Prius is 3rd-best selling automobile line in the world

[Xecuter]

I educate people on the fallacy of their own self-importance and relieve them of their delusion that they are somehow superior to the other 7 billion human beings on the planet.

Particularly when that self-importance hinges on their decision to buy a Prius.

That's the first thing I consider when I buy a car! How can I show people that I love to smell my own farts?

It comes down to

Why did you buy an F150 - I need to tow stuff
Why did you buy a Miata - I wanted a zippy car that's fun to drive
Why did you buy a Suburban - I have a family and can use the versatility of a lot of room, don't really care about MPG
Why did you buy a Caravan - I have a family and I didn't want to pay for a Suburban
Why did you buy a Fiesta - I'm single and need a reliable car
Why did you buy an Impala - I'm an old lady and I liked the old Impala I had, I just need something reliable
Why did you buy a Prius - Wanted a sedan with good MPG, and I drive in the city a bunch

People don't buy a car primarily because they want to send a message, they do it for a bunch of reasons. Could one of them be "I want people to know I'm conscious about the environment?" Sure, and I'd roll my eyes at them too. I think the whole hybrid thing is more marketing than something that is an effective environmental protection policy, but what do I care?

More than anything people are going to place i) reliability ii) fuel economy and iii) safety above making a statement about what they drive. Guess what? The Prius meets expectations and more for everything about what someone would expect in a sedan. People who own Prius's LIKE their cars. There is a reason for this, and others follow suit accordingly when it's time to buy a car.

As an aside, batteries are arguably the way to go because you can generate electricity different ways (read nuclear, solar, wind, hydro, coal, oil); but gas, diesel and natural gas aren't unlimited. I digress...

tldr; you're a dumbass

 

[dave_the_nerd]

I'd get a Prius if I needed a city car, but gas mileage would be one factor. It's a status symbol/car and the same as getting a Porsche, Audi, or bimmer when you could easily get by with a Civic.

Heh. U be trollin'.

Boxster starts at $50k.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Yeah, I have a neighbor, drives a armada, indirectly mocks my Camry hybrid by saying - Better poor than dead 🙄

Because it is inevitable that you will die in your Camry. It is a known fact that everyone who has bought a Camry will die in it.

 

[JulesMaximus]

There are dangerously high levels of smug in this thread.

I haven't noticed any smug. There's a whole lot of stupid but no smug.

 

[surfsatwerk]

I haven't noticed any smug. There's a whole lot of stupid but no smug.

Why there's a whole cloud of it hanging over the thread.

 

[Doppel]

The best part about owning the Prius is all of the coal-miners that you will keep employed to keep the electric plants operating.<snip>

This is awesome. You have a strong opinion of the car and yet don't even know literally the first thing about how it works. Has nobody ever told you that the Prius does not get plugged in? You think it's an electric car, despite it being in the US for over a decade and you still haven't ever wondered where the plug is? Hint: it doesn't have one. Here you go: http://www.howstuffworks.com/hybrid-car.htm March of this year is the first time a small percentage of the Prii available even could be plugged in. Regarding environmental impact there are voluminous amounts of data on the true impact, but I assume that if you don't even realize the Prius (vast majority of them) doesn't get plugged in you're probably also running from sources that say things like the Hummer is greener than the Prius--also debunked, if you're interested (http://priuschat.com/threads/prius-vs-hummer-exploding-the-myth.30974/)

I educate people on the fallacy of their own self-importance and relieve them of their delusion that they are somehow superior to the other 7 billion human beings on the planet.

Particularly when that self-importance hinges on their decision to buy a Prius.

Why do you think a Prius owner is assuming they are self-important? The most self-righteous behavior I see here is from the Prius-butthurt crowd who seem to take is as some personal offense that others drive a Prius. I know why now: It's because you assume that the only reason a person would buy one is to drive around and feel more important than others. Given that you think all Prius owners are like this you have a great dislike of them.

 

[Childs]

Why do you think a Prius owner is assuming they are self-important?

I think it came from South Park. That was the first time I heard of the notion that Prius owners felt self important.

 

[Doppel]

I think it came from South Park. That was the first time I heard of the notion that Prius owners felt self important.

And surely some of them are, but there's no way every single person in a Prius is at all times looking down their nose upon those without a Prius as world-hating eco-terrorists. Most of them just don't give a sh*t what others are driving. For every Prius with an Obama/Biden sticker you've got a dozen without it. Although for every non-Prius with that sticker you've probably got a hundred non-Prius without it 😀

 

[PhoKingGuy]

And surely some of them are, but there's no way every single person in a Prius is at all times looking down their nose upon those without a Prius as world-hating eco-terrorists. Most of them just don't give a sh*t what others are driving. For every Prius with an Obama/Biden sticker you've got a dozen without it. Although for every non-Prius with that sticker you've probably got a hundred non-Prius without it 😀

Ive seen many Priuses with GOP propaganda splattered all over them as well. From NOBAMA to Romney stickers.

Anyone who badmouths the Prius is A) jealous they can't afford one, or B) some slack jawed redneck that drives a transam with half of it rusted off. Its a perfect A to B appliance that gets amazing mileage while having creature comforts at the same time. In LA you can pull up to the valet at a swanky restaurant in one and not feel out of place, try saying the same with a Fiesta.

FWIW, I own a 335i.

 

[alkemyst]

these people hog the left lane here with HOV stickers.

They love to point at them when you dip your lights to pass.

 

[DesiPower]

these people hog the left lane here with HOV stickers.

They love to point at them when you dip your lights to pass.

what does that have anything to do with hybrids...

 

[alkemyst]

what does that have anything to do with hybrids...

YoU dO rEaLiZe HyBrIdS gEt HOV sTiCkAz?

 

[DesiPower]

YoU dO rEaLiZe HyBrIdS gEt HOV sTiCkAz?

Why would it have that? I saw pzev... never HOV... maybe in falifornia...

 

[Doppel]

Why would it have that? I saw pzev... never HOV... maybe in falifornia...

alk brings up a good point. Depending on where you live getting a High Occupancy Vehicle sticker can be something you get just for having a Prius and it can save you a huge amount of commute time in some cases. I don't live near an area with HOV and most don't, though.

 

[SP33Demon]

Let's do the fcking math:

2012 Prius barebones = $23,015
http://www.autotrader.com/research/configure/trimselection.jsp?year=2012&make=Toyota&model=Prius
2012 Yaris barebones = $14,115
http://www.autotrader.com/research/configure/trimselection.jsp?year=2012&make=Toyota&model=Yaris

In order for a hybrid to make up the initial cost, it has to recoup $8,900 in fuel savings.
Assuming an average of $4/gallon gas (3.60~ right now):
Heavy Driver:
Prius: 30,000/yr @48mpg hwy= 30,000/48 * 4 =$2500
Yaris: 30,000/yr @38mpg hwy= 30,000/38 * 4 = $3157
Breakeven point: $3157-2500 = $657, $8900/657 = 13.54 years.
With the "company break" of $3000 that some claim in this thread: 5900/657= 8.98 years

For the normal everyday driver who drives 12K miles a year, and no company "incentives":
Normal Driver (Prius is upped to 50mpg b/c much less highway, yaris drops to 35):
Prius: 12,000/yr @50mpg hwy= 12,000/50 * 4 =$960
Yaris: 12,000/yr @35mpg hwy= 12,000/35 * 4 = $1371
Breakeven point: $1371-960 = $411, $8900/411 = 21.65 years.

Makes. zero. fcking. sense. if. all. you. care. about. is. mileage (like some claim in this thread). Especially considering Prius drivers have to keep the car for 8-9 years and Yaris drivers will get double the trade in at an earlier year; not to mention that the Prius battery warranty is up at 100,000 miles.

 

[Eug]

And again, the Yaris is a subcompact, and the Prius is a mid-size.

We own BOTH cars by the way.

 

[SP33Demon]

And again, the Yaris is a subcompact, and the Prius is a mid-size.

We own BOTH cars by the way.

My post was directed to the poster who claimed they only cared about mileage. Read the thread. I don't give two shits about roominess and neither does my math.

 

[AdamK47]

And again, the Yaris is a subcompact, and the Prius is a mid-size.

We own BOTH cars by the way.

You and I are completely the opposite juding by your comment, avatar, and sig.

 

[Red Storm]

I know this might be downright shocking to some of you, but people buy cars for a number of reasons, not just one. It's not just numbers, it's not just personal taste, it's actually a bit of both.

But I get it, I mean how fucking dare they buy a Prius?!

 

[Eug]

You and I are completely the opposite juding by your comment, avatar, and sig.

Excellent. :thumbsup:

 

[AdamK47]

Excellent. :thumbsup:

It's a relief for both of us.

 

[Blackjack200]

Let's do the fcking math:

2012 Prius barebones = $23,015
http://www.autotrader.com/research/configure/trimselection.jsp?year=2012&make=Toyota&model=Prius
2012 Yaris barebones = $14,115
http://www.autotrader.com/research/configure/trimselection.jsp?year=2012&make=Toyota&model=Yaris

In order for a hybrid to make up the initial cost, it has to recoup $8,900 in fuel savings.
Assuming an average of $4/gallon gas (3.60~ right now):
Heavy Driver:
Prius: 30,000/yr @48mpg hwy= 30,000/48 * 4 =$2500
Yaris: 30,000/yr @38mpg hwy= 30,000/38 * 4 = $3157
Breakeven point: $3157-2500 = $657, $8900/657 = 13.54 years.
With the "company break" of $3000 that some claim in this thread: 5900/657= 8.98 years

For the normal everyday driver who drives 12K miles a year, and no company "incentives":
Normal Driver (Prius is upped to 50mpg b/c much less highway, yaris drops to 35):
Prius: 12,000/yr @50mpg hwy= 12,000/50 * 4 =$960
Yaris: 12,000/yr @35mpg hwy= 12,000/35 * 4 = $1371
Breakeven point: $1371-960 = $411, $8900/411 = 21.65 years.

Makes. zero. fcking. sense. if. all. you. care. about. is. mileage (like some claim in this thread). Especially considering Prius drivers have to keep the car for 8-9 years and Yaris drivers will get double the trade in at an earlier year; not to mention that the Prius battery warranty is up at 100,000 miles.

lol. Who said that all they cared about was mileage? I mean, don't get me wrong, I do need something with good mileage to get to you mom's and back. I don't need to be filling her and my tank up on the same night.

 

[DesiPower]

My post was directed to the poster who claimed they only cared about mileage. Read the thread. I don't give two shits about roominess and neither does my math.

Still, it doesn't make sense if you compare piss to shit... Being a family man living in a respectable gated community, I, can never, drive a Yaris to and from work, Prius, I most definitely can. Pull your head out of your ass.

 

[AdamK47]

Still, it doesn't make sense if you compare piss to shit... Being a family man living in a respectable gated community, I, can never, drive a Yaris to and from work, Prius, I most definitely can. Pull your head out of your ass.

Give us details as to why you are prohibited from driving a Yaris.

 

[SP33Demon]

Still, it doesn't make sense if you compare piss to shit... Being a family man living in a respectable gated community, I, can never, drive a Yaris to and from work, Prius, I most definitely can. Pull your head out of your ass.

So what you're saying is that you're ok driving a car for its looks, even if it takes you 13.54 - 21.65 years to breakeven on the cost.

FYI, if we're discussing looks, both the Yaris and Prius are vaginamobiles but at least you can trade-in the Yaris after a few years (and not worry about losing money to drive said vaginamobile).

Let's now do a math comparison to the Kia Forte (roomier, more power, looks way less feminine) for the Prius breakeven point:

http://www.autotrader.com/research/configure/trimselection.jsp?year=2012&make=Kia&model=Forte

23,015 - 15,200 = $7815 difference

For the normal everyday driver who drives 12K miles a year, and no company "incentives":
Normal Driver (Prius is upped to 50mpg b/c much less highway, yaris drops to 35):
Prius: 12,000/yr @50mpg = 12,000/50 * 4 =$960
Forte: 12,000/yr @30mpg = 12,000/29 * 4 = $1655
Breakeven point: $1655-960 = $695, $7815/695 = 11.24 years.

Engine (Forte first): 2.0L vs 1.8L, 156HP@6200 vs 134HP@5200, 144lbs/torque@4300 vs 105@4000

Roominess (Forte first): Front Headroom/Legroom - 40.0 in. / 43.3 in. vs 38.6 in. / 42.5 in., Rear Headroom/Legroom - 37.6 in. / 35.0 in. vs 37.6 in. / 36.0 in.

Turning radius/weight (Forte first): Wheelbase - 104.3 vs 106.3 in., Curb Weight - 2729 lb. vs 3165 lb. (note that the lighter weight will magnify the power advantage of the Forte)

Warranty (Forte first): Basic: 5 yr./ 60000 mi. vs 3 yr./ 36000 mi., Drivetrain: 10 yr./ 100000 vs 5 yr./ 60000 mi., Roadside: 5 yr./ 60000 mi. vs 2 yr./ 25000 mi.

Pic of Forte:

Bang for your buck, the Forte beats the Prius in every category (cost, power, room, warranty) until the Prius breaks even in cost after 11.24 years even with its 21mpg advantage. It's pretty clear that the 2012 Prius hatch is an overpriced pig that hides behind its mpg image and there are overall better options out there, such as the Kia Forte.

I'm sure there could be even better comparisons but that one jumped out at me first.