A reason I forgot to add about HCH > Prius:
Cost to own: Insurance is higher for a prius under same converage conditions:

Insurance - 100/300 limit, 1000 deductibles:

187.00 monthly - 2006 HCH hybrid
204.00 monthly - 2006 Prius

Same information for both cars entered assuming a driver with one accident and 2 traffic violations

Prius gets only slightly better mpg results it seems but you end up saving a few hundred every year with the honda. This is gathered from the Esurance website. I personally use Liberty Mutual which is a bit higher sadly.

I chose to purchase the HCH II over the Prius for the following reasons:

I prefer the interior and exterior styling
The drivers seat is much better shaped to my body
More front seat legroom (Prius was barely adequate for a 6 foot tall driver)
Superior handling and braking performance
Lower price when comparably equipped
Greater federal tax credit on HCH vs Prius
Superior front and side impact crash test performance
Lower insurance quote on HCH vs Prius
Superior ergonomic design of all dash controls

I took home the HCH last night because...

- The Toyota salesman was too pushy and took me on a joke of a test drive (in contrast, for the two Honda dealers I visited, one guy literally handed me the key as soon as I walked in and sent me off on my own test drive without taking any of my info, license, etc, while the other dealer took me on a 10-mile trip with hills, highways, etc).
- Price difference (19.5k for HCH after tax credit, 23k for #2 Prius -- both good deals, though!)
- Avoid hybrid rage and feeling smarmy (I like the earlier analogy of PC owners and Mac/Apple owners)
- Better rear visibility (although the Civic's back seat head rests still get in the way a bit too much)
- I own a lot of Toyota stock, so I'm hedging my bets
- My 3 housemates already have Hondas, so obviously I had to complete the set.
- A lot of intangible and emotional factors from being in the car...

It was a close call, though... Here's why I might have gone with a Prius instead:

- Keyless entry/ignition
- Rear view camera (but useless for lane changing)
- More cargo space
- It's all Toyota's technology anyway
- 2 extra years / 20k more warranty on battery
- Smoother ride

Have you seen a Prius?? They are so ugly. I wouldn't buy one if they got 200mpg!

Yes you would
And I'd buy 2.

Steve

STOP terrorism - Drive a HYBRID

Vehicles:
350 miles a week ------------ 2006 HCH II, Magnetic Pearl, w/NAVI (born on May 25, 2006)
350 miles a month ---------- 2003 Mazda Tribute ES-V6
350 miles a year (for now) - 1986 Mercedes 560SL