Question: WHY DID YOU BUY A HYBRID?

I wrote this is 2009, when a semi ran a red light in 2012, I took advantage of the insurance money to get a real station wagon. It is still very true.

Prius Owner Survey: Motivation | Page 3 | PriusChat

 

Actually?
I didn't.
My company bought one because they wanted a $25,000 placard to put a "we REALLY care!" sticker on.

As it turns out, Big Bell will probably benefit from a hybrid advantage that most new buyers trade away, that being the TCO benefit that Priuses have by being moderately priced, and fairly dependable AS WELL as the superior fuel efficiency if you keep it long enough to leg out the initial higher buy-in cost.
See also: Hybrid Premium.

If I were to buy a new car today, I would certainly consider a hybrid, and maybe even a Prius (NOT a G4!!!)

Gas is cheap.
The Hybrid market is soft.
Interest rates have bottomed out.
(edit......while I still can) The technology is proven, and sound.

If this trend continues, and if the G4 undergoes some serious mid-course corrections in the styling department and if they don't wind up being the automotive equivalent of Samsung's Note-7 then the G4 or the Prime would be.....COULD be the bargain of the century in a year.

 

We had 2 Minivans and I always felt vulnerable to gasoline price rises, so as of 2006 we have one Prius and one Minivan, and we successfully protected our pocketbook from the subsequent $4 gaso. Also I always felt the hybrid idea made more sense than EV for Northeast type driving, though by now EV has progressed somewhat. As an engineer the hybrid idea made immediate good sense to me from the first time I realized it was practical (as in Gen1 Prius). Did not buy until I got used to Gen2 Prius looks.

 

1. In September 2005, we lost our Camry in a rain-slick street accident when others were trying to avoid a reckless driver. The local Toyota dealers were marking up the Prius by $2-4,000 so I bought a used, 2003 in Fort Worth and drove it home. Within three months, I was getting 52 MPG in city and highway driving. It was my hobby car.
2. In May 2009, I fell into a good deal and bought a new 2010 Prius. It also gets 52 MPG in city and highway but 5 mph faster and with more volume and power. It had the first 1.8 L engine and new systems.
3. In May 2016, I replaced the 2003 Prius with a used, 2014 BMW i3-REX and now pay $0.25/10 miles in the city versus $0.38/10 miles with the Prius. However, 1/3d of the city miles are free so the out-of-pocket, BMW cost ~$0.15/10 miles. On the highway, the BMW i3-REX is $0.55/10 miles versus $0.38/10 miles for the Prius. But once I arrive at my destination, I'm back on BMW city rates. Furthermore, the BMW i3-REX does 0-60 in about 7 seconds versus 10-11 seconds in the Prius; much quieter with; automatic cruise control, backup camera, curb sensors, and automatic parallel parking. It also has vehicle and pedestrian collision avoidance.

So we've bought three hybrids, two Prius and a BMW i3-REX. Each has been better than the last with distinct improvements in efficiency and performance. Only the BMW i3-REX highway performance could be better but the automatic cruise control and collision avoidance along with quiet power makes it an enjoyable ride.

Bob Wilson

 

I was actually considering a caddy, when it occurred to me that a hybrid would make more sense. So I decided to look at a Prius, and the rest is history.

 

In early 2008, I had a 24-year-old SUV that I was getting tired of nursing along, and I figured I had supported the oil companies adequately by that point.

I had several years of gas receipts entered in my computer, so I was able to plot the trend of prices per gallon that I personally had paid at the pump over that period. At the time I did so, they fit an exponential curve rather well.

On a whim, I looked on eBay Motors, of all places, and saw a 2001 Prius with 125,000 miles, not too far from me, and did a back-of-the-envelope calculation of what it would cost me (over the several years I usually keep a vehicle, and if fuel prices continued the trend I had been seeing), compared to what I was driving.

I then offered the seller the exact difference I had calculated, i.e., the price that would make the trade from my SUV hypothetically 'free'.

That was a bit unfair to the seller at the time, because I was driving few miles at the time, which kept the difference low. If he had had, say, an offer from a high-miles traveling salesman, using the exact same offer strategy I used, the high-miles guy would have been able to make a much more attractive offer. Also, my offer did not price in any value for advances, like air bags, made since my 24-year-old hooptie.

But it turned out I was standing there with a check and a pen, so he sold it to me.

Two things then happened later in 2008, as you may remember. First, by June of that year, gas in my area topped $4 a gallon, an even faster increase than my modeling had suggested. Glancing at market prices, I had the bizarre realization that I could have sold my 125,000 mile, eight year old Prius then and there for $3k more than I had paid in March. How often does that happen with an old used vehicle? But by then I enjoyed the car way too much to consider selling.

The other thing that happened in 2008, unforgettably, was the economy crashed, gas prices collapsed near the end of the year, and have remained soft ever since, compared to what I had been seeing in the years running up.

That means, of course, that my calculation of the price to make the car 'free' had been overstated, and instead, over the eight years I drove it, it did in fact cost me some money. But still a shockingly small amount of money for a large upgrade in comfort, versatility, safety, and reliability from what I had been driving.

Something else that happened a couple years later was that both my parents were hospitalized simultaneously, in another state, and my driving pattern abruptly changed from very few miles to several hundred a week. That made a much smaller change in my fuel budget than it would have in another car.

That's one of the best ways to look at the benefit of a high-MPG car: gas prices may go up steeply, or not, your driving needs may change radically, or not, but the car is insurance to hold down the effect on your budget no matter which of those things happen.

That car was hit in the right quarter at 15 years and 230-some thousand miles, so now I'm looking forward to similar comfortable, trouble-free transportation in my 2010.

-Chap

 

Edited to include the definition of gam(e)ification!

1) Interesting design (appearance and mechanical components)
2) Gam(e)ification of driving
3) The user community

When the time came to replace my old car, I wasn't planning to buy a hybrid. However, when researching reliable small cars, the Prius kept coming up in lists and recommendations. Gas expense was not a motivation for me. Based on gas price projections and my driving situation, I didn't expect the cost premium of a hybrid to fully wash out over time.

1) While looking for cars, I read about the different hybrid drive train technologies - that made me more and more interested in owning a hybrid. Before researching hybrids, I didn't really know (or care) much about what happened under my car's hood!
Specific to the Prius, I liked the exterior appearance and the cockpit-like feeling of the Gen 3's interior.

2) I have a long commute, so I was interested in the way that hybrids gam(e)ify driving. You receive feedback through the displays and work to improve your "score." As my husband says, "it makes commuting like a video game."

3) The user community of Prius drivers was also a motivating factor. I was attracted to this community of people excited to learn about their cars and share their knowledge, both on PriusChat and in real life. Before buying, I hadn't met anyone who was ambivalent about their Prius - drivers were always excited about them. When we met a Prius owner, we'd always ask if they liked their car. The answer was always an emphatic "YES!" followed by their fuel consumption stats.

 

Toyota quality was the major factor. Other Toyota owners gave nothing but positive feedback.

 

Son, just read as many of these forums as you can. The answers are written out, time and time again. Don't ask to be spoon fed by a few individuals, but go the whole nine yards on here and you will understand your subject better that way and any subsequent dissertation will glow with enthusiasm. I'm sure I speak for everyone on here in wishing you good luck.

 

I did a double take when reading this until later:

Source: Gams « The Word Detective

. . .
All of which brings us to the third kind of “gams,” slang for a woman’s legs, especially if regarded as attractive. “Gam” in this sense probably reminds most people of the “noir” crime novels and films of the 1930s and 40s and the hardboiled patois of Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett and James M. Cain (“The gams! The gams! Your face ain’t news!”, Mildred Pierce, 1941). But “gam” in this sense is actually considerably older than Sam Spade, dating back to at least the late 18th century. And “gam,” which began as underworld slang, originally referred to the leg of either sex, and not necessarily an attractive one.

There are two theories about the origin of “gam” meaning “leg.” The shorter and more straightforward one simply traces it to the Italian word “gamba,” also meaning “leg.”
. . .​

Later, I realized it was meant to refer to 'game'. One would have to be a fan of 'film noir' and cheap detective novels to understand the older meaning of 'gam' but that is a pretty avatar. So let me suggest some alternatives:

"Game of Roads" - take off of HBO series 'Game of Thrones'
"The MPG Challenge" - reality show title ripoff
'Gameification of driving" - unambiguous​

Meant in fun, I like the response but slangish got in the way. <GRINS>

Bob Wilson

 

For the gas mileage. Period. (I'm not really a "green" person). I was tired of getting 17-19 mpg in my old Camry. I didn't care if my new car was a hybrid or not... I'm retired, on a fixed income, and I want to save money on gas.

But I'm learning that the Prius World is a whole new kind of driving experience. There are a lot of haters out there... and we get tailgated, and cut off, and flipped off, and yelled at and you name it. Lots of weird people just hate to see a hybrid Prius on the road. Or be stuck behind one.

 

Retired engineer. I like and respect well engineered devices that perform their function well. After an imperfect experience with a 3 year old twin turbo BMW coupe I decided to go in a different direction in 2011 and bought a Prius. That car made a cross country trip last year and was great. My daughter has it now and we have a 2015.

It is an easy to live with, high tech device that does most things well and nothing great except the mileage.

When I traded the BMW for the first Prius (plus some cash coming my way) my adult son said he thought I had become senile. After he borrowed it for a trip he understood the change.

 

Most of you already have read my opinion. So I will curtail my reasons. For me, Toyota in general offers very low maintenance during ownership. However, there are specific reasons that made the Prius stand out for me. First the AC system. The AC pump is NOT continuously being pulled by a belt, thus, no wear and tear. On regular cars, running the AC pulls horsepower away and thus lowers gas mileage. Not the case with the Prius. The AC pump is electric, runs independant of the engine and turns on ONLY when you turn on the AC. And even when you run it, it doesn't affect gas mileage. Most AC compressors in regular cars leak and go out in 4 to 5 years due to the constant running of the pulley. Don't even ask the cost to replace an AC compressor in a regular car. Might as well sell the car. Next is the braking system. Short explanation is that they wear much slower and will easily get over 60k miles on your first set. Some claiming up to 80k. On the regular cars I owned, I was replacing pads at 40k, only to find that my rotors were also "inferior" or "faulty"............hmmmmm?

My bottom line is this. Toyota, for me, consistantly delivers on longevity with little cost in repairs. My prior car was a Scion XB. Had it over 9 years, put on 163,000 miles and I only had to replace the brakes and the water pump. Which reminds me, the water pump in the Prius is electric, and yes, only runs when the engine runs.

By now, you probably can see that over the years, I have had to either replace or have had replaced by a mechanic AC compressors, water pumps, rotors, disc pads, radiators.............you know, all those parts that "wear out" in other cars I have owned. What irritated me was replacing these items on cars that were less that 4 years old! Its like, "Why buy a new car?"

Yes, I bought the car for the gas savings. I have been driving cars since 1974 and have been fooled by low gas prices more times than I can count. This last bout in 2008 pushed me to get into the Hybrid game. My monthly house gasoline expenditures was well over 2800 dollars a month!! Gasoline cannot be purchase on sale. Gasoline cannot be bought in bulk and stored. You pay the price they set. Period. So, while all those who think we are foolish to believe in alternative transportation, who think the electric car is a waste, will, someday, realize that if they are spending 1000 dollars a month in gasoline, thats 12k a year! Thats a vacation, (which by the way I did earlier this year because of the gasoline cost I saved. Mr. Musk started out making his cars for the elite. Maybe, just maybe he did it so the big 3 would ignore him, so he could slowly chew away at the gasoline market and show the world that an all electric car can be "sexy" and fast.

And lastly, look at all the other car makers finally jumping into the Hybrid arena. Why all the sudden interest from Kia?, Dodge?, Ford?, etc. They all could have done this decades ago. But, hey, glad they are in the game now. May the best car maker win!

 

I had sports cars that I drive on the weekend. I decided I needed something practical and fuel efficient to drive M-F. Traded in my Lexus Gs430 for a Prius. I got so addicted to the fantastic gas mileage I just replaced my wife's car with another Prius.

 

I first drove a car in 1959. So over the years probably bought 40. Everything from a MiniVan to a sportscar to a VW Type 3 to a ......

I was driving a 9 year old CRV in perfect shape getting 20 MPG and a 11 year old Porsche getting slightly better. I was using the Porsche less and less and getting tired of juggling cars in the driveway. My son first bought a Prius hatchback. Commutes 50 miles each way. Loved it. 50+ MPG. No repairs. So I looked and wanted: local dealer, reliable reputation, quality, utility, MPG, different, green friendly. By different, see gamification above. It wasn't the fun of a Porsche but the driving experience was also different from a Volvo PV-544 of the 60s era. By utility I mean could it take the 6' Xmas tree to the recycle, carry the Costco load, transport my wife and 3 grandkids. Go to the beach and the mountains. I didn't need 4WD. Thus the v. It gets EPA 42 MPG without me doing anything special. The dealer is almost within walking distance from my house.

I did a spreadsheet showing how many miles at what MPG the gas costs would be at various gas prices from $4.50 to $3. But it was as much not having to fill up every week as the MPG savings. Only when I had the car did I realize the side benefit savings. Tires are still at 60+%, brakes at 80+%.

I filled up my wife's Avalon 6 cylinder the other day and waited and waited for the pumping to complete. Twice what mine takes. In time and cash.

I paid cash for the car and could have bought anything but a supercar that way. So cost wasn't a limiting factor, though I spent probably 5 days playing the negotiation game. I bought my wife's car from an Internet dealer 3 states away to save maybe $1500 at the cost of a day of my retirement time.

My daughter in law just bought a v also. That makes 5 Toyotas currently in the family.

Which is a long way of saying: replaced utility, brand/model reputation, different driving experience, reliability reputation, dealer location, MPG, cost in that order.

 

i was concerned that they were cutting down all the redwood trees, so i thought i should do my part.

 

I wanted a car that I could camp in (hatchback) in the Southwest desert heat (electric A/C runs off the traction battery). The Prius hatchback was the only model available. I have camped in the car from freezing weather to over 120-degree daytime/100-degree nighttime temps.

 

I entered a $20 raffle....next thing you know....of course, the taxes were a killer.