I bought my Toyota Prius in September, 2004, to replace a 1995 Geo Prizm (that’s a Toyota Corolla incognito). As much as I’d like to honestly say I did it for the environment, the truth is it was for the money.* I drive about 25,000 miles a year, and even with gas costing around $1.70/gal at the time, I was spending a lot more than I want to on fuel. And I’ve saved a bundle! The Prizm was getting about 25 mpg, while the Prius has gotten close to 46 mpg overall, and that’s added up to a cool savings of over $5000 in the not quite five years I’ve had it. Okay, fine, some people have said, but what about the fact that the Prius cost a lot more than another Prizm/Corolla would have? Well, the thing is, I was ready for a bigger car, and I was seriously thinking about a Camry before deciding on the Prius. The two cars are about the same size–the passenger compartments of the Prius and Camry are nearly identical. And comparably equipped, the two sold for about the same price at the time. And the Camry would have gotten mileage not much different than the Prizm did. So I’ve saved all that money on gas (which, of course, made me especially grateful when prices spiked to $4) while helping save the planet.
And if that were all I loved about the Prius, dayenu. However, I just love this car, period. Of all the cars I’ve owned and driven, it has my favorite handling overall. Oh, the Prizm and and another Corolla I owned previously had smaller turning radii, and that’s mattered a few times, but in gripping the road, the Prius has them beat. And it has THE best brakes, by far, I’ve ever had the pleasure to use. They’re actually part of the hybrid generator system. Most of the time you use the brakes, you’re using what’s called regenerative braking, where the braking action is created by working against the generator that charges the battery that runs the electric motor. You’re not using brake pads most of the time, and you get the best response imaginable. As an added bonus, you rarely need a brake job.
I could go on and on, and perhaps I will in a later post. For now, suffice it to say, I love my Prius!
*Don’t get me wrong – I care deeply about the environment. I use compact fluorescent light bulbs everywhere except in the refrigerator (and I’ll use one there, too, should I ever come across the right type), I recycle, I take reusable shopping bags with me to the grocery store, I’m frugal in my use of electricity, and so on. I’m very happy to have a green car. I just didn’t buy it with that as my compelling reason.
Hey, went to my first Seder this year, and I can join you in saying, “Dayenu” – and actually know what it means. Hell, I could even join in singing the chorus! LOL. Congrats on the blog, Mike! Looking forward to more.
Total Comment by Michelle: 1
Thanks, Michelle. Talk about timing (on knowing why “dayenu” means)! I’ve found that, as soon as I got started, ideas for future posts started popping into my head, so I already have enough in the pipeline to sustain this for a while.
I applaud you on being so green minded. I feel like I’m a bit of an anomaly among my friends and neighbors. I am a strict recycler and reuser. I’m the only one I know in this town who actually goes to the recycling center. I have changed 70% my bulbs to smart ones, as well as installing dimmers and timers. I installed a new, greener furnace and have insulated like crazy. I bring my own bags to the store and am looked at like some freaky bag lady and my yard is a bit wild since I refuse to use chemicals.
All this being said, I do not have a green vehicle and I feel bad about that, but I adore my Subaru. Living in the Northern reaches of New Jersey, with a 45 degree sloping driveway, my all wheel drive Forester is a blessing. Also, I’m Miss Toolbelt Diva and without a big hatchback to fill with my supplies and tools, I’d be lost. I’m lucky if I get 20 miles to the gallon and when the prices were skyrocketing I barely left the house except to go to work. I became very adept at scheduling my errands along my route to save milage and it’s something that, even though the prices have dropped, I continue, because of this gas guzzling car….But I love my Subaru Forester. It’s the best car I’ve ever owned in my life and I hope I can keep it running for a very long time.
Total Comment by Harriet: 1
Is there a prius owners group in Jax? If so, do you have contact info?
Total Comment by Victoria: 1
I’m not aware of any Prius owners groups here in Jax.