2009 Prius Base - $19k

[Matt Herring]

SVOboy has been building a really cool Top 10 (and beyond) lists for the site and for gasoline vehicles my former 4runner ranks 1015 out of the roughly 1050 gasoline vehicles on this site (who have filled out their fuel log). My Prius (although it is eerily absent from the list...nowhere to be found) ranks 26th. Went from 1015 to 26...So the question is...WHAT WAS I THINKING DRIVING A GIGANTIC GAS-GUZZLING 4RUNNER FOR 2 YEARS!!!???

Can't wait to check the list out every time I make a fuel log entry to see where I rank on the list.

[SVOboy]

You're inspiring me to work much harder I leave for japan in 5 hours so we'll see what I can get done before that

Glad to have you as our resident prius expert.

[Matt Herring]

I'm no Prius expert SVO...only had the car about 6 weeks and only put roughly 2500 miles on it. In fact, I found a new lever thingy on the car today I had never seen/used before...it's located to the left of the drivers seat on the floor...between the door and the floor mat...can anyone help me out with this one...

see pic attachment...

[SVOboy]

OOoooo, you're a funny one.

[Matt Herring]

Angry driver alert! A guy didn't like the way I drive today...and he let me know it.

In a portion of my commute home from work, where it goes to two lanes through 2 lights, a guy pulled up next to me at the light and yelled out his window "You drive too slow." To which I responded "I'm going the speed limit."

He then said "You drive like my grandma." To which I responded "Pull over, I want to talk to you."

He then said "I'm right next to you in my car, why do I have to pull over?" To which I responded "Pull over, I want to talk to you."

Guess who didn't pull over...fast car, in a hurry guy. This guy was, perhaps, my first anti-Prius moment today...maybe not...but probably because I was driving a Prius.

On a 45 mph road I was in the range of 48-40 mph and was not holding up traffic at all. My commute is 1 lane, 45 mph, for almost 5 miles and at no time was the car in front of me more than 200 feet ahead of me. Would have loved Mr. Speedy (who was behind a truck that was behind me) to have pulled over so I could have given him a "speed limit" lesson...can only hope we cross paths again. Why do people think that a long line of traffic means someone is driving too slowly...even if the guy was in front of my car he's not going to magically jump over the car I was following on a 1 lane road.

FYI - My commute home was at 5pm, heavier traffic than other times of the day, 82 degrees and everybody wants to get out in the sun.

[Daox]

I do think hybrids get undue hate. Bradlee, an Insight & Prius owner (lucky guy huh!) in the Milwaukee area, has noticed when he drives his hybrids he gets flipped off, angry looks, etc much more than if he is driving a conventional car, but he drives them exactly the same...

[PA Prius]

Some drivers need a gentle reminder that the posted limit is the maximum, not the minimum.

PA Prius

[doviatt]

I think the anger equates to jealousy and envy. Don't all pioneers get treated this way until it becomes main stream? They don't know what they are missing, they don't know.

[Matt Herring]

I'm not one to complain about other drivers or people that complain about my driving because...there's too many people and too many cars out there for everyone to get along ALL the time. When 99% of drivers are "in a rush" to get where they're going and think they are always "right" on the road...it's a losing battle and I won't waste time even thinking about it. It's hard enough to get 10 people to agree on 1 thing (anything) let alone trying to get thousands of people operating 2,000-4,000 lb. pieces of moving steel to do it...not worth my energy to try and educate every driver.

But, when a guy wants to talk to me personally on the road...I'm game.

FYI - At 63.0 mpg in-car over 350 miles with about 4 Pips left to go (or about 1/3 tank for the non-Prius driver...Prius drivers call the digital blocks on their fuel guage "Pips"...no wonder we/they get a bad rap)!

[PaleMelanesian]

That avatar - did you take the picture? It tells 1,000 words, at least!