Prius Owner Interview

[kjb516]

1. 1997 Plymouth Breeze

2. Average of 25 MPG over the last 34,000 miles.

3. Decreasing my personal contribution to America’s dependence on foreign oil while also reducing greenhouse and smog forming emissions. In addition, purchasing a Prius will help (albeit minor) to reshape the market demand for automobiles and hence the future direction of auto manufacturers R&D expenditures.

4. I believe that they are a step in the right direction to reduce emissions and an over dependence on foreign oil. In addition, Hybrids employ technology that will also need to be implemented and perfected for electric or hydrogen vehicles to succeed (I.E. more efficient battery technology, mass production of powerful electric motors, regenerative braking, etc).

5. Without major increases in oil (and hence gasoline) prices, I do not see that much will change in the market. However, with the strong possibility of crude oil shortages (from increased world demand and even more unstable political situations in major oil producing regions), the auto market may be unprepared to face a rapidly changing demand.

6. Average of $20.50 / week.

7. Around $10 / week over the last 6,000 miles

[obiwan]

1. What car did you own before you purchased your Prius?

The car it replaced was a Ford Aerostar, we have kept our Honda Del Sol.

2. What was the mileage you got with your old vehicle?

Aerostar got about 17 mpg city and about 25 mpg highway - but we use it mostly in the city. Del Sol gets about 30 City and about 40 highway.

3. What led you to purchasing a Prius?

The Aerostar was costing too much in repairs, we test drove the '03 model, but it was a bit small for our tastes and had some problems ( AC in Texas, etc) so we waited until the '04 was available - we put our names on the list the second week it was out.

4. How do you feel about Gasoline vs Hybrid/Electric vehicles?

WIthin a few years ALL cars will be hybrid - the technology is just too good.

5. In the next 10 years where do you think the market for automobiles will be at?

WHat I WISH is that the market will be depressed since mas transit is available - but that is unlikely to happen - it is almost certain that the market will be depressed because of the high cost of fuel. (google and look at "peak oil")

6. How much were you spending a week to get around with your old gasoline powered vehicle? Indicate tank size etc.

25 gallon tank - almost $50/week
(Del Sol has a 12 gallon tank - about $20/week

7. How much do you spend on gas with your new Prius a week?
about $15.

[wb9tyj]

1. Owned a Chrysler Town and Country Van
2. Old mileage was 14-18 mpg
3. What led us to purchase a prius was...a. Tired of bending over at the Gas pumps, the toyota quality, a start in the right direction on conservation of oil and a beginning on eliminating oil as a propulsion source. An atmospheric one as well...the smog levels in this city are getting worse and worse...that needs to change.
4. Total electric would be the most efficient,as soon as battery technology is there...our next vehicle will be hybrid or better.
5. Hybrids will be morphing into an electric solely vehicle.
6. 20gal tank at 2 fills per week @ 2.14 per/gal = 85.60 per week
Prius = 10.6 gals 1 fill + 3 gals= 13.6 gals per week @2.14per/gal =$30.10 per week ... a reduction of $55.50 per week. or $222 per month less than the van...
7. see #6
Hopefully your report goes well...

[jkash]

1. What car did you own before you purchased your Prius?
I owned a 1995 Honda Civic VX hatchback.
2. What was the mileage you got with your old vehicle?
I averaged 40 mpg for the life of the car.
3. What led you to purchasing a Prius?
High mileage, low emissions, hatchback design, four doors, plenty of power, very comfortable. lots of cool gadgets like smart start, and the list goes on.
4. How do you feel about Gasoline vs Hybrid/Electric vehicles?
I love the hybrid technology. It seems like such a waste for the engine to run all the time even when you don't need it like when you are stopped at a light. All cars should be made like this.
5. In the next 10 years where do you think the market for automobiles will be at?
I think there will be many more hybrids around, hopefully the SUV craze will be over, and we may even see the first sightings of fuel cell cars. It would also be great if we can find some other alternate sources of energy to run cars.
6. How much were you spending a week to get around with your old gasoline powered vehicle? Indicate tank size etc.
That one is hard to say. I think I spent about what I am spending now which is about $6 a week. That is taking into account the price of gas in the last six months has skyrocketed.
7. How much do you spend on gas with your new Prius a week?
I usually can go three weeks without getting as and it costs about $18.00 to fill up. I am averaging 52 mpg so far.

[V8Cobrakid]

1. 1987 Lincoln Mark VII

2. 18 if i drove fast, 16 if i drove slow.

3. The Prius is a much safer car than any car in our driveway. It has more cargo room than any of our cars. (suv's and trucks down count) It has more features than most cars 35k plus. Some featuers only standard on cars like Austin Martin or high end Mercedes. The efficiency with air and gasoline is amazing. It's just as clean has the tiny 2 seater Insight. It has a bigger engine and a lot heavier. I respect the engineering going into this car and it's efforts to help change. It also met my requirements for speed. I enjoyed having the power of the High Output 5.0L engine in my Lincoln.. i could smell it though which grossed me out.

4. It's about time our engines start to change. So far BMW and Toyota are ahead of the markets. BMW makes sport engines without "cheating" that get decent gas mileage and Toyota has very efficient small engines. Hybrid technology is moving us foward and providing a standard format untill our next change into efficiency. It also offers clean with performance.

5. Hybrid will be a standard platform. We will work harder on battery technology since it will be a large part of the market. we might use a differnt power storage system. engine efficiency will keep going up a lot. in 10 years we will have a standard of at least 40mpg on new cars. there will be a lot of change. But people need cars.. so car companies can do wahtever they want and people will learn to accept them.

6. about 50-60 dollars. old tank was about 18.5 gallons. i would try to only fill up once but might fill up 1.5 a week.. or 2 times every 3 weeks. I drove minimal. i think my range was 300 miles or so

7. 22-44 dollars a week. I drive everywhere. I even have family ride in my car instead of the family car. 2002 Cadillac Deville. My range for the week is anywhere between 400 and almost 900 miles. i'm only using 9.5-19 gallons a week.

[Bob Allen]

Hey all im doing a research project on the evolution of gasoline powered cars to electric/hybrid power cars and I need an interview with an actual Prius owner. Can anyone here spare a few moments to answer a few questions?

1. What car did you own before you purchased your Prius?
1991 Ford Escort Wagon

2. What was the mileage you got with your old vehicle?
25 mpg city / 36 mpg highway

3. What led you to purchasing a Prius?
Environmental concerns, mostly.

4. How do you feel about Gasoline vs Hybrid/Electric vehicles?
Gasoline is an environmental toxin. Hybrid cars represent a significant step towards the eventual elimination of gasoline as the primary fuel for cars. US dependence on Middle East oil is a major destabilizing force in the world and a contributing cause to the terrorist violence we have experienced. By our oil imports, we are, in effect, funding people who want to kill us.

5. In the next 10 years where do you think the market for automobiles will be at?
Hopefully, we will begin paying the true (environmental) cost of the petroleum we use. That will dramatically raise the cost of gasoline. In ten years, our automobile scene should look like Europe's does now, given that they are at least a decade ahead of us in conservation and common sense: we will see much higher fuel efficency in practical, intelligently designed cars. The SUV will go the way that the battle sleds of the 50's went. Diesel hybrids will emerge as even more efficient vehicles than their gas/hybrid cousins. Improvements in battery design will permit the development of the "plug in" hybrid, i.e. one that will operate like a conventional hybird of today on the freeway; but in the city, it will have the option of running almost if not entirely on electric power because it can be recharged from home/office electric power. A 2004-05 Prius could, conceivably, be built with two high voltage batteries, one of which would run off the gasoline engine generator, and the other from a plug in charge.

6. How much were you spending a week to get around with your old gasoline powered vehicle? Indicate tank size etc.
This question is hard to answer because the cost of gasoline has gone up about 50 cents a gallon since I sold my previous car. But, for your question: I spent consumed about 6 gallons a week in my Escort, and, at 1.50 a gallon, that comes to 36 bucks a month.
The Prius consumes 3.5 gallons for the same perios. Gas is now 2.10 a gallon here which comes to 28 buck a month.

7. How much do you spend on gas with your new Prius a week?
See question #6. I spend about 9 bucks a week for gas.

Glad to help. Contact me off line if you want more info.
Bob Allen

Jeremiah

[TimeFor]

1. 2000 BMW 3 Series
2. 23 MPG
3. One Person Carpool, and GPS system
4. The Prius is no BMW, I don’t think you can compare the two right now.
5. I think we will see performance Hybrids from German Automakers in there low end.
6. 80$ a week, 16 Gal Tank
7. 25-30$

[hdrygas]

1. What car did you own before you purchased your Prius?
1999 Ford Explorer
2. What was the mileage you got with your old vehicle?
18-23 M.P.G. city / highway. In the last few months before I got my car I started "practicing" for my prius and pushed it up to 20mpg city.
3. What led you to purchasing a Prius?
I had been looking for a fuel efficient and environmentally friendly for 2 or 3 years but I wanted to get more information on battery life. I began to see reports of cars with >100 K battery life. I also saw that in my opinion that we have reached the limit of oil production and there was no where to go but up in price.
4. How do you feel about Gasoline vs Hybrid/Electric vehicles?
Hybrid vehicles are the near term future of transportation. We need this bridge technology to the future. I would like to see the 4th or 5th generation Prius being the next beta test car of the future.
5. In the next 10 years where do you think the market for automobiles will be at?
In ten years the majority of new cars will be gas electric hybrid technology. Hydrogen hybrid and fuel cell cars will be the next new thing as renewable power sources produce the hydrogen to power these cars in the population centers. Distant and underpopulated areas will be using hybrids as the infrastructure is extended to these areas. Sadly many of these areas will produce our hydrogen by wind, water, solar, hydrothermal, and other sources.
6. How much were you spending a week to get around with your old gasoline powered vehicle? Indicate tank size etc.
about 20 a week and rising
7. How much do you spend on gas with your new Prius a week?
5 to 7 dollars every week and a half. I now fill up every 2 weeks instead of once a week.

[bruceha_2000]

Henry, this one confuses me

Sadly many of these areas will produce our hydrogen by wind, water, solar, hydrothermal, and other sources.

Why "sadly"?

[bruceha_2000]

7. 22-44 dollars a week. I drive everywhere. I even have family ride in my car instead of the family car. 2002 Cadillac Deville. My range for the week is anywhere between 400 and almost 900 miles. i'm only using 9.5-19 gallons a week.

Sounds like the Prius replaced more than just the Lincoln! Maybe that Caddie will be replaced by a Prius. :-)