My girlfriend wants a prius

[zoe1]

Originally Posted by Wisha Haddan H3

I agree on the safety issue. Her 07 legacy outback has great crash ratings and AWD. Plus it hauls everything she needs for her son (wheelchair, walker and stuff). She's not in a huge hurry, but if she can fit all that stuff in the Prius, she's really going to want one.

She'll probably fit this, and more, in the Prius. Waa waaa waaaaah, for you. Since the back seats fold down, there's a whole lot of cargo space. The flush bumper also assists easy loading. But, she'll need to know that longer drives are where she'll recognize the best mileage. If she's commuting in 10 minute intervals, she'll probably only see 40 mpg. If she's driving for more than 20 minutes, she'll see 50's and up. Get on the road for more than a half hour or so and you'll be running 75 mpg trips. Colder temps = less mpg and mileage increases with duration of ownership, so she'll need to keep that in mind as well. The only negative things I've heard about the Prius is that if it gets stuck in snow, it's hard to get out. This is due to the anti skid system and the problem isn't a "Prius" problem. The Prius handles reliably in snow and ice otherwise. The other negative is seat comfort.

If she's interested in only short, city trips where speed is limited to 35 mph, an electric vehicle may do her well. Conversion kits are sold for around $10m-$15m. Think of it, she could convert her current car and never, ever have to buy a tank of gas or change her oil and filters again. The conversion would pay for itself in short order. And, you wouldn't (as someone else mentioned) be the laughing stock of your neighborhood as no one would suspect you're affiliated with a greenie (why this is bad is beyond me. Don't we all drink the same water and breathe the same air?) If she considers this, she best make sure her range is covered and make sure to take into account any winter cold conditions as range drops by around 25%, from what I've read.

So far as maintenance is concerned on the Prius, it doesn't require any extra maintenance than does a conventional car (the brake system actually lasts longer). The hybrid components are warrantied for 8 years/100,000 miles. If concerned, she could always opt for the extended warranty. There's supposedly a Canadian taxi Prius fleet with their initial hybrid components with well over 100,000 miles logged.

Sheesh, what a bunch of macho types on this thread. Is this supposed to be appealing? I'm wondering how long y'all's relationships are lasting if you hassle and ditch your significant others about something as menial as a car purchase. I give the OP credit for not being imposing and instead being open minded to her views. Sounds like she's got enough problems being a single mom and caring for a handicapped(?) child without having to worry that her car purchase is going to create a rift in her relationship.