How I learned to love the Prius

i wanted one since 99 when i first heard about them. no test drive, no education, nothing. put my name in in 2004, they called me in the fall, someone had cancelled, first one in gets it. ran down with the cash, bought it without a test drive, loved every minute for the last 5 1/2 years!

 

I was reading the comments and noticed there sure are a lot of 'defensive' diesel comments. I briefly thought of posting the USA user summaries from the EPA web site but it may make more sense to point to collected, Canadian and/or UK owner numbers instead . . . if there is an equivalent to the EPA collection. I don't know if there is but I don't have a commitment to their national fuel efficiency to want to spend time looking.

Bob Wilson

 

I liked already mine before to have bought it.
I appreciated the reading of the Globe and Mail.

 

Well, diesel in only highway/road use all the time doesn't seem to be a bad option, but surely sticks to that professional service.
I certainly wouldn't buy one, for "home" use: Smokey, vibrating /umconfortable/rumorous engine, tire wear and maintenance bills very high if something does wrong - and many times it does (turbo, EGR, cat/filter, clutch, injectors, et al.). Not in my garage, please!
And diesel is not fully a right choice to propel a hybrid. Heavy, expensive and troublesome. I believe there will be not so many diesel-hybrids sellings in the future (if they release them, as promised). And every step towards PHEV makes it even worse option. Time is counting.

Regarding the "learn to love the Prius" experience, I must say that I have strolled the same road...I am a big fan of rally cars, petrolhead and not quite fan of auto gear boxes...
What about having one (rally or fun car) for road use (legal) and having your family transported inside? Is it not much more deceiveing not to be able to use its full assets, or even using it at all? It is wise? Obviously not.
Prius is Petrol-moved, does not have any "gearbox" at all...because of its simplest power split device. A good choice to match many of the tasks referred to a vehicle nowadays. And I made up my mind.
Technically, a volcano of bright solutions - still makes me smile these Toyota engineers. A team to be awarded!

 

This article has already been discussed here a couple of weeks ago (twice already, though those two were merged). Good article though.

http://priuschat.com/forums/prius-hybrid-news/78853-how-i-learned-love-prius.html

 

Very interesting article and I so can relate to it...Just had a 24 hour test drive yesterday looking to replace my wife's Murano. When I got it home, I could see by the look on her face and my eldest daughter that the look of it wasn't good. I guess the dealer advertising on it didn't help ;-) Then onto the school run to pickup my youngest...At starting it they got interested as...well nothing happened...The Murano is quiet, but this was great...Then driving off and still very quiet which is great for a small car and just can't be matched by the large choice of 'small' diesel we have in the UK.

Then, as we are used to the power, merged onto a main road and wow in PWR mode the acceleration is very good. My family started to become interested.

Then the ultimate test, the Mum's at the school gates. Now nearly everyone drives a Mercedes ML, LandRover Discovery LR4, BMW X5/X6, Audi Q7...And it was a big thumbs up from all of them, especially external dimensions versus internal space and all the luxuries (I borrowed the top of the range).

Now my wife is good at parking, I am only good at parallel parking but useless otherwise...So then she showed off the intelligent parking assist which was very cool. Here in the UK it is standard otherwise I wouldn't bother but hey I like my toys...

On the motorway I difficulties getting it to stick to 80mph, it really wanted to move. I am very very impressed by it.

To put my experience in context, my wife's car is a Murano, my current car is a diesel pickup truck to tow my boat...My previous three cars have been a BMW 740i, Golf TDI and a BMW 750i...

Hopefully I can clinch a deal tomorrow and we can really see ourselves using this a our family transport in the weekend...I love it...

 

Well I liked it