genuine curiosity: why do all you like the Prius so much (i promise, not a troll thread.)

I like the Prius because I'm a sucker for gadgets and the Prius offers tons of them.
Also it is a great daily driver to get to work and back home.

Now for the fun ride I got a '96 Ford Probe, lowered, strut tower bars, polyurethane bushings, 12" big brakes with 4 piston calipers, engine controlled by Megasquirt, interior removed, turbo currently sitting on the shelf and ready for the drop in, etc etc. But that is a pure track car for Auto-X and road races.

I work on all my cars myself, including tranny and engine swaps, repairing crash damage etc etc. I have gobs of tools, including air tools and I possess the shop manual to every car and motorcycle I own. The Prius shop manual I actually got for free, since it was a proof read and my wife works at the American Library Association so the sweetheart that she is, she thought of me when she saw it.
So I do enjoy cars and I'm definitely a fan of Porsche 911's. But it just isn't practical to sit in traffic, crawling at 20mph with 300+ hp above the rear axle when I can do the same on battery power and three times the mpg's.

Thomas

 

It seems like threads like this are the PC equivalent of that sore that we can't stop picking at....so here's my two cents on this.

Every time I read a thread like this I am struck by the fact that we keep going through the contortions and machinations of trying to justify ourselves to someone who hasn't taken the time to a little simple research. OK, I know, that's generally not the point of threads like this, but still the idly curious should be using the Search function and reading.

To the OP, I'm going to turn the basics of your question around and ask you a question. This is not really meant for discussion, everyone here has already answered it in their own way (that's why we're here and not in some other car forum.)

Ask yourself this question and develop your own answer:

Why am I NOT driving a Prius?
​

If you're really curious, then you might want to consider trying this exercise. It's unparalleled for developing an understanding of a position you don't hold or understand. Effective trial attorneys do this all the time; they strengthen their own cases by arguing the case of the opposition.

Try it, you might be surprised.

Peace

 

Hi Iraqiwacks,

Manuals are great out in the country. They are not so great in a bi-weekly march with 100K other cars down a metropolitan interstate. They wear out the throw-out bearing. But, damn if your left leg wont get kinda big from it. Its a practical thing in the Metropolitan areas to have an automatic. I used to actually walk lopsided after a few years in my Opel Manta.

The History of your car is so much marketing gobledigook. What are they making now is the real question. I mean, if you want a car with history - Model T. British secret agents used those to get back and forth from St Petersburg to Moscow, undetected by the Leninists during the Russian Revolution! Not a practical car on today's road however.

Asuming you are associating yourself with the values of people who drive similar cars is also more marketing malarky. When you get more experience in the world you will realise how little this counts for anything.

Quiet and smooth is good in a car. Take it from somebody who has pounded his way cross country on only a few road-rallyies. The Prius is not floaty when you pump the tires up. It undesteers badly, when pushed, though.

You might go see if you like the Lexus GS-450h, or Altima Hybrid. They use similar hybrid systems to the Prius. But, are setup for quicker driving. The hybrid system itself is not neccasarily an economy system. Its like a turbo, it can be set-up to improve fuel economy, or accelleration. Its just in a personal car, fuel economy pays the hybrid bills.

 

I can tell you how it matters:

When I was 22, I couldn't see how age could matter. I also wanted the slickest, fastest, baddest car around. I rode motorcycles, and everything was pretty much about me. The only vote I ever made with my wallet was, "how will I benefit from this purchase."

Then I got old. Realized that age DOES matter, and that there is no way to stuff 44 years of "life experience" into 22 years no matter how you try. And I had a family that mattered WAY more to me than riding on a harsh suspension and driving fast. I realized that I needed to pay more attention to what my purchases and actions meant to my community, our nation and our world.

Today, driving for me means safely and comfortably getting my family from point A to point B while leaving the smalles footprint. I get all the thrills and danger I need on my bicycles.

 

Of all the serious issues facing fuel cell vehicles, this one is nothing to worry over. A fuel cell car puts no more water vapor out the tail pipe than a gasoline car. We seem to be doing OK in that area today...

There are REAL reasons to be concerned with fuel cell cars. I recommend sticking with those!

 

You used to drive an Opel Manta? Oh man, that brings back memories of jokes about Manta drivers when I was still in school 20 years ago.

 

Hi Iraqiswhacks,

I think you missed the point; you answered in terms of your current position. Now try that from the opposite point of view; if you can make that argument effectively, you'll have the answers to your initial question. You don't have agree with the ideas/concepts of that position, but you do have understand them.

The reasons that I suggested research before asking questions like yours are:

1. General netiquette -- It is generally considered polite to do ones homework before asking questions that: have been asked repetitiously or are generally going to be seen as controversial (despite any disclaimers that you may append to the question.)
2. In having prepared more than one opposing position argument in my time, ones own research is the traditional place to start. Once you've obtained some level of understanding of the opposing view, you're in a much better place to ask questions.

For someone who protests as vigorously as you do about about the separation between your exact words and your tone/intent, you certainly had no difficulty assigning statements to me that I didn't make explicitly. You can't really have that both ways; if you're going to expect that everyone here sticks strictly to the words on the screen, then you should do the same. However, I for one would tell you that doing so would make this pretty dull place to be; but that means interpretation is a two-way street.

With respect to my intent, I made the statement that I did based on the assumption that your initial words were true and on the contents of this thread. If you want the answer(s) you say you're looking for, then argue the opposite point. That's going to mean acknowledging the "flaws" in your own position as well as the strengths in the "opposite" position.

That I got the response that I did indicates that you haven't tried this yet. Instead of listing what's right with your choice and what's wrong with the Prius, try the reverse.

I won't thank you for your time, but I will thank you in advance for making an attempt at this. Remember, for almost everyone here, the Prius is not a first car. We've all made these arguments and in most cases abandoned, at least partially, the position that you hold. That means giving up cars that range from true beaters to various luxury cars. The reasons are varied and diverse but not easily understood unless you at least take a neutral point of view.

 

Back when I was in my early to mid 20s I raced a Mazda rotary in club car racing. This isn't boring time trials but head to head, door handle to door handle racing with sponsorship and prize money. I have lived the other side of the argument, I don't need to hear it. Oh I also drove the same car with a small exhaust mod to tame the noise, on the road every day.

Eventually we grow up.

 

Don't take the Prius too lightly in the performance department... Granted it is not the mega-horsepower street rod that turns some on, but in certain circumstances it performs very well.

My son and I take part in a Toyota Celica rally at the Tail of the Dragon in Tennessee/North Carolina each spring. The road is part of the Blue Ridge Parkway and has 300+ turns in an 11 mile span... My profile picture is from that area.

My 07 Prius Touring stays with any Celica on the trail (including those with very expensive suspension modifications). At the bottom of the hill while my son was trying to get his brake fluid below the boiling point, my brakes were ice cold. It often becomes the topic of discussion over on CelicaTech.

Unfortunately, I only get to do that a couple times a year... The rest of the time is spent on a straight, flat road driving to and from work. (Where I get almost 60 mpg).

Bottom line is that the Prius can hold it's own. It is not a Maserati, but I don't have to maintain, insure, or buy gas for a Maserati. It will run 105 if necessary and 'hangs in' the curves with the sportier cars.

It is not the best looking car on the road, but looks better with each passing gas station...

 

Yes, this is a troll thread

To the OP: how would you like it if I went to an Audi sight - they must exist - and started suggesting that anybody who owns an Audi is dumb as a box of rocks?

As far as intelligence, a surprising number of Prius owners are scientists and engineers, including Yours Truly. Unlike the majority of the scientists and engineers on this forum, I had Uncle Sam pay for mine


Also, to the OP, you are not the only military veteran on the planet. That does not give you any more credibility.

 

No car is best-looking these days, it depends on your perception of what 'good-looking' is. I'll take my Prius-look OVER the new Acura TL any days.....

But in brief to answer the OP's questions is also down to the 'it depends on your perception of what performance is' too.
The OP likes the A4's performance of speed and handling, and I like my Prius' High MPG, smooth and quietness and its practicalities of convenience and loading capacity, these are 'performance' to me.....just a difference in priority to loving a car.

 

I lived just east of Knoxville for 7 years. The Tail of the Dragon is a great road but is very busy and commercialized on the weekends. It has also been heavily enforced for the last year on the TN side with daily patrols by the TN State Police. You probably know this already. HWY 129 is not part of the Blueridge BTW.

My point is there are some other great roads in the area without the traffic or hassle.

In the general area, the Cherohala Skyway is great. It goes from Robbinsville, NC to Telico Plains, TN. Hwy 143 on the NC side and hwy 165 on the TN side. Great road surface, minimal traffic, and great views.

East of Gatlinburg, TN and south of Newport, TN is Cosby, TN. Traveling south from Cosby on 321 / 32, 321 with take a 90 degree turn to the right. There is a fireworks store on the corner. 32 will go south from this intersection. 32 is a fantastic road as twisty as Deals Gap with NO traffic. It has no traffic because it turns to gravel at the TN/NC state line. 2 miles south of the border is an intersection that will take you to I40 but you will want to turn around and run it again. :rockon:

You can also go east of of Newport on 25/70 to Hot Springs, NC. From here head south on 209. It's another great road with no traffic. Take it all the way to I-40 or head down to Waynesville, NC for some great restaurants.

 

Bravo! You write very well. I wish I could pull this out of my hat every time I find myself in the same situation.

 

I think I'm going to join an Audi forum even though I don't own one. ound:

 

I actually learned where some of the OP's initial 'attitude' might have come from.

I was working with a crew from a company division up in Dayton OH. Very much a "conservative" crew that was discussing the upcoming election. On the white board they listed all the things that would happen if the desired candidate did not get elected. At the top of their list was "Force everyone to drive Priuses". I nearly split my side laughing. It was clear that overdosing on talk radio can distort clear thinking. (Since when does a assembly of metal, plastic and glass pick a political party?)

Please treat visitors like the OP respectfully and intelligently. His reports back to his buddy's will go something like this:

"Yeah, PriusChat is full of the eco-freaks, but there actually are some posters that do not fit that image, such as...."

(Tell me if I'm right Iraqiswhack.)