In Defense of the Tactical Prius

[Roger65]

This is what we used to call "hybrids"



Italian supercar with Ford 351 Cleveland.

 

[PaulB47]

My favorite of that kind of hybrid was the Corvette-engined Bizzarrini A3/C:


Iso Bizzarrini A3/C: The free-thinker's anti-Ferrari (https://www.classicdriver.com/en/article/cars/iso-bizzarrini-a3c-free-thinkers-anti-ferrari)

 

[mcfoto]

Okay, I'll admit to be a former Prius owner.i used to call myself the "accidental Prius owner." Purchased new in 2008 when I needed something in the wagon/ hatch back family and had just come off a bad Mopar experience so looking for something in more reliable category. My ex had good experience with Toyota so the Prius was what they had to offer. My experience was mixed: sure easy routine maintance and no major issues. I traded it at 6 years old and 75k with the factory brakes still with life on them. The bad was I went through tires every 25k no matter what I put on. Also the LED headlights needed replacing about once a year and Toyota recommended replacing both and the controller which was a $450 bill. I. The end, I just had them replace the one bulb over their objections and it still was $150 juror that. I traded it because I found the drive very boring. And my kids say I drive like an old lady (no offense to old ladies.) my new car is a Mazda and it lives up to the Zoom, Zoom of their marketing. I went from 50 mpg to 25 but have been happy that gas is cheap.
The strangest thing I noted during those six years are the reactions of others that have been similar to those on the four pages of this thread. Strangers assumed I was an Burkenstock wearing earth hugger. In reality, I'm a cheap bastard who doesn't mind new fangled technology. I'll admit that my politics might be a bit on the left side from most of you here, but why someone would make assumptions about my politics and personality based on the car I drive is beyond me. And I really don't understand why this generates more hate and resentment.
Good for the OP to approach the subject with good humor. Let's give the guy a break.

 

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[Roger65]

My favorite of that kind of hybrid was the Corvette-engined Bizzarrini A3/C:

View attachment 298362
Iso Bizzarrini A3/C: The free-thinker's anti-Ferrari (https://www.classicdriver.com/en/article/cars/iso-bizzarrini-a3c-free-thinkers-anti-ferrari)

I had a chance to buy one of those in 1983 for $14,000 and I turned it down. Can you imagine that?

 

[edslhead]

View attachment 298391

View attachment 298392

View attachment 298393

All that paint and it's still ugly.

 

[captqc]

WOW! Look at the members coming out of the Prius "closet". Whoda thunk it!

Not one but two! My wife drive a Prius C! When I need a dose of testosterone I just jump into my 1984 Toyota 4x4 pickup and jump a few curbs!

 

[captqc]

Anyone know how much money in government subsidies it takes to get a Prius down to a price-point that you can afford it?? I try to keep government influence out of my life as much as possible, and buying a subsidized car would make me a hypocrite. I'll leave the Prius's, Tesla's, hybrids, inbreds, etc. to the folks that like that kind of thing.

My Prius cost $20,000 in 2010, didn't get a dime in gubermint subsidies as that went away years before that.

 

[erudne]

My 4X4 truck cost 24K new, gets 20MPG and carries a ton of cargo, plus a Prius

 

[mcfoto]

Anyone know how much money in government subsidies it takes to get a Prius down to a price-point that you can afford it??.

The government rebates on Prius is long gone. They rebate a specific model for the first x amount of units sold. When I bought in 2008, the Fed money was gone but I got a nice $1500 credit on my state taxes. Of course, there has been a movement afoot to charge hybrids extra road tax at registration time to make up for lost gas tax revenue so the government can take it back. Fortunately, I traded mine before that became reality.

 

[captqc]

My 4X4 truck cost 24K new, gets 20MPG and carries a ton of cargo, plus a Prius

Prius, like as in a life boat?

 

[Joe13]

'Prius of Sh!t' is my nickname for them.

Nothing against tree huggers or gas sippers.

My issue starts when I'm in the fast lane and the Prius in front of me can't go fast enough to pass the person in the middle lane and move over so it holds me up for miles sometimes.


IMO the lanes should have horse power minimums.

 

[Lilhigbee]

The subsidies I was referring to primarily are the ones Toyota and others got to develop them in the first place. Make the buyers pony up those millions like everyone else has to when they buy a new car and see how many they sell.

 

[PaulB47]

Well if it's not tax dollars, what could be objectionable about that? All car companies have R&D costs.

Sorry, I misunderstood your post. Tax subsidies are always objectionable.

 

[Vanillagerrilla]

well, my f150 gets yardage, not mileage , so I need all the gas these little cars are not using.
I feel its a good balance .

 

[OutlawHoss]

The best hybrids seem to involve retrofitting a SBC (small block chevy), whether it's a jaguar, ferrari, or an international. We had 5+ internationals, scouts, travel-alls, pick-ups, and they all had sbc's. When you live in the bush, granny gear transfer cases and hand throttles are an absolute necessity, and less about identity. Kind of goes along with the Cessna 180 with tundra tires that brought our monthly supples. Yet as grizzly-adams-masculine as that is, I've seen my family get in fist fights over wildflower identification, hawk id's, the best canning techniques.
If a Prius is practical for one's lifestyle, than that should be, at least for me, the primary consideration.

 

[jac1304]

Thank you for making my Prius cool again...

 

[Weldor]

My daily diver is a 2wd 87 Nissan pickup. Best mileage is like 15 avg. Thing got about the same when it was new. Dad doesn't drive anymore so he gave it to me. Nothing fancy, just dependable.
My full size truck is 55 Ford i ton dually tbat has rot, rust, and split rims. It's a retired dump truck and it to gets around 15 mpg and it has a 390. I carry a Prius in the bed incase I get a flat.

 

[OutlawHoss]

My daily diver is a 2wd 87 Nissan pickup. Best mileage is like 15 avg. Thing got about the same when it was new. Dad doesn't drive anymore so he gave it to me. Nothing fancy, just dependable.
My full size truck is 55 Ford i ton dually tbat has rot, rust, and split rims. It's a retired dump truck and it to gets around 15 mpg and it has a 390. I carry a Prius in the bed incase I get a flat.

Oh my, split rims! Makes me shudder! Dealt with a lot of tractors and old straight trucks with split rims. It got to the point I'd pay for Les Schwab to come and do it rather than risk another tire iron to the head.

 

[raptor347]

Two cars here. '07 outback (with a little lift) and an '03 Z71 Silverado 4x4 (bone stock). Both are pretty easy to work on. Both are paid for. Going to keep driving them until it's no longer cost effective to keep them.