I drove a Prius I and I felt that the center of gravity was really high. I hated the car from the word go and really beat it up on the test drive. I was ready, however, to turn around after a half block. I though the think was going to roll on me. The Civic test drive car (which I didn't buy) took a fair beating as well, but came out much better. It still has too much power steering for such a small car, but the light clutch action in traffic is fair trade.

It was the HCH or nothing. I don't love it, but it does the job well. I got mine for a steal: 19500 out the door. Taxes, tags, title and all that included (+ $3000 worth of pinstrips and add on mudflaps I could have done without).

"Hybrid Owners Do It Both Ways"

Why did you buy the hybrid, Steve?

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For 2 reasons:

1. Get in the HOV lanes in Northern VA
2. Save some money on gas (and atone for my gas guzzlers).

"Hybrid Owners Do It Both Ways"

First off, if dealers are quoting you prices on Prii which are outrageous then find a different dealer. The reason the HCH is going for the prices it is going for is because supply is very good, almost too good. So, dealers are very interested in getting them off the lot, even if they have to sell below MSRP.

Honda's are good cars, they are great cars, but I've never liked their styling or ergonomics. In fact their interiors are the worst part, inexpensive feeling fabrics, less than wonderful plastics and knobs and buttons which don't seem to be the right size or coordinated with the other knobs and buttons in the vehicle. And the back seat of the HCH is well, a Civic back seat. Too small for my liking. Since I seem to take work associates and friends along for my rides it is pretty much a necessity that the back seat be respectable. I drive with my seat all the way back and the Prius has plenty of rear seat leg room. That is what is so impressive, the car seems small, but is real not all that small inside.

I also wanted a car with digital dash. The Civic's dash is pretty much standard, but upgraded for IMA readouts. It is nice looking, but conventional in nature. I have to admit that the Prius touch screen was a real seller. Having radio, a/c and trip data all contained in one unit seemed so graceful and contemporary. No matter what I wish to adjust, it is at the correct eye level and arm reach placement. No more having to reach to the floor to adjust the radio or bend around a cup in a cup holder to adjust temp. Honestly, the Prius was a whiz-bang purchase, however it is a very utilitarian whiz-bang purchase.

Speaking of utility, the cargo space with the seats up is comparable to some other cars with trunks, but with the seats down, it is very roomy. I'm not sure if a couch from IKEA would fit in the Prius, however, lots of other IKEA stuff will.

Anyway, if you are going to spend that much money on a car, it should stand out from the crowd, be unique and evoke questions of passers-by.

It has been said:
Hybrid drivers come in 3 flavors, greenie, techie and cheapie. Pick any 2.
2005 Prius, Melinium Silver over gray, package 5 (AI)

Enjoy your status while it lasts. Here in Albuquerque, NM (by no means the Prius capital of the world), the cars are common enough that I am pretty much left alone.

Which is fine by me.

I was only looking to spend $15k, and thus it limited me to a 2003 Civic or 2003 Prius. After testdriving both, the 2003 Prius felt cheap, and the techno gadgets I felt would grow old. Even though there are some cool hacks for the Prius multi screen display (such as back up video) I felt it was a novelty that would wear off. The gas mileage on the Civic is better than the 03 Prius in real world results. On a 62 mile trip today I got 57.5 MPG, and my tank average with 212 miles is 49.9. The Civic felt roomier, and more like a 'car'. Also, the 03 Prius looks too much like a Toyota Echo... The 04+ Prius is pretty slick, but not worth the extra $5k for me. I ended up buying a December 03 Civic with 12,124 miles on it for $15,650 off eBay.

It's only a few months so definitely wait for the 2006 HCH. Not only more efficient, but more powerful.

I'd throw in the Toyota Corolla as a car to consider. The MT CE is 13 - 14K US$ on the street, and gets real-world 30 MPG.

A non-hybrid Honda Civic is also worthy of consideration. Around 13K US$, about 35 real-world MPG.

I got my HCH in 2003--when the prius looked like much more of a "toy" by comparison than it does now. The prius has improved a lot since then, but at the time the Honda was an easy pick between the two.

well, I opted for the honda.

I do have a history of buying them
- 87 crx si (deceased)
- 90 civic dx (still on the road - my brother drives it!)
- 99 vfr
- 00 s2000
- 05 HCH
and yes, I've REALLY like them all. Honda's engineering seems fantastic.

With that said, I also have an 02 Toyota Tundra, and couldn't be more happy with it (my very first truck, which serves as a wood hauler, etc.)

I had no preconceived notions and test drove both the Prius II and the HCH - as a purpose built car for commuting. I would have purchased an Insight, but my wife wouldn't let me (the argument being 2 cars with only 2 seats is not practical)

So... it came down to mileage, and a 5 speed tranny. Folks getting better mileage with the Priuses may be true, but not for my commuting style - I don't have a lot of stop and go. Now that the weather is warming up and I've figured out how to drive the car to maximize fuel efficiency, I'm EASILY able to get 55 MPG per tank. It'll probably take some tank fulls until my signature catches up though. I'm hopeful my next tank will get me 700 miles and into the 60s. My best trip so far was 67 MPG and I just don't see this happening with a Prius.

What I don't like about the HCH:
- The rear seats don't fold down, but I'd probably never use this car for this purpose anyway.
- Things hit me I've had the car for 4 months and was rear ended and also assaulted by a deer. . . ok, maybe this has nothing to do with being a Honda
- The stock radio is weak, and I'm in process of major upgrades because I like high fidelity in a car (based on a post above, I wouldn't be able to do this w/ a Prius)
- The gas pedal position isn't ideal for leaving my leg in a comfortable position to "feather" the throttle. I move the seat way back to compensate . . . this is probably a personal thing.
- My wife now complains that I drive WAY TOO slow
- No sunroof - what's up with that??

My cooworkers are all keen on it, and they are looking to go hybrid now too!

- Laterz, Josh