Letters to the Editor
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Let's be realistic
I have a Honda Accord Hybrid (27.5C 37Hiway, somewhat luxurious Mid sized sedan) and a Honda Civic Hybrid (43C 49Hiway nicely appointed compact sedan). When compared to equivalent models factored in with tax credit and gas savings, hybrids are fantastic options that do contribute to a better environment. The Yaris and Fit are very small vehicles and get 28C and mid 30's hiway (about the same as an Accord hybrid) and are probably great for a single person but hybrid sedans make a much better option for second family cars, primary family cars or singles desiring more room and comfort. Buying cars are all about options you can get leather, super stereo, etc. for lots of extra money but the hybrid option is the only option that generates a return on investment. I have cut my gas consumption close to 40 percent over the 2 cars (small pickup and mid sized sedan) I had in 2003. That is a statistic you can't ignore. Please look at the whole picture and look at it rationally. I wish states would follow the federal lead and offer credits on state taxes.
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My own experience
I traded in my truck for a Prius and got an excellent deal that took a lot of the sticker shock out of the whole thing. (I ended up owing about 6500 dollars after the trade.) I get about 50 to 55 to the gallon on the highway. I actually get a little less in the city (about 45). The mileage only lowers in extremely hot weather, and then, it's about 35 to 40 (when the heat gets above 100 degrees). I fill up my gas tank once a month. So, I'm spending scads less money on my car, which is nice. Instead of 150 a month on gas, I spend about 25 to 28. The only downside was that I had to give up my four wheel drive option, which I actually used pretty frequently. Oh well. In inclement weather and on my family farm, I make do.
I didn't buy the car to be a walking status symbol. I think this walking status symbol thing is a myth. Have there been any studies done to confirm most people buy this car 'to look cool'? No, of course not. You guys are walking right into a Republican talking point on this one, I think. Isn't it possible people buy the cars for other reasons than looking all cool and fabulous? I've never really seen the car as a status symbol anyway. It gets me efficiently from point A to point B which is good.
I bought the car because it was only one of a few cars like it at that time, and I admit I did like the bells and whistles that came with it. (All those buttons!) I bought it because I was spending money hand over fist on gas. I bought it because it was a great deal. I bought it because I could reduce my emissions and put my money where my mouth was. I didn't buy the other option (Honda at the time) because I have always bought Toyota and I stuck with the brand I trusted. That's pretty much it.
It is good to hear that cheaper options are out there. It makes for a good argument when someone complains that a hybrid is too expensive. And of course, hybrids are coming down in value as we move (with luck!) towards an electric model, which I hope THIS TIME the consumer actually gets to buy and keep. (Just watch Who Killed the Electric Car? and prepare to be disgusted by the car companies and pretty much everyone else involved in the destruction of those wonderful cars.)
In the meantime, I must admit, I'm a little tired of hearing how Prius drivers must only be concerned with status. After the hundredth time, I'm starting to feel a bit huffy about it. Can't I just enjoy the cheaper gas bill, and the reduced emissions without reading about my potential bragging rights on a bi-monthy basis? And from the very group of people who insist we must be responsible to the environment, a group I normally agree with.
It's irritating. I don't want to brag. What in the hell would I be bragging about? It's a damned car. Bragging rights go to the man or woman who rides his or her bike everywhere or always takes the bus or walks everywhere possible. I still don't do that nearly as much as I should.
I just want to drive my car to work, do better by my environment and not break my bank account in gas money. Nothing to brag about there.
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FWIW My Camry
Gets 32mpg @ 81mph, cruise control, highway, with 3 people in the car. I would guess that if I drove at 71mph the mpg would improve by at least 5mpg. That car has 85K miles on it, if it were brand new it would get at least 5% better mileage.
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@ blackpaw -- & more on Prius pricing
> I recycled my car - you didn't. That puts me way ahead of you in the environmental impact of our respective purchases.
My beloved VX was totaled in front of my house -- by a moron driving an Explorer, if you want to know. Since that fact was plainly disclosed in my previous post, I'm having a little trouble figuring out what you mean by "recycled." Whatever you mean, blaming me for failing to do it is kinda like blaming a legless person for failing to participate in a charity run.
I suspect there might be another reason Toyota charges a premium for the Prius -- if they do. (I've also had people helpfully volunteer their belief that the car costs more to make than it sells for, and could not be sold at all were it not heavily subsidized -- a rumor that smacks of Faux News to me, but whatever.) If Toyota's marketers did their homework, they understood that a lot of buyers of such a car were not the kind of folks who would be buying a new car every three years. My Prius has 75,000 miles and is running like an absolute top. I intend to drive it until it falls apart (or runs afoul of another idiot in an SUV). I almost look forward to the batteries failing, because I'm already fantasizing about the lithium replacements I expect will be available by then for a couple grand. That's the only trade-in I have in mind. Toyota perhaps foresaw this kind of buyer behavior and priced the car accordingly.
And anyway, folks who think the car is expensive aren't looking at the market as a whole. There are folks out there paying an extra five grand just to drive a pickup that says Harley Davidson or an SUV that says Eddie Bauer. I see used Devastators and Behemoths from Detroit selling for twice the price of a new Prius. I have no information that the profit margin on the car is any higher than on other Toyota models, but if it is, well, I don't mind contributing to the increased market incentive for more and better air-sparing products.