Buyer's (partial) remorse

Seems to me like you bought the Prius for all the wrong reasons.

 

I wish you happiness in your next car.

Warning, that happiness will only last about six months and then the next new and improved version will be available and "I gotta have" will set in.

 

That's a slippery slope I try to avoid. I mean, eventually you're going to trade or sell this car, and watch the potential recipient's eyes glaze over as you list all this stuff.

 

Dear Disgruntled,

Yes there are many nice vehicles being produced.
Very few if any that offer the benefits of being a Hybrid.
Get back to me when the Elantra turns of it's engine at a stop and get's you upwards of 500 miles on 10 gallons of gas.

 

yup, if 50 mpg's doesn't do it for ya, the rest will just be a disappointment. that's what it's all about.

 

Given all he's done to that v, I seriously doubt it'll ever see anything close to 50mpg.

 

Having been a Hyundai owner; 2002 Elantra, 2010 Sonata and a 2012 Sonata. I'm pretty sure you will be happier with your Prius in the long run than you would be with the Hyundai. From my experience Hyundai is all about getting a lot of stuff for your money but reliability and durability are below Toyota's standards. I now have two Toyotas and will never go back to Hyundai.

 

You are right Mike. When we buy a new car and if there is something about it that we do not like and there always is, it will be corrected in next years model. That is a trap I am not going to get in.

 

There are lots of 37 MPG highway cars around. Do the daily driving over 3 or 4 tanks and compute your average mileage and then you'll have something to measure. Also try to fit all the stuff the V absorbs into a comparative car and see if that works. Every car design is a compromise in room, cost, MPH, NVH, handling, etc.

 

sounds like someone will be trading their v soon.

 

The Elantra is a really good car!
And?
They're getting better.

The last time I checked with the "Rhymes with Sunday" company their E-car also had a stunning tow capacity to go with...adequate power and amenities, good build quality, better than average fuel efficiency, etc...

If I'm sitting in Toyota's HQ I see them getting bigger and bigger in the rear-view mirror......of course rearward is poor if you're driving a Prius.

Still....tank to tank the Prius is 10-mpg better in real-world efficiency.
That still means a lot....especially to the bunny huggers and everybody else too if gas goes back above $5 a gallon.
Priuses are still real-world reliable (Hyundai is gaining there too) and if you trade cars out every four years then it's not really going to matter what you drive as long as you can make the monthly payments, now is it?

Me?
I'm a reformed new car driver.
I want more cheap over a ten year run, and I'll deal with Spartan amenities, wheezing performance, electric steering, and golf-cart handling.

Poor dealerships notwithstanding, I see a G3 Prius as a good 10-year-car. Like, world-class good.
When Hyundai improves juuuuuuuust a little more?.
They'll probably supplant big "T".

For right now?
I need the 10-MPG.

YMMV.

 

i can understand your remorse, and the situation you are currently in. more than a few people here would like to see the things you ask for, and hope they will be in the gen IV this fall. but you have to realize that there's a lot of investment and production cost in the hybrid system. and even though it may only eek out 15-20% more mpg's than the next best thing, it sells well enough for people to continue buying it. toyota is looking at all aspects of a car that is sold worldwide, and while the gen IV will likely be an improvement in many areas, it won't satisfy everyone. but what car does? the best selling cars are the ones that get the job done for cheap money. after that, it's individual taste. i wish you all the best over the coming 5-7 years.

 

AMEN!! I love the way you stated this. It's exactly what I look forward to out of my car. I try not to focus on brand, but in many cases it does seem to matter. I am not big on the Hyundai brand at all, personally.

 

It is the same with cell phones, computers, TV's and tons of other technologies...

 

I guess it really is all in how you drive your Prius right? I get 40-45 MPG in my Prius, driving 85 MPH for over 200 miles, fluctuation of 80-90 MPH uphill and downhill. I am in Power mode for a lot of the 200 miles and still get over 40 MPG. Of course, my car has everything I want in it, because when I shopped for it, I made sure that it covered my list. Be glad it is your wife that owns the Elantra. You get to enjoy it. I hope the gas mileage doesn't get too out of hand. I hope the Elantra lasts as long as I've seen Toyota's last...