Will you still be happy with your Prius if gas gets cheap?

The fuel economy was a terrific EXTRA. The Prius attracted me for its ecological and technological qualities.

SURE would keep it if gasoline prices went down... even WAY down.

 

Oh yeah, that was one of my other big reasons... "voting with my money"

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(F8L @ Sep 5 2006, 02:11 PM) [snapback]314745[/snapback]</div>

Dang, F8L...when gas is free...and in UNLIMITED supply...I'm gonna go out an' git me onnea them hummers. I'm gonna be the biggest, BADDEST beetch on the road (after the Governator)...Why on earth would I NOT trade a magnificently engineered piece of automotive HISTORY for a piece of crap, when the crap would cost me less to fill with MORE (unrenewable) resources? Hmmm???

Soylent needs to go take a nap. And sell his/her Prius--to be ahead of the curve, when gas prices drop and "it just doesn't matter anymore."

 

I got my Prius in March of 2006. joined Prius Chat in July of 2004 when I first started lusting after the Prius. My purchase had nothing to do with the price of gas. I just like the car... guess I'm just not a traditional car person.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rufaro @ Sep 5 2006, 02:20 PM) [snapback]314751[/snapback]</div>

What scares me most is this article thats floating around all my racing forums..

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/060905/major_oil_d...very.html?.v=15

Nearly every damned post is of people gettign all excited so they can continue to drive their piece of crap gas guzzlers and not sweat gas prices anymore. When are people going to learn????? :angry:

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(F8L @ Sep 5 2006, 06:25 PM) [snapback]314756[/snapback]</div>

As far as I know, American's aren't concerned with quality or consumption; ie McDonald's, Taco Bell, etc etc etc etc

Why? Because "I can". Great, let's screw ourselves "because we can"

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(F8L @ Sep 5 2006, 02:25 PM) [snapback]314756[/snapback]</div>

Just about all we can do is what we HAVE done...vote with our wallets. Yeah, we can continue to make noise, but we'll still just have to contend with those who think like soylent--that we only did it because of the price of gas. Without ANY thought to any sort of "greater good" to which we might, by the way, be contributing. Living where I do in California, there really is NO viable option to owning a car. AND I didn't even take one off the road in exchange...my 18yo son is driving my old '91 Acura, so Wth do I know? Except for the trite, but still true: "If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem." MY part of the solution was the Pri. Someday, when we can afford it, we will replace our other cars.

 

i love how i can drive 50miles back on 1 gallon of fuel left

 

Pretty hard to argue against a car with this kind of reliability record, low operating cost, and overall utility. $1.00/Gallon in a Prius feels just as nice as it does in a Navigator. What does the old trick question say, "which is heavier a pound of lead, or a pound of feathers..?"


If I get too upset by cheap gas, I'll find a nice weekend car for the garage. Hmmm, Jaguar XKR, mmmmmm.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(seasidetraveler @ Sep 5 2006, 02:32 PM) [snapback]314760[/snapback]</div>

You forgot Koby Bryant, Michael Jackson and American Idol

Some of the various replies I'm seeing in regards to gas prices dropping:

Gratned the first one is my buddy and just teasing me but still. A lot will seriously react like he did.

 

Define cheep. I remember gas under fifty cents a gallon. Will never see the south side of 2 bucks. When gas hovered around 2 I saved 1200 the first year with this car. Gas will be going back up over the 3 dollar barrier.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rufaro @ Sep 5 2006, 06:34 PM) [snapback]314763[/snapback]</div>

Better your 18yo son drive the efficient Acura vs buying him some lifted 4x4 Tahoe or SUV of some sort. So you may not be able to afford Prii for everyone, but you still are concious of the effort, and are helping B)

I know a woman that drives a big American SUV (not even 4 wheel drive- pointless!), her husband has a big crew cab Diesel Truck, her 19 yo son has a lifted Chevy Silverado that she bought him, and her 18 yo son has a lowered Chevy Silverado that she bought him- and oh- the 19yo has totaled 3 past vehicles- all SUV's or truck's that she bought, and the 19 yo has totaled 4 cars- all trucks but the 4th- the 4th he decided to take HER car one day- tried passing a car on a blind corner- well, the rest is history- What do they do with these big things? NOTHING! They "look cool"

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(seasidetraveler @ Sep 5 2006, 03:31 PM) [snapback]314785[/snapback]</div>

Yeah...and all the little s**t does is bi**h about what a "crap" car we "force" him to drive...but that's a whole OTHER thread...probably on my therapist's couch. Mine had TWO accidents in the six months after getting his license and you better believe I am tallying how much extra that is costing us in insurance.

The Acura is, sadly, NOT efficient. Around town, which is most of what 18yo does (and I did), we're lucky if it gets 20mpg. Highway, it'll do 30. BUT...it's a long-since paid off car that cost us essentially nothing to keep on the road. And it is the LAST "free" car the kid'll get. Without selling the house there ain't a whole lotta other vehicles we can AFFORD to insure for an 18yo male. Hell--I'd have kept driving the Acura for another 100k or so if I hadn't had such a PERFECT excuse to get a new car! (Which, by the way, is only my SECOND new car in 30 years of driving.) (And I will KILL or MAIM either the 18 yo OR his father if they TOUCH the Pri!!!)

 

I will still be happy with my Prius no matter what gas prices do. I am still using less gas at any price and driving a car that hardly sends any emissions into our atmosphere. Not to mention that the car is awesome and fun to drive.

 

I'll still love my Prius even if the price of gas goes back to what it was 50 years ago - somewhere between 10 cents and 20 cents a gallon. I'll still only need to fill it up every 2 to 3 weeks, and it will still be this roomy little car with all kinds of great 'gadgets', and I'll still love using as little gasoline as possible.

If the price of gas drops like a rock, it will take me a lot longer to get to the 'payback' point for my Prius - but I never intended to try to justify my Prius by the lower fuel consumption. I don't expect my 6 cd changer to pay for itself, nor my bluetooth phone connection, or even my leather seats! I got those extras because I WANTED THEM, just like I got my Prius because I WANTED IT. Fuel economy and lower emissions were part of the reason I wanted it, but principally, I test drove a Prius and liked the roominess and the degree of 'pep' compared to the econoboxes I test drove, and it has great safety features.

It's my choice to drive a 'gas sipper' in part because we're wasting too much fossil fuel already, regardless of the retail price of gasoline. I wish more people thought that way, too. But too many people seem to assume that our resources are endless, whether it's fuel or fish in the sea<sigh>

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rufaro @ Sep 5 2006, 06:46 PM) [snapback]314796[/snapback]</div>

You are right once again. The Pri is my car. But I might send DH to fill up the tank every month or so if I am feeling lazy. Other than that they can even come get me if they want to back it out of the garage for some reason. I did let DH drive some this weekend and he managed to scrap the front against a curb while parking, so hands off my baby!

 

What PiratePrius and Jeannie sed...

(and sorry PP, if I'm scaring you more about YOUR teen problem!)

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(pirateprius @ Sep 5 2006, 03:59 PM) [snapback]314806[/snapback]</div>

GAH!

 

I'd be happier with cheaper gas, prius or not.

I've been hit with gas surcharges by my garbage company, think I got hit with one when shipping ups. I bought a sack of apples the other day that I am sure had some hidden gas charges. And I am paying more at the pump.

On the other hand, whenever I fill up, I stick the difference between what I paid and what I would have paid if I still had my Jeep (15 mpg). In the course of 14 months, I have accumulated $2900 in a little wooden box in my office. I figure that I will have a "free car" in 8-9 more years, earlier if gas gets up to $5 gallon in the meantime.

 

I love being able to model what I teach: conservation and sustainability. Any decrease in the price of fuel is only temporary. I look forward to gasoline being $2.50 per Liter ($10 gallon). At that price a Prius will fill up for $100 while SUVs will cost $500 to fill up.

I like driving a PZEV - with no smog checks. My carbon imprint on air quality is less. I change my own oil. I love how the Prius does not idle at a stop sign or light. I look forward to PHEV Prii where I can bypass gasoline stations for normal driving. I love earning 600 miles to a tank.

My perspective is forever changed by Prius. Whenever I consider another vehicle I ask questions from a Prius perspective!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rufaro @ Sep 5 2006, 07:46 PM) [snapback]314796[/snapback]</div>

Geez... kids these days LOL

Not that I am old (24), but I can't believe he wouldn't wanna drive that Acura! You posted a pic of it before- and I think it's cute- and very clean. My first car was a 1984 Mercury Lynx (diesel), slower than anything on the road, but I bought it- and it was mine! I am glad that my parents didn't buy me some brand new car- I wouldn't have cared about it I don't think. Since it was mine and I paid for it, I didn't want to pay for any damage- so it kept me "mostly" good.

In addition: I have been driving since I was 15 technically- and no tickets or accidents as of yet