The Prius Problem

I felt hate just by reading that.

I've been recording videos lately after getting my new camera so I can just link and let it speaks for itself.

I wish more Prius owner do this so public (non-owners) can see what it is really like to drive Prius. To see it from owner perspective and what it means to own one.

Haters and bashers can write all they want. A video is worth more 60 thousand words right (60 pics per second)?

Even if the bashers want to make their own Prius video, go ahead. We will be able to see how and under what circumstances they make the Prius look bad. Video speaks louder than text!

 

Same old stuff we've been hearing for years. 12,000+ units sold in February shows just how much people pay attention to these things. Gas prices are skyrocketing here. Up to $2.599 most places and some even higher. 48 mpg is a lot better than 20 anytime. After 68,000 miles, I'll never go back!

 

I don't see any real problem with Prius bashers. Perhaps a percentage of potential buyers are turned off by the illogical ramblings of the emotionally blockaded, but that does not put the future of the car in danger. Toyota does a good business selling them. Beyond that lies the bigger problem of mass conversion to more fuel efficient cars. In my eyes that is a market-driven issue that will work itself out naturally. The harder people cling to their high-consumption vehicles, the more rapid the increase in fuel price. The cost of operating a guzzler becomes prohibitive faster (I admit, not the best thing for the economy) and conversion follows.

So let the bashers bash. It keeps them occupied with something foolish rather than being truly destructive.

 

"We fear change" - Garth Algar (Dana Carvey) from Wayne's World

Also, look at where the writer is coming from: Detroit Daily News? I'm sure he has no particular agenda. <_<

Our local gas prices have gone up $0.20 in the past three weeks, ranging from $2.80 - $3.00 for regular unleaded. I didn't buy it purely for the great gas mileage, but that was a big part of the decision. I don't think gas prices will drop in the long term.

One of my coworkers is now interested when the lease on his Highlander (non-hybrid) is up.

People will come around eventually.

 

At just 48 mpg in the city

What other car can come close to that?

Gee, let me buy an SUV instead, and get a guaranteed 9 mpg in the city!

Harry

 

Who really gives a crap? Let him drive what he wants. Not my problem if he can't afford to fill his tank. I don't have sympathy for anyone when they start whining "I can't afford to run my (insert name here) now that gas is $x/gallon." You should have thought about that BEFORE you bought it.

Once gas is uniformly $3/gallon watch all the pro Prius "news" stories come out again.

On the other hand, put two Prius owners together and we tend to whine too. The winter weather is awful. My mpg went down to 48. Gas prices are outrageous. I spent $20 to fill my tank!

Now the advantage of the bladder becomes apparant. At $3/gallon one can't spend over $30 to fill it up. B)

 

The ridulous part is so many people WILL freak out over the "news" and attack the Prius and or Toyota without doing the math.

At high MPG numbers the actual monetary difference between 55mpg avg and 48mpg avg. is very small.

10,000 miles / 55mpg avg. x $3.00 per ga. = $545
10,000 miles / 48mpg avg. x $3.00 per ga. = $625
.......
$80

10,000 miles / 20mpg avg. x $3.00 per ga. = $1500
10,000 miles / 18mpg avg. x $3.00 per ga. = $1666
.......
$166

And that is using a 7mpg difference for the Prius and a 2mpg difference on say a truck.

 

What problem? I'm seeing 57 MPG in my commuting, thank you Springtime! If our Prius was totalled or something (knock on wood) I'd buy another one tomorrow because I'd miss all the science fiction noises and touch screen.

 

Geez, Henry, such outright hate. Is Dr. Phil in the house?

 

Yeah, such a horrible problem that the Prius gets "only" 48mpg, when the vast majority of American cars get less than 20mpg. Who should be embarrassed about this?

Dave

 

I've seen a few anti-hybrid Detroit News jobs before.

The writer failed to mention what all these European diesels get on the new EPA. They are not cleared for sale in the US, so they are not, but if you go back a few years, the old EPA had them well behind the Prius.

I'd like for clean diesels to make it to the US market soon, BTW.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(john1701a @ Mar 2 2007, 04:22 PM) [snapback]399201[/snapback]</div>

What a Payne in the nice person! :lol:

As the saying goes "Never argue with an idiot. They'll drag you down to their level and beat you with experience."

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(JimN @ Mar 2 2007, 11:46 PM) [snapback]399366[/snapback]</div>

I agree. My father in law drove 11 hours to visit us. He drives a big Chevy truck. Needless to say, when he went with me and I filled up my Prius-he was in shock. Our previously "foolish" purchase, is now approved of by a man who I think would be up for a Prius purchase of his own. Of course, he had to see it to believe it. We haven't gotten below 46 mpg. But that was a short stint when it got really cold. The average lowest with winter was 48. And in the summer our average is 52. We test drove a Prius before we got ours, long story short, we ended up going out of state, and seen that the mpg just wasn't going to be 60. But we loved it enough to make the purchase anyway. We regularly travel from Alabama back to visit family in Indiana. That is why we made the decision with gas prices being so high to get a Prius. That and the fact that we are a green household for the most part. And we wanted to do better for the environment. I am super satisfied with our car. And my husband the skeptic is too.

 

How is a VW more affordable than a Prius? I somehow can't see that.

And if the Prius expected MPG drops, so will the other cars. It's all relative, right?

Henry Payne
Occupation: Editorial cartoonist, The Detroit News
Political pigeonhole: Good government is less government

So we've got the anarchist cartoonist writing articles against the Prius. I'm voting unreliable.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jboaa @ Mar 14 2007, 09:39 AM) [snapback]405332[/snapback]</div>

I love the Prius for cross country trips although I don't take many. I like the idea that I can drive to Dayton, OH before I NEED gas. (I stop to top off when I see the local gas is "cheap" to avoid unpleasant surprises.)