I have been wanting to get rid of my Ford Freestyle for a while now and drive something more environmentally friendly and fuel efficient. I've been seriously considering getting a Toyota Prius. I was just wondering if anybody here has once and how satisfied are they with theirs.

My husband was concerned that if it broke down, it would be very expensive to repair and that it would be very hard to find a mechanic who would know how to work on one. I haven't heard of any serious mechanical problems with the Prius and they've been out a while, so there should be mechanics who are able to work on them. On Edmunds.com, they get excellent reviews.

Any input you guys could provide would be appreciated. :)

When my husband's last car (an old Saturn) finally died last year, we knew we had to replace it with a hybrid. We did a lot of research, including talking to mechanics and driving the cars, and it came down to the Prius and the Nissan Altima hybrid. We drove the Altima first and were extremely impressed. It was roomy, had a lot of get-up-and-go, the seats were comfortable front and back, and it was a really nice looking car. We then went to the Toyota dealer and drove a Prius. The first thing that struck us was how small the Prius interior was compared to the Altima (very narrow and cramped feeling in the front seats). Then we both commented at the same time on how hard the seats were. There was very little legroom in the back compared to the Prius. And when we drove it, it didn't perform nearly as well as the Altima.

So, okay, apart from all that, it's true that the Prius supposedly gets better mileage. But we know three people who have a Prius, and they all say that the real mileage they get is a lot less than what the manufacturer says it's supposed to get. My husband's Altima, meanwhile, gets roughly what it's supposed to, which is 40-something mpg local and 30-something mpg highway (yes, the reverse of regular cars--hybrids do better in local driving conditions than on the highway).

We also hit Nissan at a time when they had dealer incentives, so we got a really good price on the car. My husband drives the Altima to work every day and loves it. We've had it for about a year and haven't had any problems with it whatsoever. Two of the three people we know who have Priuses are now looking to get another car.

Don't know if this has helped you, but I'd recommend looking at the Altima hybrid before you jump on a Prius.

Thank you, Earthmother!! That helps tremendously!! I was not as aware of the Nissan Altima as the Prius. I know its going to be a change - going from a roomy SUV to a car, but I am gradually trying to reduce my carbon footprint. Plus, the gas prices are a real killer. Getting 40 mpg locally would be great for me because I don't have far to drive to work. That really wouldn't be that much less than a Prius as the average I see people getting for a Prius is around 46 mpg.

I really do appreciate you input!! Thanks again!! :)

There is also a Honda you may want to look into - it's a Hydrogen cell rather than gas hybrid, so zero emissions. I think it gets around 40-45 mpg. The Prius came in 2nd to it in an environmental impact study that I read recently. The Prius gets better gas mileage, but still has CO2 emissions which knocked it down to 2nd place.

:clap: Great that you're going that way with your next car - I wish I could!! Some day!

Thanks tk!! I will definitely research the Honda hydrogen cell. I'm not going to rush out and buy something as I want to make sure I make a good choice. I kinda bought my last vehicle without thinking it through. :unsure: So if I trade in too soon, I'll probably lose some equity. Will have to wait a few months but that'll give me time to research. I just want to get something green and reduce my gas bill too!! Gas prices are outrageous!! I remember having an '89 Ford Escort that got like 45 mpg. And I ask myself, when did they start lowering the fuel efficiency of our vehicles?? It's like they did it behind our backs!! :angry:

I think Al is FINALLY making some headway with the climate crisis, so the choices for green vehicles should start improving. :good:

FYI - This looks like a good site to get some info from:

http://www.soultek.com/clean_energy/hybrid...ic_vehicles.htm

I would also put in a good word for Nissan and the Altima. My wife bought a 1998 Altima back in '98 and it still runs great today. Until a couple months ago, I had never bought a 'foreign' car. In December last year I bought a '97 Nissan 200SX SE-R with about 100K miles on it and I'm very happy with it. Since this car was actually assembled in Smyrna Tennessee, maybe this is an American car after all. :?:

Yeah, an 89 Escort probably does get something like 40mpg

We can do better than corn-based ethanol. I find butanol to be an interesting fuel idea worth more investigation.

http://www.butanol.com/

Thanks guys for the input!! :clap:

tk, I clicked on that link but it said "page cannot be displayed." Maybe something is wrong with their server?

Wayne, butanol does indeed sound like an interesting idea. From reading the info -it sounds like a person could use their same vehicle and not have to make any modifications to their engine, gas tank, etc. to use the butanol. This would be a great plus because I hate the idea of so many vehicles going to waste to buy a vehicle that is environmentally friendly!! If their is an alternative fuel source that our vehicles could use which create no carbon emissions, this would be a win-win situation. :good:

http://www.soultek.com/clean_energy/hybrid...ic_vehicles.htm

Try this - it seems to work. :?:

Thanks, tk! This link worked and has a lot of information!! Compares a lot of different kind of fuel alternatives which is what I wanted to study. Thanks so much for the info!!

What's weired is the first link you provided and the 2nd one look just alike. However, the 1st link still does not display but the 2nd one does. That's strange.
Anyway, thanks.

My husband was watching the "going green" show yesterday and it was talking about energy efficient appliances. Some are energy efficient and some are not. This is what I don't understand. They should ALL be required to be energy efficient, just like we are required to wear seatbelts and have airbags. So much delay and resistance in converting to energy efficiency when it is SO important to our world. When will people wake up? :?:

A friend of mine maintains that he gets 60+ per gallon from his turbo-diesel injection Volkswagen Passat

Yes, we have a good friend who's an automotive writer, and he says that diesel is the best thing going, except for the smell.

Thanks for the info., StealthBomber. I did not know about the Passat. That will help a lot during my vehicle shopping in the next few months. :)

You might have problems finding a diesel engine Passat in the United States. If I'm ever in the position where I've got the money & the time I want to build a bio-diesel hybrid with a solar-cell roof.