Toyota Pruis

Sorry, I just couldn't resist
http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN0428148420070704?feedType=RSS&rpc=22&sp=true

Tipper will claim that it must be from all those years of listening to Zappa's offensive lyrics. :roll:

The joke would be..."that's inconvenient", but I hope his parents step up and see that he gets the help he needs.

that little status symbol appears to be holding it's own...

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/08/hybrid-small-cars-keep-high-resale-value.php

Gas Sippers Holding Their Value
It is common knowledge these days that fuel efficient vehicles are selling well (SUV and truck factories are retooling) and holding their value better than gas guzzlers, but it's still surprising to see to what extent. Certain types of vehicles and certain brands always held their value better than others, but rising gas prices are magnifying these differences. Our friends at EcoModder crunched some numbers and some of the things they found are pretty interesting.

For example, if you compare the Ford F150 truck (the most popular vehicle in the US) to the Toyota Prius hybrid, you see that 2004 models of those sell respectively for $9,670 and $21,035 according to the Kelly Blue Book. The Prius is worth more than twice what the F150 is worth, despite an original MSRP of about $4k less ($22,160 vs. $26,140, though dealer 'incentives' usually bring F150 prices down).

Fuel Efficient Cars are Better Investments
There are many reasons why buying a car with a high fuel economy is a good idea, and many people would buy them even if they didn't save money. But if you add the resale value and and the fact that you'll get back a higher portion of your original money, they become even more attractive.

The Prius kept about 95% of its value after 4 years, and the Honda Civic (non-hybrid) kept 75% of its value, versus 37% for the Ford F150 and 40% for the Dodge Caravan.

This is a good argument for the eternal (and not always relevant) debate about whether hybrids will save you money or not.

that little status symbol appears to be holding it's own...

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/08/hybrid-small-cars-keep-high-resale-value.php

Gas Sippers Holding Their Value
It is common knowledge these days that fuel efficient vehicles are selling well (SUV and truck factories are retooling) and holding their value better than gas guzzlers, but it's still surprising to see to what extent. Certain types of vehicles and certain brands always held their value better than others, but rising gas prices are magnifying these differences. Our friends at EcoModder crunched some numbers and some of the things they found are pretty interesting.

For example, if you compare the Ford F150 truck (the most popular vehicle in the US) to the Toyota Prius hybrid, you see that 2004 models of those sell respectively for $9,670 and $21,035 according to the Kelly Blue Book. The Prius is worth more than twice what the F150 is worth, despite an original MSRP of about $4k less ($22,160 vs. $26,140, though dealer 'incentives' usually bring F150 prices down).

Fuel Efficient Cars are Better Investments
There are many reasons why buying a car with a high fuel economy is a good idea, and many people would buy them even if they didn't save money. But if you add the resale value and and the fact that you'll get back a higher portion of your original money, they become even more attractive.

The Prius kept about 95% of its value after 4 years, and the Honda Civic (non-hybrid) kept 75% of its value, versus 37% for the Ford F150 and 40% for the Dodge Caravan.

This is a good argument for the eternal (and not always relevant) debate about whether hybrids will save you money or not.

Cannot stress enough how absolutely thrilled we are with this car -we get an average of 500 miles for a 10 gallon fuel tank...so no complaints and the car is so quiet and comfortable to ride in.

The other day I was in a massive SUV and I had to ask the driver how many gallons it took to fill up the car - in a very serious voice she toild me 43-45 gallons BUT they were lucky that their SUV got at least 16 mpg!!!! THAT is UNIMAGINEABLE to me!!

btw: It's actually Prius

I've had mine for three years this October. I love it. It has 126,000 miles on it and I have spent only $95.00 for unschedules maintenance to have the carbon buildup cleaned out of the throttle body (which restored my mpg back up to 48-52 mpg from the 42-44 it slipped to because of aforementioned crud).

It is a smooth, reliable perfect car for our family. The trick to excellent mpg is really quite simple - DON'T DRIVE FAST! Hey, who knew?

ps - It's no accident that this thread appears in the political segment of the show here. I cannot count the number of times I have flipped (very quicklu) past Glenn Beck, Rush-bo, er al mocking and smirking about Prius. I just smile... (cha-ching)

Here's a webpage that calculates the True Cost of Ownership of any car. It shows you how much you'll spend in the first 5 years for gas, insurance, mtce, depreciation, etc. It changed my mind about buying a Prius. What I found very useful was comparing the cost of a new car against the cost of keeping my old car.

Now I'm waiting for an all-electric car. Hopefully one will come along before the old car dies.

I admit I don't know much about the Prius so a little help here. Are these the cars that were waiting to whisk away all of the Hollywood crowd from their private jets to the Oscars?

I admit I don't know much about the Prius so a little help here. Are these the cars that were waiting to whisk away all of the Hollywood crowd from their private jets to the Oscars?

I have no idea but it is a nifty little ride!!