Funny you should ask. I have been thinking I have neglected this thread. So here's an update.
A. Economic sense: For
ME it does, but I use a vehicle differently than most. Previously, I used my Maxima (22 - 25 mpg) five days a week and my truck (15 - 17 mpg) one day a week. Some months, my gasoline purchases approached $400. $350 was pretty normal.
With the Prius, I no longer use the truck (it has enough interior room to match the carrying capacity that I need of the S-10 because of the hatchback) and my monthly fuel bills are now right around $125. That is a pretty big difference, one that goes a long way toward my monthly purchase cost of the car.
I had heard that the mpg performance drops off in winter and that proved to be true. In the warmer months with summer blend gasoline, I was consistently averaging about 45 - 47 mpg with one tank at an honest 50+ mpg. In the cold month of February, my worst tank dropped to 35 mpg - a rather dramatic decrease. But ALL batteries are affected negatively by cold and the Prius is no exception. Where before I used to begin from a dead stop on battery alone and go for a bit before the engine kicked in, in February, I noticed I almost NEVER could do so. The engine was on all the time. Now, as the weather has warmed (somewhat), I am hearing the whine of the electic motor alone more frequently and mileage has crept back up to 40+. So, temperature definitely has a significant impact on the fuel economy issue. Still and all, I am spending $200 or more less on gas every month, so to my way of thinking, the car is doing what I wanted it to.
B: Ecological sense: Frankly, this is not what I bought the car for. Though and unapologetic tree hugger from way back, the fact that the car's emissions can actually be cleaner than the air being drawn in is something I spend very little time thinking about. My car is a business tool, an appliance as it were. I know that the amount of pollutants exiting the tailpipe are probably 1/4 of what the Maxima generated, but that seldom impacts my immediate thinking.
C: Current opinion: I like it. It rides like a bigger, more expensive car, is comfortable for 12 hour stints in the saddle, has a first rate sound system, comes fully equipped with self leveling headlights, climate control, traction control, vehicle stability control, 6 air bags, all the usual array of power this and that buttons, electric steering that works just fine, a hatchback design that swallows enormous amounts of stuff, split fold down rear seats, an abundance of cup holders, bottle holders, small object holders and TWO glove boxes, a large center armrest with storage box beneath and it looks like nothing else on the road. Not to mention the by now legendary Toyota reliability factor. And when larger, more capable batteries become available at an affordable price to make the switch to plug-in technology, the space to accomodate them has already been built into the car. Oh, and a tire inflation monitor system too. All this for $24,300 on the sticker (which includes the SmartKey system - something I have grown to appreciate and like) and you have a really, really good car for just a little more than the average price of a new car in today's marketplace. What's not to like?
D: Dislikes. My list of dislikes is short. Most are quibbles. One is not. Let's start with the one that is not. The traction control system is WAY too aggressive and intrusive and cannot be turned off. MANY'S the time when I have been intent on getting out in front of oncoming trafffic when a small bit of sand or snow or wet pavement has caused the TC to kick in. When that happens, the car turns all weak in the knees and stays that way for a second or two. NOT what I want to the car to do. I don't mind a car that assists, but a car that overrides my desires and substitutes some engineer's idea of what I want makes me frown.
The interior light is one of those rheostat controlled affairs. It takes too long to reach full illumination and dims itself far too soon after the door closes. The interval control for the wipers is a similar pest. The longest pulse is too short for light mist conditions and the shortest pulse is too long for near constant rain conditions. The interior dome light controls are placed illogically and not where you can find them easily in the dark. The multiple info screens available on the center mounted monitor are just annoying and distracting after a few weeks with the car. I have kept the screen off since November. It tells you when the temperature drops below 37 degrees F when it has been warmer than that but not when it is 33 degrees when you first start out in the morning. The super spiffy articulated right side wiper arrangement was incapacitated by an snow/ice storm we had a month ago, leaving me with no wipers at all (granted it was an unusual meterological situation, but not THAT unusual). I would appreciate the info screen more if it would tell me some old fashioned info like engine speed, water temp and the like.
Most of those gripes are small potatoes indeed. Overall, it is truly a terrific automobile. It is unlikely there will be a SpecPrius Racing League any time soon, but for doing the things that ordinary people ordinarily do with their cars, it is a gem. Overall, I am pleased with my purchase and feel it was fairly priced for what it delivers. And yes, I would buy another one - IF I do not win the lottery. For in that case, I will take a well restored XK-140 in carmine with black leather, thank you very much!
