Monday, April 16, 2001 at 01:41:05 (UTC)

Hey, the Prius is the coolest car ever. "What you get" is spanking new technology, something the boring old automotive industry (at the consumer level, at least) hasn't seen in a long, long time. Price-wise, it's not out of line. Everything you'll ever likely need comes standard. The price is on par with mid-range European cars like Volkswagons and Volvos. But they're not nearly as cool.

I'd buy one if I had money to toss around, just to be an early adopter and encourage development. Actually, I'd probably lease one. The gas mileage you get isn't as earth-shattering as I might have hoped it would be (especially in northern climes). I eagerly await the next generation.

FlyingS

Monday, April 16, 2001 at 13:51:37 (UTC)

Uh, not quite VW and Volvo territory - the price range listed on the Toyota site says 32,000 to 45,000! That places it firmly in the low-end BMW, Mercedes and Lexus pricing! In my eye, that's rather unrealistic pricing for, as QYV put it, "what you get."

Still, I give Toyota credit for avoiding the kitschy black hole of DOOM that Honda fell into with the retro-future styled Insight. Blegh.

MJO

Monday, April 16, 2001 at 14:55:39 (UTC)

Not to be contrary, but I suggest you check recent prices on Jettas, S40s, etc. Heck, the supposedly affordable hatchbacks almost cost as much. The MRSP on a Prius is $29990 (there are no option packages; the price doesn't go up from there). http://www.autobytel.ca/ is a good place to do comparisons.

BMWs and Mercedes aren't as cool either.

I'd like the Insight, but the darn thing only comes in manual. Uh, no thanks. The Prius' continuously variable transmission is, again, much cooler.

FlyingS

Monday, April 16, 2001 at 17:56:20 (UTC)

Ok - Apparently the price listing I had found on the Toyota site was wildly innacurate. I'm pricing a Prius on the Toyota Canada site right now... (There are some options, but not many) Ok, it came to about 31,000, but that wasn't including HST, which was almost five thousand. Gah. Do car prices listed normally not include HST? That's a bit of a kick in the nards..

Hmm.

This is all moot anyway - I want a Dodge Viper. A bargain at a base price of 111,785! We'll have to agree to disagree on the level of "cool" imparted by the Prius

MJO

Monday, April 16, 2001 at 18:36:47 (UTC)

I stand by "cool."

Cars are boring, old, stupid, messy, old, noisy, stupid, old technology. The Prius mildly less so.

But, practically speaking, I don't think I can hold out for my anti-grav hover car.
http://www.myhelliconia.freeserve.co.uk/trav/articles/gravitics.htm

FlyingS

Monday, April 16, 2001 at 18:45:07 (UTC)

Ah, a Dodge Viper. I wanted to get one, until I saw the price, and then I looked for something more practical. (Hmm.. how much are the 86's going for?)

The Prius sounds like a more useful car than the Insight, and I've also heard that Toyota was going to replace the Internal Combustion Engine in the Prius with a Fuel Cell powered engine in the next year or two. (So it'll become a fuel cell/electric hybrid.) I can't remember where I heard this from, so I'd rate this info as a rumour.

QYV

Monday, April 16, 2001 at 21:00:02 (UTC)

Argh. I previewd something, and when I hit the "go back" link - my entry was gone!

Oh well, what I was saying was that there are two kinds of cars I can call "cool"
1 - well engineered, classic-styled cars that give an impression of solid mechanical being - more gadgets means less interest from me.
2 - Nice european cars - european cars always seem to have a good solid feel to them. Mmm. Saab...

Nothing wrong with other cars - I'm just less likely to be impressed. And the super-techiness of the Prius definitely doesn't excite me.

MJO

Wednesday, October 16, 2024 @ 14:13:55 (UTC)