It's so hard to drive anything but a Prius!

I just visited my folks in Pennsylvania and my old man has a GMC Sierra pickup. $40 got about a half tank and about 250 miles of range.

He’s retired and doesn’t take it out much. But knowing that and seeing all the Ford, GM and Dodge pickup trucks and large urban assault vehicles pass me in my way to work everyday, I wonder how they do it.

I was glad to get back into our 2010 when we returned to SFO .

 

Some people (a lot!), struggle with the concept of transposing mpg into dollar bills......they simply don't get it! ....

 

I won't be feeling the fuel cost pains of those who bought new such vehicles during this temporary spate of low fuel prices. They knew, or should have known, what they were getting in to.

My feeling will be more towards those who can only acquire used vehicles, and don't have adequate selection available to fit their needs and budgets.

 

Easy, they make payment of $508 a month on 84-month lease with gasoline fillup going onto a credit card with a low 29.99% apr financing.

 

New commute 100 miles a day for the last week. 95% highway with redline 0w-20. Can't imagine driving another car with lesser mpg fe.

 

When are you moving closer?

Still the best car for what you’ve got going.

 

Moving up middle of next month, already packing things up. Will add 2 more driving hours for prius meet up.

 

Egr cooler and valve are like new and ready for when you want to stop in by.

 

This thread reminded me of a 3 part youtube video of some fella who lives out in the booney area who test drove a gen 2 prius for the hell of it, to see how far can one tank goes on the 1st video. The 2nd video, he brags about the MPGs and 3rd video he's talks about saving soo much gas/money and breaks down the savings to the dollar. He said its a no brainer, I mean this guy is one of those all camo dressed up guys who raises livestock and hunts on the weekend.

I'll have to post up the videos tomorrow, this dark red wine (pinot noit) is kicking at an awful time.

 

Part 3 video - real testimonial

 

But hey, those 1 or 2% rewards on the credit card pays for it all. Right?

 

30 bucks! My last fill in germany with E10 cost me equivalent of $ 72! Cheapest at home would be $ 83 and were I to pay the MRSP it would be over $ 90. 3 times as much.

Count your blessings...

 

Yes, I count mine each day. Sometimes we forget how fortunate we are here in the U.S. We are producing a lot of oil now, and exporting much.

Are hybrids, and the Prius popular in Europe? Or do most people take a train or bus? I could not afford to pay those high fuel prices.

 

It is more that American trucks are not popular and people who drive a lot tend to drive diesels that easily do 45 mpg. But diesel is not that much cheaper than petrol.
What I do realize now: electric cars are on the rise and you'll get 2-3 times lower fuel cost. When the petrol is 2 times cheaper in the US already, I suppose there is no cost benefit for electric cars? Sure, Teslas have free electricity, but are other electric cars being sold at all?

 

Here in the U.S., diesel cost more than petrol (gas). In my area, a gallon of diesel is $3.75 to $4.09. Still much cheaper than Europe! And we still complain. I don't know why so many people drive big trucks here. Many never go off-road, and many people never haul anything. That truck is just a daily commuter.... getting 12 miles per gallon.

I only see a few Nissan Leaf electric vehicles. Tesla is becoming more popular, with many people on a waiting list to buy the new Model 3. Some employers charge a fee if you want to recharge your electric vehicle at work. I think most Prius owners plug-in at home. I do not know how much the electric bill goes up. Probably not very much. (I drive a regular Prius.) The Prius Prime is very popular now. I see many of those.

Some states are now adding an extra gas tax fee of $50-$100 per year if we drive a hybrid. But that is very minimal. The fee is supposed to help fix our roads, which have been terribly neglected in many areas.

 

Minimal? A few bucks yeah, but not $50. Who else is going to pay for the obama train?

 

Yeah, compared to Infiniti G37 or full size SUV/Pickup, Prius is far more economical. But how about if you compare to less expensive compact gasser, like Yaris or Fit or Versa. Saving on upfront cost may be bigger than saving on fuel by Prius.
Compare Side-by-Side

 

My registration in CA will go up $100. Because I drive a hybrid. Because I'm saving gas & oil.

But that's ok, I will gladly pay it with a big smile on my face. It's either that, or sell the Prius and buy a Chevy Silverado. Or move to Boston and be bisco's neighbor.