freaking out about having to buy a car.

[tulip]

Yep, Civic is the best car out there. If they had only continued to make a hatchback, I would have bought one without question when I was car shopping in 2006. The Fit had not yet come out in the US, and I really wanted a hatchback. I had a 1979 Civic wagon and it was the best little car out there!

[papaver]

My next car will probably be a Mercedes B-class.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDy9BjZLhcg

I don't think it's available in the States (but I can be mistaken).

[GLC1968]

We had both a Prius and a Matrix at the same time. The Prius will fit two big dogs in back (ours are each 70+ lbs) with the seats down, but it's all carpeted, so clean up is a pain. Plus, put two dogs in the car and a bike rack with two bikes on a trailer hitch (what we did) and you can watch your gas mileage drop down to regular car levels (mid 30's) on the highway. Those bikes act like sails and when you lose the aerodynamics of the car, you lose a lot.

That said, there are lots of owners out where with batteries that have lasted well beyond 100K miles. They are only warranted to that age - but that doesn't mean they immediately quit working then. This is a Toyota, you know. And, when gas gets back up to $4+ a gallon, the cost comparisons shift pretty drastically.

That said, we did sell the Prius last fall and kept the Matrix. Ours were both the same year (2005), but the Matrix is bigger on the inside (two dogs in back with the seats still up) and it does MUCH better with the bikes on the back because of the profile of the car. Where the Prius dropped from 46 mpg to 34 mpg (highway), the Matrix only dropped from 33 mpg to 31 mpg. The cargo space of the Matrix is also plastic - so easy to clean up muddy footprints. We also like that our Matrix (don't know if they kept this with new models) has a hatch glass that will open independently of the hatch opening. This makes the cargo space accessible even with bikes on the hitch.

We have 75K on our Matrix and it's still riding like new. Outside of a slightly odd clutch that takes some getting used to, we have not a single complaint about the car. We consistantly get about 31 mpg and we drive mostly back roads. We will average about 33 mph on the highway.

[mayanorange]

I second the Matrix or Pontiac Vibe (same car, different shell). Excellent gas mileage, really usable space inside. It's about 5 cubic ft smaller than our Saturn Vue, but I can get more stuff in because of how the seats fold. And the plastic is the best ever! (I have 2 big dogs too). Wish we had just bought a Vibe instead of the Vue- I'd rather have 2 Vibes.

Oh, and if you could ever find a smartcar forfour, they're really roomie and zippy for a super fuel efficient car! We had one as a rental our week in Tuscany and I was able to Mario Andretti her along those curvy mountain roads! So maybe I'd really get a forfour and keep my Vibe. Unfortunately the demand for forfours is nonexistant in the states so they're not selling them here anymore and I haven't seen anyone willing to part with one they have.

[smilingcat]

My partner really loves the Prius. She likes the statement it makes. Never mind about my piggy bank.

It is a very nice car to ride and drive. We also looked at Scion Xd, Toyota Yaris, and something else (cross between an SUV and a sedan, not quite a station wagon either). My partner also liked the Toyota's monster truck.

I like the looks of Matrix, Fit, CR-V??, insight, vibe, even the Yaris (love my piggy bank) and few others. my head is spinning and lost track of all the different cars. The seat in Prius was the best so far. And I don't know why the other cars can't get the 40 to 50 miles per gallon. So is the extra $10k worth it ?? don't know. what I do know is I'm not a spring chicken anymore and anything to reduce stress in my back is a big plus. Sooo even though I would have loved to have the FIT, I will be settling on the Prius. When the back gets dirty ohh well...

The car will be mothballed until my current car dies a painful death or until the registration becomes due (Sept). Buying it now before the gas price hits $3.50/$4.00 per gallon. When that happens the demand for these cars will spike really hard. I just want to beat the crowd.

condition of my current car:
Tires are bald, needs new serpentine belt, new water pump & thermostat, new front end and many more things... Kind a sad to see it go. Never owned a such a nice car before. I'm going to miss the comfort.

I never thought I would be attached to my car. Seriously, I'm bit bummed. also bummed that my piggy bank is going to be very thin.

[shootingstar]

Sorry, you couldn't have found a cheaper solution ...for your piggy bank. It's not the greatest feeling being unemployed right now for myself, but I must admit I feel a whole better when money is not pouring into a car now.

[wackyjacky1]

Gotta give a shout-out to the Hyundai Elantra: Extremely well-built, solid car. Gets excellent gas mileage. TONS of passenger/cargo room. IMO Hyundais give you more bang for your buck than just about anything else out there.

[tulip]

You can buy a whole lot of gas for $10k. So if you get the Yaris (which gets very good mileage), you'd save $10k (easily) over the Prius. I'd say the Yaris makes quite a statement about buying reasonably-priced, efficient cars.

If you are stuck on a hybrid, I hear the Honda Element (new one) is lower-priced than the Prius.

Best of luck in your search.

[Blueberry]

If you are stuck on a hybrid, I hear the Honda Element (new one) is lower-priced than the Prius.

Best of luck in your search.

I think you mean the Insight?? I saw one driving down the road the other day, and it looks very much like the Prius (and nothing like the old Insight). I do *wish* they made a hybrid Element...

CA

[tulip]

I think you mean the Insight?? I saw one driving down the road the other day, and it looks very much like the Prius (and nothing like the old Insight). I do *wish* they made a hybrid Element...

CA

Right, the INSIGHT! I get my Hondas mixed up.

[IFjane]

I think you mean the Insight?? I saw one driving down the road the other day, and it looks very much like the Prius (and nothing like the old Insight). I do *wish* they made a hybrid Element...

CA

Me too! Elements are awesome though, even if they don't quite "measure up" in the gas mileage department. And they are quite social as well. Attached is a photo of mine on the right and Jeannierides' on the left at the Terry Wild Goose Chase in May. The two "girls" loved parking next to one another.

[smilingcat]

Well, we bought the Prius. The extra $10k over FIT, Vibe, Matrix can be made up by the better gas milage but its not going to be cheaper. It may be more expensive. But for what its worth, I just chalk it up to being green. If I save 2,500 gallons of gas, we are just that much better. $10,000 divided by $4.00/gallon (which I'm sure will reach in near future).

If you are thinking of Prius, better start thinking fast. The dealer said Toyota is cutting back on US delivery by 50%... Take it with a grain of salt ofcourse. Still... And today, the dealer did get a shipment of 5 new Prius. At the closing they had 3 left. Someone else bought one too. And its only Friday. The good news for us was that it was the color we wanted, the package I'm okay with and no surcharge or added cost just because they can. No dealing on the price which was fine with me as I really hate to haggle price at the dealers. They didn't try to hard sell on the all the add ons so that was good.

I'm ambivalent about the purchase. I just can't get excited about cars. This car will be garaged (stored) until my old audi falls apart.

[Pyannyplayer]

I bought a new Prius last summer and love it. I average 48 mpg in the Ozarks (hills - LOTS of them) and average a little better on the Interstate (51-53). I haven't seen the mileage go down with more people/bikes as someone else had; we've had 4 adults, bike rack (we put a hitch receiver on the Prius), and 4 bikes with no change in mileage at all. Recently we went to Memphis and got 53 mpg - used a tank and a half to get there, goof around for 4 days, and get back. Besides I'd rather put $25 in my tank every 6-8 weeks rather than the $60 I was putting in every 6-7 DAYS!

Everyone is different, but I do love my Prius (named her the Lima Bean because of her color and shape). We drive cars forever, so I will get my money back in gas savings (car she replaced was a 1996 Montero Sport with over 200,000 miles on it). We looked at other cars and just felt that we got a little more for the money.

Enjoy your new car.

Lorie

[fidlfreek]

Oh I was about to comment on the Cash for Clunkers program. If your old car got 18mpg or less you could get up to $4500 back on the new car.
http://www.reuters.com/article/earth...28605420090619

A new stimulus/environmental measure...but you already bought the Prius. Happy trails!

[jeannierides]

Me too! Elements are awesome though, even if they don't quite "measure up" in the gas mileage department. And they are quite social as well. Attached is a photo of mine on the right and Jeannierides' on the left at the Terry Wild Goose Chase in May. The two "girls" loved parking next to one another.

Me three! Dory and Ellie got along quite famously, as did our SO's! As you can see w/my Element aka Dory, on the left, our bikes fit quite nicely w/o the seats & the front wheels ride along beside them. If you are thinking you might need the rear seats in from time to time, you can still bungie them to the sides and one bike can ride between but would also have to be bungied. The seats are quite heavy and cumbersome if you don't have help getting them in and out! That said, I LOVE my Element!