Am I the only one?

I give all my friends and others who want to try it a chance to drive it. They all are impressed, and 2 of them are going to buy one.

 

I am happy with the style of the car and would say that yes, it was part of my buying decision. THe frist time I saw one, back in 2005, it didn't particulary care for the look of the car, but it grew on me, before I bought one.

 

For me it was love at first sight . . . on display at the 1993 California State Fair. :wub:

Then I found out about all the gadgets . . .
and the great mileage . . .
and the environmental benefits . . .
and the less than expected price.
No one reason was the trump card in our purchase decision.

What's not to love?
To this day, I am as happy with the decision to purchase this car as I was nearly three years ago when we picked it up.
The car has been a dream.

I too am one of those who would not think twice about buying another Prius if ours suffered the same fate.

 

I would have to say the same, it was bought to help lower fuel cost . Previous vehicle was 13 mpg. Prius saves us 300.00 a month in fuel. Second reason was to help the enviroment.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(bigscrb15 @ Jul 1 2007, 10:58 PM) [snapback]471278[/snapback]</div>

We did the same as you. We sold our '98 4Runner (14-16mpg) and bought the Prius for her to commute back and forth to work. We still have our Armada for towing and taking large quantities of people/stuff.

 

I got it to save fuel. It's not as comfortable as my 2006 Accord V6, or my wife's Pilot, but that's not why I got it. My commute is 90 miles round trip now, and will go to 120 miles RT when our new building is done 1st qtr next year. We still have the other two vehicles. This is simply my commuter car.

I car-pool, and we used to swap days of driving. Now I drive everyday, and she pays daily for fuel. Saves mileage on her car, and help pays for the Prius.

I like the looks okay. I won't lie and say it's the greatest thing since sliced bread, but of all the hybrids, I like it the best.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(bigscrb15 @ Jul 2 2007, 09:44 AM) [snapback]471451[/snapback]</div>

There is some truth to the argument that fuel savings won't pay for the car, but it depends on the situation the buyer is in. For example, if the decision to buy a car is made and it's just a matter of which, and one is comparing the Prius against pretty much any other vehicle around the same general cost then fuel economy will help pay for the car - how fast then depends on how much a differential between the Prius and the alternative(s). However, if, like me, you had a fairly recent model vehicle that is fully paid for, buying a Prius creates a car payment that is likely to be somewhat higher than the fuel savings will be - meaning the Prius doesn't (directly) pay for itself. In between these two scenarios is where most people find themselves, with the result that over 3, 4, 5 or maybe 7 years, a Prius saves enough in fuel costs to at least pay a significant portion of its cost. In that regard, us Prius owners are probably amongst the few who actually WANT to see petrol prices go up since that makes our cars pay for themselves faster.

Aside from that, there's a considerable amount of bad information out there about the Prius - indeed, hybrids in general - but for the most part, people have no clue what they are or how they work. What often gets quoted is more akin to folklore and gossip from the misinformed, but also from time to time deliberate disinformation from those who have a personal agenda - against Japanese imports and the perceived damage they do to the US economy for example, or worse, those who are envious of others who have fuel-efficient transport and comment accordingly.

However, most people who have an open mind will investigate the details that are pertinent to them and quickly establish fact from fiction - both regarding hybrid technology and the cost vs. savings issue, and make their choices based on rational and considered criteria that fits the specifics of their situation. I, for example, knew little about hybrid technology before I considered buying a Prius. I heard about the supposed battery issue, but rationalized that if they failed as quickly and regularly as suggested and at the cost purported, Toyota would hardly warrant them for so long - indeed, could not do so economically. I also figured the cost or purchase against the savings in fuel based on my average milage and realized it was not a purely economic issue to buy one since it would not pay for itself. However, since I knew my existing vehicle would not run forever, and fuel prices would be far more likely to rise than fall in the coming years, a Prius still made long-term sense and was both environmentally friendly and comfortable and well-equipped to boot. As such, buying one now instead of later was the sensible choice.

 

I bought the car because of the way it looks, the price, it was a Toyota, and the savings on fuel.

 

My reasons list in order of importance


1. PZEV rating, Environmental Impact
2. Toyota Name
3. Gadgets
4. Looks, its sooooo sleek and elegant looking
5. Save money, ie.. lower insurance, less gas, lower maintenance costs (compared to my AUDI)
6. The Touring option and The color Super White


#2 & #6 tipped the scale away from the Civic hybrid

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TomorrowMatters @ Jul 2 2007, 10:33 AM) [snapback]471581[/snapback]</div>

Super White is a great reason!
So is the environment... and gadgets... oh, and the environment... and getting 50+ MPG... oh, and the environment
But I do love my Super White

 

Fuel savings and tax credit were our deciding factors. We went from a 99 Camry and 91 Toyota 4X4 to a 06 Prius and 05 Tacoma and spent about $1000 less in fuel this year than last year.

 

At the risk of becoming an outcast myself, I have to admit a shameful secret. I actually really don't care for the car's looks. I drove a Chrysler Sebring convertible before buying the Prius, and I have to admit that I loved it's looks and found it incredibly fun to drive. It was purely the fuel economy and the reliability that drove me to the Prius. Over time, I have grown used to the look, and it is beginning to appeal to me. If, however, Toyota should ever put out a Solara which gets nearly the same mileage, I will jump ship in an instant.

 

I liked the hybrid feature, gas savings, and all that, but I hated the sedan body style of our 2003 Prius that I bought for my DH for Christmas Dec 2002. (Got sick of him talking about how much his 1997 Geo Prizm would start costing when things went wrong). I always loved my 1986 Tercel hatchback, and when the new style Prius came out I just had to get one, but I had already gotten a third Corolla so had to wait a while. Talk about Prius envy! I would drive his every chance I got until I finally got my own this past March. The first time the gas prices went up to $3.00 I filled the Corolla and parked it in the driveway and we only used his until the price of gas came down. That was when I became really intent on getting one. So now we have 2 Prii.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TomorrowMatters @ Jul 2 2007, 10:33 AM) [snapback]471581[/snapback]</div>

Same for me except that we chose Red. Any color as long as it is red.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Mad Hatter @ Jul 2 2007, 02:22 PM) [snapback]471789[/snapback]</div>

We actually like the looks of both the Sebring and the Prius. Well, my wife really likes both. The Sebring doesn't do much for me mostly because I'm not into convertibles which my wife is. She just wishes Toyota came out with Prius with a retractible hard top that looks as much like the current Prius as possible.

 

I needed a replacement 2nd car for a 1992 model. I looked in Consumers Report for the ones that got the best gas mileage. I figured why not get something easy on gas.
The toss-up was between a Honda Fit (15K) and a Prius.
I picked the Prius----way better car- technology loaded--fun to drive.
I like it....Don't care about others---they don't pay my bills
Cheers !!!

 

Looks were one of the main bonuses of the car for me, not a deciding factor. I'm a nerd for design, and the form of this car fits so nicely with its function that I can't see it as anything but beautiful. When I look at the shape, I see "drag coefficient."

My deciding factors:

1. I wanted an EV and couldn't get a decent one where I live, and with the extravagant lifestyle I lead.
2. I needed to replace a Camry station Wagon (great car!) and I really did need the cargo space.

Since the Prius clearly was (and is) taking names and kicking a$$ in the hybrid market, and the cargo space is above and beyond the others, I didn't really need to equivocate about it. I walked into the dealer, told them what I wanted, didn't need a test drive or a sales pitch. Probably a lot like a lot of other Prius buyers.

 

My reasons were:

1.) I hit 40 years old and decided I have better things to do with my money than pay for gas, registration, tires etc for a more expensive car. Colorado is very expensive on car registration, 2% of the taxable value of the car the first year and it goes down just a little each year after. That is a lot of cash for your $35K type car.

2.) Lower car payment. I was paying $297 on my 2004 Acura TL and with the Prius I'm at $186 for 4 years. So a nice savings of $111 per month. More than that, I figured if I was going to get into another $35K type car it would require a higher payment or more down on top of the TL trade in so figured I would get out of that game.

3.) Gas savings- I can save $60-$75 per month for just the amount I drive at todays gas prices. It will also allow us to use the Prius more and my wifes SUV less so savings there as well. Going to take the Prius on a trip to Iowa in August that will save us $125 in gas compared to her SUV.

4.) Toyota quality.

5.) Features

6.) Help the environment.

 

I got it because of gas savings and still has the features the are important to me. Also, because it is a unique looking car. B) Because of the technical nature, probably would not have got it if it wasn't a Toyota and their reputation for reliability.