I've always been a car geek at heart, and have been fascinated by them since as young as I can remember. Since high school I've always wanted an M3 or some type of 3 series bimmer. Well, I finally obtained one and modded it and spent WAYYY more money than I had expected to. I commute a pretty hefty distance, easily a few hundred per week. So with Toyotathon rolling by during the end of the year, I thought it would be the smartest decision to let go of my baby and get myself something smarter and more conservative. I've loved the Prius C since I first seen it a couple years ago, and have always joked around about buying a Prius, and here I am now; a proud new owner of one! My BMW was my first car, but this C3 is the first brand new car I bought under my name, and I honestly couldn't be any happier with my decision! I'll be sharing my mods and be posting once I get the ball rolling! Out with the old And in with the new!
I could tell you, but that would deprive you of the joy of typing "BMW ZHP" into Google and discovering the answer yourself.
You guys are obnoxious idiots. I asked what ZHP stands for and not for what it is, duh. I know what BMW ZHP is and what BMW stands for. I actually googled ZHP and didn't find explanation what it stands for. I thought the OP would know what ZHP stands for as he owned one and I was always curios.
Lol, I didnt even notice all the replies on this thread! But I honestly dont even know what the ZHP acronym is for. Its just a package type. Im 1k miles in to my Prius, and its the best car decision I've ever made in my life!
I am struggling with the same situation you just went through ........almost exactly, lol. I have been wanting a Prius for a while now ........ever since last year when my wife and I test drove a Gen 3 . I convinced her we (she) needed an AWD car , so we caved and purchased a Subaru Legacy Limited. She loves it, but also wanted that Prius. Fast Forward to me getting sick of filling my E46 BMW every week with premium fuel at between $50-$60 a pop .......every week . I have a 2001 E46 330i , not a ZHP , but it does have a VF Supercharger on it bringing the HP to somewhere in the mid 300's. Basically M3 power in a 4 door E46 . Tire burning, gas sucking , smile inducing rear wheel drive muscle car . Why the hell do I want a Prius ???? Well .........like you I am intrigued by them .........and I am frugal . I really would love fill my tank once a month vs once a week. All the tech ..........I am loving that. Spaceship drivers console, with all kinds of buttons and fancy gauge displays to play with .........yep, just as cool in my book as my fire breathing Supercharged BMW . I can so totally see myself trying to hypermile the hell out of a Prius .........just as fun as kicking the back end out on BMW at every corner. Its just a different type of thrill I guess. I am ready to give a Prius a try ..........am I crazy ???? Did you have the same thoughts ? lol . Anyway ...........now that you have had it for a little while ..........whats your take on it vs the BMW ? Still feeling good about your decision ?
I traded a BMW 335 coupe for the Prius 3 years ago. I have never regretted the change and thoroughly enjoy the Prius.
Well thats saying something .......... those 335's are awesome. Must have been a much harder decsion than I am making . I just have an old school e46. Its great fun, but no 335. Good to hear you haven't regretted anything. What made you choose to switch up cars so dramatically from a BMW to a Prius ?To some , it may sound crazy, but it also sounds so right at the same time to me. I dont know what would happen if I was to declare my new "life" decision on a BMW forum ............. . Supercharged BMW to a ...........Prius. I think all hell would break loose ! Why am I excited about this ............... I dont know !
Full disclosure we still have the Z4. You can use all the power the Prius has on the road. It becomes a game of maintaining momentum and learning how the car works and how to drive it. You should read all you can about the technology, various modes of operation and how to best use the vehicle. It is fun to drive in a completely different way than a BMW This site has a wealth of information.
Thanks for the info. I have been studying up on these Prius ever since I started to like them ..............know all about "pulse and glide " all the modes, etc ........just no practical experience ............YET ! One thing I seem to notice .........they do not have a lot of problems from what I can tell . Thanks !
I just read all your posts in here about the switch. I can honestly say I've probably made the BEST decision financially getting this prius. Its less than $20 to fill the tank, put a good down payment on it, mixed with a good APR, and you're already paying less for this car monthly with gas included than what you would spend on gas an maintenance on an e46! Although, I can admit I miss the sheer RWD power of my ZHP. That pull I used to get was such a great thrill. But weighing out my benefits and advantages of this prius, it doesnt get much better tan 45-55mpg! I also drive my prius pretty aggresively, so sometimes I'll get around 42mpg, but hey, its still a hell of a lot better than our old 18mpg premium tanks. As for the driving, I'm still getting used to utilizing the maximum gas saving efficiency the prius offers. I've been so accustomed to driving 75mph+, left lane only, driving for so many years that it's hard for me to let that go. But once I get going around the 77mph range, I kind of just lightly press the pedal and it takes on its own momentum from there. I'm still trying to get used to it and take advantage of the 50+ mpg. In all, the biggest thing for me is getting used to driving "slow." I can't stand going 65mph, but at least this 43-ish-mpg is way better than what I used to get with my BMW. If I were you, id give it a spin. What I fell in love with in the prius c is that it actually felt like driving a car. All the other prius' that Ive driven felt like toys. It felt like being on a train. Im happy that this little thing can actually get some acceleration behind it. The choice is yours, but altogether, I couldnt be happier with my decision to make the switch over to the green side!
