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Fried Chicken wrote:

1 more thing, we went to the ford dealer to look at the ford escape hybrid, and they don't have it.  Which is weird, because hybrids are flying off the shelves faster then companies can make them.

I imagine that's the reason they don't have them.

I think getting a hybrid-SUV is pointless, you minus well get a regular car. The car and the hybrid-SUV would probably end up with the same fuel economy.

Nevertheless, I love the Prius. I don't think it's too small and it is an awesome techie car.

vaeaglesfan wrote:

Fried Chicken wrote:

1 more thing, we went to the ford dealer to look at the ford escape hybrid, and they don't have it.  Which is weird, because hybrids are flying off the shelves faster then companies can make them.

I imagine that's the reason they don't have them.

I think getting a hybrid-SUV is pointless, you minus well get a regular car. The car and the hybrid-SUV would probably end up with the same fuel economy.

Nevertheless, I love the Prius. I don't think it's too small and it is an awesome techie car.

No, they never carried a ford escape.

And the toyota highlander hybrid gets better gas mileage then most sedans, and it has amazing pull.  When you really accelerate, you have 2 engines providing power to the wheels, and it is like taking off in an airplane.  It's really cool... Damn, I wish I could drive

So, prius owners, what are your experiences with the prius?  We haven't even been able to test drive a prius yet.

We have owned our Prius for nearly two years. First off, it is NOT small.  It is considered a midsized car.  I just came home with a kitchen table in the back compartment, for instance.  The Prius has the highest "I'd buy it again" surveys, over 90%. It's important to note that the Ford Escape hybrid system is similar to Toyota's HSD but there are many key differences that make the driving experience less pleasurable from what I've heard. Not a big fan of Ford, either.  That's nothing more than being opinionated on my part.  I admit this readily.

Your mom needn't buy the Prius just for fuel savings.  It is an incredible car with nifty features like Bluetooth for handsfree cellphone usage/contacts.  She can say "Fried Chicken" and call you without ever touching her phone. Most of the car's functions are voice controlled.  There's nothing more fun than silently cruising through parking lots as people look around wondering where that car came from.  The Prius is not a fast car by any means, but it has performance on par with a Camry.  Plus, you always beat people off stoplights because you have the split second advantage of the CVT and electric motor.  Also, we never have to fumble for our keys! We walk up to the car and it knows we're wanting to get in and drive.

Bottom line?  Have her drive one, and she'll be in love.  We've had a couple hiccups with ours, nothing serious but that's the price you pay for buying the first version of any technology.  Toyota has been nothing short of friendly and accomodating.

I know I feel safe with a fuel cell full of liquid hydrogen in the back of my car.  Don't bother with the hybrid, after the extra costs and what not it takes you 15 years to save money on gas.

Moses wrote:

I know I feel safe with a fuel cell full of liquid hydrogen in the back of my car.
[snip]

Umm, what? You have a liquid hydrogen car?

nannyandnutro wrote:

I like the Civic hybrid (the '06 models will give Toyota a run for their money except in the roominess department) but it would only be desirable if there were no Prius.  Moneywise, there is no comparison.  When they start out at nearly the same MSRP, the Honda just doesn't have the fuel economy or features to be in the running with a Prius.  I think it will be a tighter race for the '06 models but I hear the Prius will have built in iPod support. Big plus for me anyway.

As I've said, I consider the excellent fuel economy of our car to be a feature, not the only reason to get one.  I love that people stare at our car and ask lots of questions.  Sure, it looks like a golf cart on steroids and it's not for everyone, but I bet your mom would enjoy it.

The Highlander?  Great car.  Overpriced?  Yes.  Powerful? Yes, even more so than the non-hybrid version.  Worth it?  To me, not really.

Oh, and don't listen to people who say the "battery" will fail and cost an arm, leg, and firstborn to replace.  It's a battery PACK in which one might fail, not the whole thing.  There have been Prii to go 200k with no degradation.  Toyota bought one back from a guy to test it. Besides, these batteries cost (at most) $1,000 which is commonplace maintenance cost for a car with upwards of 100k.

Have you heard about the '06 accord hybrid?  My mom really likes the car, but it doesn't offer the full hybrid technology...

Moses wrote:

I know I feel safe with a fuel cell full of liquid hydrogen in the back of my car.  Don't bother with the hybrid, after the extra costs and what not it takes you 15 years to save money on gas.

Yeah because that tank of gas is always the safer. 

And bullsmurf about hybrids not making the money up. Its $3+ for regular in small towns in the Midwest. I dont dare think of what it is in California.

Not to mention it being so much better for the enviroment.

My dad has a the Lexus Hyrid SUV and it is a great car.

icebook1 wrote:

The Prius and the Escape Hybrid both use the same hybrid technology. I've never been inside the Prius before, but my friend's mom has one and they love it. It's kind of space-ship feeling apparently.

The Escape is very roomy inside, if you really need the space. The fuel economy on a standard V6 XLT model Escape is around 20 city/25 highway. The Hybrid model ups that to around 33/36 I believe.

It's up to you all. If you've read my other vehicle posts on here, you'll know that I'm a huge fan of the Escape and I highly advocate it to lots of people. A good place to go and ask questions related to the Escape Hybrid is Escape Central.

Well, they don't really use "the same hybrid technology". They are two different platforms from two different manufacturers.


My sister owns a Ford Escape and I can't stand the thing. Its center of gravity is too high, the wheal base is too narrow, I hate the way it handles, and the fuel economy is a total joke.   

I don't feel safe driving the Escape. I feels like I could easily roll that thing if I had to make a last minute decision. 

If I had to snag a small SUV, I buy a Subaru Forester. They're rated better, have more horse power, more torque and they're based off of the Impreza's frame... which means they handle more like sports car then an SUV. Moreover their fuel economy is only about 3mpg worse then the Escape Hybrid.

AAPL Shareholder wrote:

icebook1 wrote:

The Prius and the Escape Hybrid both use the same hybrid technology. I've never been inside the Prius before, but my friend's mom has one and they love it. It's kind of space-ship feeling apparently.

The Escape is very roomy inside, if you really need the space. The fuel economy on a standard V6 XLT model Escape is around 20 city/25 highway. The Hybrid model ups that to around 33/36 I believe.

It's up to you all. If you've read my other vehicle posts on here, you'll know that I'm a huge fan of the Escape and I highly advocate it to lots of people. A good place to go and ask questions related to the Escape Hybrid is Escape Central.

Well, they don't really use "the same hybrid technology". They are two different platforms from two different manufacturers.


My sister owns a Ford Escape and I can't stand the thing. Its center of gravity is too high, the wheal base is too narrow, I hate the way it handles, and the fuel economy is a total joke.   

I don't feel safe driving the Escape. I feels like I could easily roll that thing if I had to make a last minute decision. 

If I had to snag a small SUV, I buy a Subaru Forester. They're rated better, have more horse power, more torque and they're based off of the Impreza's frame... which means they handle more like sports car then an SUV. Moreover their fuel economy is only about 3mpg worse then the Escape Hybrid.

Hmm. Fuel economy on our 'Scape has been great. Does your sister have the 4 cylinder or the V6? Handling-wise, the Escapes have been cited as being very sporty for their height. The Forester is not an SUV. It's merely a tall wagon. I personally find them unattractive in the looks department. The Escape is more of a truckish SUV. Yes, it's based on the Mazda 626 platform, and there's no serious 4 wheel drive, but the 4WD can get you out of some situations that you wouldn't think an Escape could get out of.

Back to the topic at hand. I mis-spoke earlier. The Escape Hybrid, while having hybrid technology licensed from Toyota, does have a slightly different system. I know that the Toyotas and the 'Scape get better milage than the Honda hybrids, because they can run electric-only at low speeds.

I'd say go for the Prius. If it's just for commuting, that's all she really needs. Save some gas and get a sedan. The Escape is more for the cargo space and the ground clearance. Heck, with gas prices the way they are, I'm only going to be driving one because it's a hand-me-down from my mom. Going out to buy new, I'd shy away from any sort of truck.

icebook1 wrote:

AAPL Shareholder wrote:

icebook1 wrote:

The Prius and the Escape Hybrid both use the same hybrid technology. I've never been inside the Prius before, but my friend's mom has one and they love it. It's kind of space-ship feeling apparently.

The Escape is very roomy inside, if you really need the space. The fuel economy on a standard V6 XLT model Escape is around 20 city/25 highway. The Hybrid model ups that to around 33/36 I believe.

It's up to you all. If you've read my other vehicle posts on here, you'll know that I'm a huge fan of the Escape and I highly advocate it to lots of people. A good place to go and ask questions related to the Escape Hybrid is Escape Central.

Well, they don't really use "the same hybrid technology". They are two different platforms from two different manufacturers.


My sister owns a Ford Escape and I can't stand the thing. Its center of gravity is too high, the wheal base is too narrow, I hate the way it handles, and the fuel economy is a total joke.   

I don't feel safe driving the Escape. I feels like I could easily roll that thing if I had to make a last minute decision. 

If I had to snag a small SUV, I buy a Subaru Forester. They're rated better, have more horse power, more torque and they're based off of the Impreza's frame... which means they handle more like sports car then an SUV. Moreover their fuel economy is only about 3mpg worse then the Escape Hybrid.

Hmm. Fuel economy on our 'Scape has been great. Does your sister have the 4 cylinder or the V6? Handling-wise, the Escapes have been cited as being very sporty for their height. The Forester is not an SUV. It's merely a tall wagon. I personally find them unattractive in the looks department. The Escape is more of a truckish SUV. Yes, it's based on the Mazda 626 platform, and there's no serious 4 wheel drive, but the 4WD can get you out of some situations that you wouldn't think an Escape could get out of.

Back to the topic at hand. I mis-spoke earlier. The Escape Hybrid, while having hybrid technology licensed from Toyota, does have a slightly different system. I know that the Toyotas and the 'Scape get better milage than the Honda hybrids, because they can run electric-only at low speeds.

I'd say go for the Prius. If it's just for commuting, that's all she really needs. Save some gas and get a sedan. The Escape is more for the cargo space and the ground clearance. Heck, with gas prices the way they are, I'm only going to be driving one because it's a hand-me-down from my mom. Going out to buy new, I'd shy away from any sort of truck.

As far as I know, there is no such thing as a 6 cylinder Escape Hybrid. They're all 4 bangers and they get around 30mpg, which is far pathetic considering it has "hybrid" stamped on it.

And the Forester is most definitely a small SUV. It rides a few inches lower then the Escape, but it has an incredibly similar cabin size and capacity.

I really don't know why anyone would ever buy an Escape hybrid. In comparison to buying base model Forester and saving money on 3mpg, you're going to have higher monthly payments (the car is costs about $8000 more), the vehicle isn't as safe, and it has less power.

Can anyone please explain the difference between Toyota HSD, the Ford kind, and the Honda kind?

I want a Civic Hybrid. I thought they all used the same tech.

Even Nissan has licensed Toyota's HSD system.  It'll be interesting to see what they come out with.  The Escape has gotten very mediocre reviews and isn't selling the way Ford had hoped.  Toyota used to make a RAV4 EV but the idea was a little ahead of its time.  Yeah, so I like the RAV4-shoot me. 

FriedChicken-head on over to PriusChat.com - you'll find people are as passionate about these cars as we are about our Macs.  It's made so many people (including me) who swore never to buy a new car jump and grab one.  It also has good discussions about the Civic and Escape. 

As for the Accord Hybrid?  I like it.  It's got a bit more room than a Prius but the fuel savings amount to 30/37 instead of 51/60.  If your mom wants a more luxurious ride the Accord would make sense.