad towards the bottom of this page, and clicked to look into a partial refund, and a comment page. Nothing. Oh well. Their web page is designed to make it tough to click back to prior pages, I noticed. What's up with that ... it it just for agrivation value ? :P