I copied this from another board as it was a good topic "enjoy".

Why I bought a Prius – Another Perspective

This is an essay of sorts. I have come to realize that my reasons for buying a Hybrid are somewhat more complex than the media cares to report. The ******* folks are a diverse, and smart group. I will be interested to see your perspective on this.

I have found that a fair amount of people (friends, co-workers, perfect strangers) on finding out that I own a Prius, feel it quite important to inform me how ignorant I am to have bought one, as they are not cost effective. I ask where they got this information, and the typical response was that the read or heard about it in the news.

Here are my impressions of how the media views Prius drivers (this is not based on any sort of quantitative study):
- Prius (or any Hybrid drivers) are a group of eco-friendly folks.
- They are either very bad at accounting, or are so blinded by their green vision that they will spend any amount of extra money to make a statement.

The media impression may or may not be accurate. Perhaps I am an anomaly. For what it’s worth, here are the reasons for my Prius purchase. The % is how much the criteria factored into (influenced) ones decision.

100% Enviromentaly friendly Republican
10% Good for the environment (i.e. self imposed tax)
10% Wanted smaller car for ease of driving & parking (vs. an SUV)
10% Chance that it would save money (if gas prices stayed high)
10% Just a **** cool looking car
10% Cool Gadgets/Technology (endless entertainment while driving)
50% Insurance against situation where the bad guys successfully disrupt the oil supply enough to cause worldwide buying panic, thus creating a true gas shortage (i.e. not just high prices, but the unavailability of gasoline.)

I have not seen the last item (bad guys/gas shortage) discussed on ******** or on any other hybrid bulletin boards. Perhaps it’s my early years in northern Michigan that influence this. When a big bad winter storm comes along, everybody goes and fills up as gas can’t be pumped without power. You develop a healthy fear of not having enough gas.

I keep 10 gallons of gas in my shed out back. This will keep my Prius going for 3-4 weeks.

I know it’s only a matter of time before the bad guys succeed in creating a gas shortage. This will be bad for us all, and will truly rattle our confidence. I have invested in my insurance against this scenario. On seeing the news of the refinery attacks on TV, I won’t be one of the people who panic and race up to the nearest gas station. It’s hard to put a price on sleeping soundly at night, but a $3000 premium for a car with a 10+ year lifespan (= $25/month) is worth it to me.

So, the next time a friend or co-worker makes it a point to inform you of your ignorance in buying a hybrid, run this little scenario by them. Chances are that they will either 1) go into denial (that it could never happen), or 2) start to look nervous, as they ponder how much gas is in their tank at the moment.

I was motivated to write this because it’s important that we all realize this probable threat. Our governments do their best, but there is only so much they can do to protect our infrastructure. We can all help out be being better prepared. Buying a hybrid one way to help. Storing hundreds of gallons of fuel in your back yard might help, but that could also be hazardous.

This is just my two cents worth. Thanks for taking time to read it, and I look forward to seeing your thoughts.

-------* Seattle Washington

This was an intresting post, It sums up alot of things that all hybrid owners get or feel..
What do you think?

04' # 5, W/leather & JBL omitted.
"Prius, Just ask the person that drives one"
04' Tundra, 18mpg city & 22mpg hwy.
04' Prius, 60mpg city & 53mpg hwy.

Kenstyle NHW20 AERO Kit

Each time I read an "opinion" that Prius ownership is not cost effective I am reminded of some "facts" for my 04 ownership here in Colorado.

My federal tax for 05 included a $2000 deduction and my Colorado tax for 05 included a $3000 CREDIT. Prius [and other hybrid] owners are exempt from having to pay the Colorado clean air emissions test fee upon license plate renewal.

Other state benefits can include lower auto insurance, free meter parking, free use of HOV lanes etc.


And the Prius is fun fun fun to drive

Bill G in Colorado

Excellent thread subject so here is my response.

After our 91 Camry (32 MPG + $12.9k new) was lost, we needed a second car. I drove my wife's Echo while we shopped.

We looked at:
- Ford Escape (32 MPG + $28k)
- new Prius (48 MPG + $27k)
- Scion xB (32 MPG + $16.4k)
- bought a 3 year old Prius (45MPG + 17.3k)
I was hesitant about buying a hybrid-electric until I realized the battery myth was being spread by the hyrogen-fraud fools. They were so wrong about every other subject, they had to be wrong about hybrid-electric battery life. It took a little over a week to find and buy our used Prius via Ebay.

I've noticed that at work too and have solved it by:
- discussing the purchase choices we faced
- sharing my mileage, 48.7 MPG
- pointing out my per diem mileage pays for my gas . . . all of it
- tossing my keys to those who ride 'shotgun' back from lunch
- showing my inverter installation

I don't get any Federal, Alabama or local tax or fee benefits. The 3 year / 36,000 mile warrantee had expired before I got the car. But then I didn't suffer 'driving off the lot' depreciation and there were good reasons for taking this risk:

1) lower mechanical stress - unlike the 108 hp gas-only versions of the 1500 cc engine, I knew the same Prius engine never worked harder than 70 hp.

2) lower motor stress - electric motors have no parts beyond bearings to wear out and no impulse stresses or combusion products.

3) residual 8 yr / 80,000 mile battery - we had, 30,000 miles remaining so it was a safe bet (but I don't share that with the skeptics.)

As soon as I'd bought the car, I ordered the maintenance manuals since there was no 3 year / 36,000 mile warrantee. Since I picked up the Prius, I'm finding it a fascinating engineering project.

There remain a number of efficiencies, additional capabilities and tweaks that can improve the car. In February, I achieved hyper-mileage status by exploiting the hybrid-electric characteristics measured from our Prius.

Bob Wilson

Operation Iraqi Oil Freedom:

Automatic, stock, project car.

My other 1500 cc car:

Automatic, stock, backup car.
Free speech, dialog and knowledge thrives without the poison of SPAM.

good post.

It's not a stupid idea to hang on to a few jerrycans of fuel- snowstorm, hurricane, PM thunderstorm, massive disruption, whatever. Prudence is a whole lot different than over-the-top survivalism (or any ism). Its no different than keeping a couple jugs of H2O or cans of beans in the pantry.

To the hybrid ignorati I usually turn the cost argument on them by asking how long the payback is on the leather/DVD/navi/chrome package they got, and then reminding them that its all about personal priorities and choice. Even better if they have a FFV and don't even know it- then they're ignorant squared.

I've taken to answering people who ask all the following, basically same, questions the same way-

- Why do you drive a hybrid?
- Why do you use CFL lights?
- Why do you clean with vinegar/baking soda/simplegreen?
- Why do you buy organics?
- Why don't you fertilize like we do? And why that funny battery mower?

My answer-
- If it does the same job and one has the means/time, why NOT use a little less of anything where it makes sense? I'm an engineer- my paycheck depends on being able to do more and do it better with constrained resources, so its a nobrainer to me.
- How can it be bad to use dirt-cheap benign cleansers?
- How can it be bad to put fewer chemicals in your family's bodies, or send fewer down the stormdrain?
- How can it be bad to use less electricity or fuel yet suffer no loss of comfort?

It may only save a couple of % and take awhile to payback, but people go to great lengths to capture a couple % in their finances.

There may be no benefit in the end in some cases, or the worst-case scenario may not play out, but why not put some in the bank? Prudence is never silly.

Many measures surely are mostly token efforts, but I know I feel better making whole-grain waffles for my kids on Saturday morning and not scaring my daughter with the loud gas mower. And I yell less about keeping the light on accidentally when its 13W instead of 60W.

There is often some price differential, but everyone has a threshold where its worth it. I tell them to do what they can, when they can. We piss away $5/day on venti lattes- maybe get a smaller one and put the difference towards those organic apples or 6pack of CFLs?

And in the meantime, there are no discernable differences in my suburban home.