Will you still be happy with your Prius if gas gets cheap?

Yes, I will be happy, even if gas gets cheap. Here are a few of my reasons:

(1) Inexpensive gas still spews just as much CO2 and all the other nasties as expensive gas.
(2) Innovation forces competition among the major car companies.
(3) There are many spinoff technological improvements, such as reduced drag, friction, battery technology, control software that result from development of the hybrid synergy drive that can be passed on to 'conventional' vehicles.
(3) Improved longevity and reliability is predicted due to the simplicity of the CVT transmission and increased brake pad life from the regenerative braking.
(4) It's a cool looking car (at least to Prius owners)
(5) It's fun to drive. I like to coast out of my neighborhood silently with the radio and AC off and the windows down. I hear alot of activity that I would have never heard before. It's fun to show the car off to passengers unfamiliar with hybrid technology. The car is still zippy enough for my needs.
(6) Widespread ownership becomes a good source of data to engineers to confirm or disprove iterative and evolutionary design changes.

B)

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Sufferin' Prius Envy @ Sep 12 2006, 12:19 AM) [snapback]318143[/snapback]</div>

Next domestic auto manufacturer ad:

"With [gas] prices this low, you can't afford not to buy a [big, gas-guzzling] SUV!"

 

2.19!!??

must be nice, i was celebrating $2.679... bummer... still getting twice the mileage for my gas buck... be it $3 a gallon or 3 gallons for a buck!

 

No matter how cheap it gets.. I will delight in only having to pay a fraction of what I would have with a normal car or truck.

Good mileage is a small slice of why I drive my prius.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DaveinOlyWA @ Sep 15 2006, 08:10 AM) [snapback]320046[/snapback]</div>

Well, prices at the pump might continue downward until the November elections in an effort to bail out the Republicans, but the long term trend is surely up. What forces are at work that would push prices down? The Gulf oil find that will only replace present Gulf production for a few years and that won't be on line for another ten years or so, if ever? Stability in the middle east?

I bought my Prius primarily CO2 reasons, although I certainly looked at the price of gas in justifying it financially. Still, the price of gas will have only marginal effect on how happy I am with my Prius.

Richard

 

Why can't more people see through the right wing's election season tactics?

This is another tool from the Rove box of tricks to convince the sheeple to vote for Republicans again.

The right is always wrong. Vote democrat, and watch Stephen Colbert damn it!

 

Add another one to the list of "I'd still love it because of low emissions and it's just a cool car".

 

If gas goes to under 2 bucks, I will sell my beloved Prius and get a hummer. I will also drive it badly to decress my MPG even more.

 

05 Prius enhanced with
Homelink
Great leather seats
Shark antenna
Prius decals
Large chrome wheels
Great large tires
Garmin Nuvi
XM radio
In my case lower gas prices just means more goodies for my Prius -- which I would not bought if I could not afford it. Having driven a 13 year old Corolla and more than one brand new Lexus, the Prius is great fun car. It even drives great once you solve the stupid little wheel lousy tire problem that folks address more inexpensively with the BT Stiffening Plate.

All this Prius bashing reminds me of other instances of resistence to technology. It has been around at least since folks tried to kill electricity by throwing stuff at water wheels.

http://ieee.ca/canrev/canrev31/social_eng....20resistance%22

 

I bought it to save Gas and not save money.....no matter whatthe gas price is ...i willstill save the same amount of GAS.....and the amount of miles i drive ....i never thought i would save money or even break even anytime before 6-7 years.........
my other options were a corolla or a civic.......but i shelled out extra 6 grants to buy a prius .........and i dont really think i could have ever justfied this amount by the money i would save on GAS

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Ken S @ Sep 8 2006, 04:06 PM) [snapback]316657[/snapback]</div>

That's taking it to extremes. He is right, city zoning should be completely reworked and urban sprawl needs to end if we are to do this right. Add in true cost pricing and the pollution from paper mills and iron smelting will go down drastically.

 

If prices go to $.50...I would not regret a thing. My new Prius is far better for my family and the world than the Ford Explorer I traded in.

And if prices DO go to $1.15 (= $1.80 in Chicago!!) it just means that I will be able to drive my car for EVEN LESS. Nothing but good news, there.

Besides, here's what I have in my Prius that I didn't have in my last car:

Home Link
GPS navigation
AUX input (a very big deal to me...I'm a musician and audio engineer)
Auto climate control
Backup camera
Bluetooth hands free
TONS OF AIRBAGS

etc....

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Stev0 @ Oct 5 2006, 09:08 AM) [snapback]328407[/snapback]</div>

Yep. I've been looking for a car that gets >40mpg for the last fifteen years, and finally found it. My best was a 1987 Nissan Sentra that would get 40 mpg on the road and 35 in the city (base model with no power steering, no power brakes, no power windows, no power seats, no auto trans, but it did have A/C).

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Stev0 @ Oct 5 2006, 10:08 AM) [snapback]328407[/snapback]</div>

Ditto - although gas prices was also one of the original reasons I bought mine, now that I've drive it for a month (yesterday was my anniversary), I found it is just too cool of a car not to have. :lol:

 

'Cause it has so many nifty gadgets..

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Soylent @ Sep 5 2006, 01:07 PM) [snapback]314634[/snapback]</div>

Of course I will still be happy with my Prius if gas (ever) becomes cheaper again, silly!
[smile]

After all, just because you can afford something, doesn't mean you should waste it.

Another thing: four door hatchbacks have never done well in America, which is a shame, I think. The shape yields good aerodynamics, and it's really practical, too. I *love* my pod and don't regret selling my flashy sports car in the least.

Believe it or not, this car is more about me, and less about impressing other people...although I'll be the first to admit that I have no real control over another's perceptions, or would want such power if it were offered to me.

 

Lets examine that statement shall we? When in the history of OPEC has the price of oil gone and STAYED down. Don't worry. It will be up again after elections.

 

i would drive my prius always. dont care if gas goes for a penny a gallon i would still drive a prius. but beware after elections gas will go back up. i hope people start to get smart and join the smart people like us who drive these neat cars. for the first time in my life i dont mind car payments cause my little white prius is worth every penny. see ya pete.

 

Ditto to what a few others already said - I didn't buy it to save money, I bought it to reduce consumption and pollution, and to encourage development of cleaner technology and transportation.

For instance - a significant piece of Toyota's R&D on the Prius was figuring out how to turn the ICE on and off without a spike in fuel consumption. Researchers say we should start seeing that technology in non-hybrid vehicles.