Toyota Pruis

Kudos to you, Chickpea. It is definitely cool to go hybred !!

Some freinds of mine bought a Prius a couple of years ago, and they love it, especially the gas mileage. One big caution is that it makes no noise when it starts, so people and pets won't quickly jump out of the way. Could be a slight hazard in that regard.

get the latest model year you can afford.

Seems like I recall Toyota have a problem with some of the Prius models. A couple of good sources for consumer comments on autos are:
edmunds.com and
kbb.com (Kelly Blue Book)

Thanks for good info....and for web links SJ.

What's the safety of the Prius. We're in the market for a used car that is very safe (5 star ratings preferred), reliable, gas efficient. So far, the Honda Civic is coming up strong. It has better safety ratings than the Accord (5 star front and side) even though it's a smaller car. I've heard it's becaus the body of the Civic is one piece so that helps in a crash (the accord has 3 body pieces, so that makes it more vulnerable, though it's still 5 star front crash and 4 star side crash). Our daughter is going to learn how to drive this summer and I want the safest car possible as a family car (she won't get her own car).

The Prius is on our list, too. We're hoping not to get anything past a 2002, though, unless the safety is significantly better (that's the only thing that will get me to buy a newer car). And I think Honda may have a hybrid Civic (they're not going to offer the Accord Hybrid I just read this morning because it's just not selling well in North America - Prius has that market).

Penn and Teller did a good bit on this on their Showtime show. They basically concluded that it gets about as good of milage as a Corolla, Civic, Mini, etc, but does not perform near as well. And you don't have to dispose of batteries with the non-hybrids. The Prius is more of a brand name or status symbol than a serious alternative if you put it on a pro/con list.

People who have them love them.http://priuschat.com/forums.html

What's the safety of the Prius. We're in the market for a used car that is very safe (5 star ratings preferred), reliable, gas efficient. So far, the Honda Civic is coming up strong. It has better safety ratings than the Accord (5 star front and side) even though it's a smaller car. I've heard it's becaus the body of the Civic is one piece so that helps in a crash (the accord has 3 body pieces, so that makes it more vulnerable, though it's still 5 star front crash and 4 star side crash). Our daughter is going to learn how to drive this summer and I want the safest car possible as a family car (she won't get her own car).

Toyota Highlander and Ford Escape also come in a hybrid. The Escape is tiny and feels tiny. The Highlander and Prius are much roomier. The Civic is also tiny.

Paula, note that the safety ratings are based per category. ie- the Civic is rated in against other "small" cars, while the Accord is rated in the "mid-size" category. Also, be aware that there are two safety ratings for vehicles -- the government's and the insurance companies'. IMO, the insurance ratings are much more intensively studied, while the government's ratings are inferior. The Insurance Institute for Hwy Safety, linked above, conducts frontal offset crash tests, which I don't think the gov't does.

Search your auto's results here, and check the 2007 Award Winners.

Here are the IIHS results for the Prius.

So, if Chickpea and Paula get a Prius, can I justify an X5?

Best car on the market at any pricepoint is currently the Civic. Ace body structure for the best in collision safety and 30/40 mileage rating in straight gas engine. The 4 door LX/ auto is a good buy at around 17.5k and resale is also the best. The wheelbase is almost 107 inches and gives a great ride. If you buy a hybrid be forewarned that your dealing with a much more complicated vehicle that will need expensive batteries eventually. The Civic has a good tax credit for the first 60k owners I believe.

So, if Chickpea and Paula get a Prius, can I justify an X5?

Yes, The X5 purchase will help kickstart our economy. If you buy a black one, it will be much easier to see your SoWal sticker.

Yes, The X5 purchase will help kickstart our economy. If you buy a black one, it will be much easier to see your SoWal sticker.

...no black...too hot.

Some freinds of mine bought a Prius a couple of years ago, and they love it, especially the gas mileage. One big caution is that it makes no noise when it starts, so people and pets won't quickly jump out of the way. Could be a slight hazard in that regard.

One evening as we were leaving a rehearsal for our string ensemble, one of the members couldn't find her car keys. She panicked, started retracing her steps, and finally found them. She had left them in her Prius, and it runs so quietly that when she arrived at rehearsal, she didn't realize that she had left the car running.

That's how quiet they are.

Test drove one today and was very impressed. And we really became interested when we drilled a parent at our daughter's school who has been driving one for a while and she was raving about it and told us she gets about $50 miles to the gallon on average (and more on the highway).

Acceleration was the least impressive but big deal I guess (who I am gonna race????). Ride was very quiet and comfortable and my pet peeve is tightness in back seat and Pruis is surprisingly roomy in back.

Looked in consumer magazines and was very impressed as well by how well it tested in crashes (has 8 airbags - 2 in front for driver and passenger, 2 in side and then air curtains on both sides that protect both front and rear passenger (counts as 2 airbags as it spans length of car x 2 of course).

We have never bought a new car but in this case must say we are leaning towards newer model because of better battery - appreciate all your comments - keep em coming !

Penn and Teller did a good bit on this on their Showtime show. They basically concluded that it gets about as good of milage as a Corolla, Civic, Mini, etc, but does not perform near as well. And you don't have to dispose of batteries with the non-hybrids. The Prius is more of a brand name or status symbol than a serious alternative if you put it on a pro/con list.

Pruis is hardly a brand name and frankly not much of a status symbol - I can think of many cars (mini for example) that are much sexier but not practical for our family - although it (the mini) is arguably IMHO, one of the best looking cars in the market today - so so well designed!

Have NO idea what you are talking about about mileage - I intend to cut my gas bills at least in half and it pollutes the environment 70% less than other comparable cars.

My sister has had a Prius for at least 2 years and loves it. Her husband is not allowed to touch the car, which is her baby. I drove it a few times and it is very quiet and very cool. I liked it a lot. My sister lives in California and she gets all kinds of benefits as a result of having a hybrid, such as free parking in the city and she's allowed to go in the carpool lane with just one occupant, and, of course, the great gas mileage.

Pruis is hardly a brand name and frankly not much of a status symbol - I can think of many cars (mini for example) that are much sexier but not practical for our family - although it (the mini) is arguably IMHO, one of the best looking cars in the market today - so so well designed!

Have NO idea what you are talking about about mileage - I intend to cut my gas bills at least in half and it pollutes the environment 70% less than other comparable cars.

Unless Pruis is the McDougals (hey to Coming to America) of Prius, then yes, Prius is a namebrand.

http://www.calcars.org/calcars-news/603.html

http://car-reviews.automobile.com/news/could-the-prius-be-toyota-039-s-next-brand/2883/

http://www.leftlanenews.com/prius-toyota-new-brand.html

I'm not criticizing you on liking name brands. That's capitalism at its finest. Hear, hear for name brands. I don't really know how you plan on polluting the environment 70% less, not including battery disposal. The Prius gets 46 miles to the gallon, 50 if you believe the manufacturer. If you want to pay the price that you won't recover over 10 years at $3/gallon to purchase a Prius over something like a Corrolla, which gets about 40 mpg, then super. That will make up for all the extra CO2 my Mosquito Magnet pumps into the atmosphere as it feeds on sweet, sweet yellow fly meat.

Hmmmm... lots to think about. We'll be getting a car most likely sometime within the next six months. I wondered about safety ratings and whether cars are rated against others their size. Sooooo, which car would be best for long drives from Michigan to SoWal in terms of safety/comfort (e.g., Accord, Civic, Prius, or other cars along those lines)? Our Honda minivan sure made the drive easy. But we don't need to pack lots of stuff anymore -- very happy with carry-ons. We drive long distances about 3-4 times a year.

Unless Pruis is the McDougals (hey to Coming to America) of Prius, then yes, Prius is a namebrand.

http://www.calcars.org/calcars-news/603.html

http://car-reviews.automobile.com/news/could-the-prius-be-toyota-039-s-next-brand/2883/

http://www.leftlanenews.com/prius-toyota-new-brand.html

I'm not criticizing you on liking name brands. That's capitalism at its finest. Hear, hear for name brands. I don't really know how you plan on polluting the environment 70% less, not including battery disposal. The Prius gets 46 miles to the gallon, 50 if you believe the manufacturer. If you want to pay the price that you won't recover over 10 years at $3/gallon to purchase a Prius over something like a Corrolla, which gets about 40 mpg, then super. That will make up for all the extra CO2 my Mosquito Magnet pumps into the atmosphere as it feeds on sweet, sweet yellow fly meat.

Your argument isn't totally valid because the Prius will have the higher resale value. The cost difference doesn't evaporate. The opportunity cost yes, the recapture scenario, no. If oil costs more going forward, it's a better deal. The Prius will get at least 50 percent better mileage than the Corolla in it's best driving environment which is the city. Still, you've got more mechanical complication, which I believe Toyota can handle better than GM or Ford. When did Prius become a namebrand?

Hmmmm... lots to think about. We'll be getting a car most likely sometime within the next six months. I wondered about safety ratings and whether cars are rated against others their size. Sooooo, which car would be best for long drives from Michigan to SoWal in terms of safety/comfort (e.g., Accord, Civic, Prius, or other cars along those lines)? Our Honda minivan sure made the drive easy. But we don't need to pack lots of stuff anymore -- very happy with carry-ons. We drive long distances about 3-4 times a year.

Wait for the update of the Honda Accord. Or maybe the CRV. You'll lose about one half ton of car weight.

Best car on the market at any pricepoint is currently the Civic. Ace body structure for the best in collision safety and 30/40 mileage rating in straight gas engine. The 4 door LX/ auto is a good buy at around 17.5k and resale is also the best. The wheelbase is almost 107 inches and gives a great ride. If you buy a hybrid be forewarned that your dealing with a much more complicated vehicle that will need expensive batteries eventually. The Civic has a good tax credit for the first 60k owners I believe.

I will speak to the Civic. I had a 2000 Honda Civic. In late 2004, I had a very serious frontal collision. Had no choice but to run into a completely stopped car in the center lane of a freeway during rush hour doing about 65 mph.

Luckily for me...the Honda Civic drops its engine down in these types of crashes....keeps it from coming back into the passenger compartment. Although I ended up with a right broken leg, crushed pelvis, and shattered left hip....I am alive to talk about it. I was extremely fortunate...and some of that was due to the Civic.

Wait for the update of the Honda Accord. Or maybe the CRV. You'll lose about one half ton of car weight.

Thanks. What will the update on the Honda Accord be and when will that be (though I can't imagine getting a new car unless the safety difference is really significant because this is the car the teens will drive as well and insurance costs will matter). My main concerns will be safety and cost of insuring.
What's a CRV.

I will speak to the Civic. I had a 2000 Honda Civic. In late 2004, I had a very serious frontal collision. Had no choice but to run into a completely stopped car in the center lane of a freeway during rush hour doing about 65 mph.

Luckily for me...the Honda Civic drops its engine down in these types of crashes....keeps it from coming back into the passenger compartment. Although I ended up with a right broken leg, crushed pelvis, and shattered left hip....I am alive to talk about it. I was extremely fortunate...and some of that was due to the Civic.

That's a great story, KansasBorn. Here's the question, SJ says the cars are rated for safety within their own category. How do you think the civic would do in a crash with a bigger car (midsize or large car)?

And you are indeed lucky to have come out of that kind of accident OK. It's a frightening story.

Chickpea, have I hijacked your thread in a bad way or is this discussion of other cars useful to you? We really will be looking at the Prius, too.

Ignore 6thGen, I think it's great that you are shopping for a more environmentally friendly car................so I wouldn't care if its seats are made by Versace and it's sponsored by Al G! Good gravy - wouldn't it be awful if it became "cool" to drive a car that pollutes less.

I've only heard great things about the Prius and the Toyota & Honda Hybrids and figure by the time I'm in the market for a new car the technology will have even more kinks worked out.