Free Toyota Priuses for Qualified Americans - (sort of...see details)

[NYC_SKP]

Among the many positive outcomes of rising fuel prices are: increased use of public transportation, carpools, bicycles, and walking, with a resultant decrease in the release of pollutants and greenhouse gasses.

Here's one more:

My friend Spencer drives 40 miles each way to work in a truck that gets 13 MPG. He asked about my 40 MPG Prius and we did a little math.

At $4.50/gallon (it's actually $4.59 here now), Spencer is spending $27.00/day on gas or $540.00/month.

In a Prius, he'd spend $180/month, a savings of $360/month, or enough to make the payment on a brand new Prius.

He's ordered one. By the time it gets here gas will probably cost even more and his monthly cash flow will be even better than had he kept driving the truck.

NB:
I know this doesn't apply to all drivers, and some of you need trucks or have to tow boats, and others among you just won't give it up until gas is $9.00/gallon.
But, if you currently own a gas guzzler and drive any distance daily and can get by with a passenger car with lots of room for storage and seating for five passengers, then you might qualify for a new hybrid without impacting your monthly cash flow.

Oh, and if don't qualify, please share this with anyone you know who does..(nudge nudge, wink wink).

Cheers! :toast:

[Whoa_Nelly]

1. umm..link?

Is this for real?

[ellenfl]

5. i think you missed the point. what you now pay to fill a gas

guzzler could buy you a new prius instead.

ellen fl

[NYC_SKP]

6. The deal is: Trading a guzzler for a Prius will save money.

In writing, "sort of...see details" I hoped to forewarn readers of the tongue in cheek nature of the post.

You still have to buy a Prius, or a Civic Hybrid, but you'll save money.

"In a Prius, he'd spend $180/month, a savings of $360/month, or enough to make the payment on a brand new Prius."

The post relates a story that demonstrates that it's cheaper to make payments on a new Prius than to keep feeding a gas guzzler, if you commute any distance.

I referred him to two dealers, www.longotoyota.com and www.toyotatown.com, to see if he can find one in stock.

My girlfriend found a new Civic Hybrid in stock just one town over three weeks ago.

[DS1]

22. damn

:facepalm:

[rucky]

35. tough crowd. n/t

[Deja Q]

2. Okay, there's no link. Does that mean none of us qualifies?

:cry:

[NYC_SKP]

9. Toad, please re-read the post...you still may qualify?

But only if you drive a gas guzzler and/or drive many miles every month.

Try this:

Calculate your monthly fuel costs with your present car.
Take miles diriven per month, divide by MPG. That's how many gallons you buy. Multiply that by the cost per gallon for Total Monthly Fuel Cost.

Now, do the same calculation using "40" as your MPG. The difference in this result and the first result will represent your fuel savings.

If your fuel savings is +/- $300.00 per month, or more, then you're better off in a Prius and in terms of cash flow, that car will be "free".

Do you qualify? Civic Hybrids are nice, too!

[alfredo]

3. I use about $15 to $20 worth of gas a month. If I was still a rural carrier

I'd have to drive 25 miles to work. From there I'd drive a 75 mile loop, stopping and starting to make deliveries. The car might start off with several hundred lbs of mail, and a near full tank of gas. The motor is running for 5 to 6 hours a day. I'm driving over hilly terrain, over gravel roads, in all kinds of weather. Glad I don't have to do that any more. The gas bill would drive me into bankruptcy,

[NYC_SKP]

11. Tell your delivery friends...

Hybrids are best under stop and start circumstances because they don't idle.
They're great for deliveries and as taxis.
If they aren't moving, the gas motor is off. It's also off while you're coasting or just parking, unless the battery needs charging.

[alfredo]

21. They'd need a right hand drive, or access to the pedals from the passenger

seat. It also needs column shift or a console shift that won't get in the way of the leg.

[NYC_SKP]

23. Well, they do make RH drive versions for other markets

And the shift knob is on the dashboard.

If I didn't already have one, or if I was looking for another, I'd look into importing one from an outfit like the one at the link. One would have to look into licensing problems with their state.

The shipping cost is only $500.

http://www.japan-partner.com/Picture/Toyota/Prius/6541/1/picture.html

http://www.japan-partner.com/auction/Toyota/Prius/cars-for-sale.html

[alfredo]

32. We used to be able to get old postal jeeps, but they used a lot of gas and

had a bad habit of turning over. I'm sure Toyota could special order a RH drive. Jeep will custom make vehicles.

[bean fidhleir]

26. A power-assisted tadpole trike with a porteur basket (nt)

[alfredo]

33. Remember the old Cushman vehicles?

Those would be fun on icy roads.

[bean fidhleir]

36. Still available from India. (well, not the *Cushman*, but....)

[alfredo]

37. Its much safer to drive something like that on those narrow, crowded roads.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

4. I drive, on average, 300 miles a day

but my company does not think hybrids will pay for themselves.

yeah, I work for idiots.

[NYC_SKP]

7. Astonishing!

Is it possible that the tax benefit/depreciation gobbledygook doesn't work for them? There was a time when a Hummer write off for businesses was greater than a small sedan.

My work pays me for use of my own car to the tune of $0.505/mile....it makes the payments during busy months.

If that was how it worked for you, you'd make money with your car.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

13. It is their car, and the manager

for vehicles said... and I quote...

"Well, I read in US News and World Reports that hybrids don't pay for themselves"

to which I said... well, yeah, if you are grandma who drives 8k a year

to which he had no response..

this company has bought 5 new vehicles in the past year... no hybrids

[Clark2008]

8. That's simply not true.

For many of us, the initial cost of a Bubble won't off-set our meager gasoline costs in the least. Insurance costs for those buggers are higher, as well.

Sorry... every time I see a Prius thread, I cringe.

They're not saviors and they're not very attractive.

Not ALL liberals like to travel like Glenda the Good Witch.

Call me when they make ALL cars hybrids/hydrogen or when I can travel on public transport. I really hate that my seemingly only choice is an overpriced Bubble for a car that doesn't support Union labor.

[NYC_SKP]

10. You're in luck...I've got a nice little Hybrid Civic in back. It just came in.

My girlfriend got one three weeks ago.

It's totally normal, attractive really.

Perfect for the "I hate the ugly cars" crowd (and I was a member).

It just doesn't have as much room.

But if it's not for you, that's cool.

[Selatius]

20. I believe they make hybrid versions of the Honda Accord and the Toyota Camry now.

I could be wrong though for those two, but I know the Honda Civic now comes in an all-gas or hybrid version.

[NYC_SKP]

24. You are correct! There's also a chevy Malibu hybrid.

My girlfriend got a Civic three weeks ago, she's getting 39 MPG commuting in the foothills, gold rush country, 41-42 on flat highways.

My sister has a Camry and claims 42 MPG driving around Sacramento.

I drive like a teenager running late for my first "encounter" and usually get under 40 MPG in the Prius, though my best tank gave me 51 MPG.

[shanti]

31. no more accord hybrids

for some strange reason, they decided to stop making them! :shrug:

[Tesha]

27. Ya got any *PROOF* of that statement?

> Insurance costs for those buggers are higher, as well.

Ya got any *PROOF* of that statement? That is, have you got any scrap
of evidence that a non-hybrid car is any cheaper to insure than a like-
valued, similar-aged hybrid car?

Tesha

[NYC_SKP]

28. Hmmm, Crickets...

I guess not.

:hi:

[Renew Deal]

30. I've got one. Insurance is not any higher.

And I find the car very attractive. It's spacious. It's got great features, and it's based on the other Toyota designs. I don't even know what bubbles have to do with it.

[Xenotime]

12. Fantastic AND you are saving the environment.

[silverojo]

14. I'm glad this solution worked out for him

IMHO, though, the better thing to do is move closer to where you work. Or else work closer to where you live. The hidden expense of the wear and tear on your car, commuting so far each day, is something people often fail to take into account. Not to mention the irreplaceable time you miss out on being with your family, by being behind the wheel. :(

[Touchdown]

15. Why isn't the Yaris a hybrid?

Smaller car, great mpg already. It'd get more that 60 mpg if they hybridized it. Besides it's a cuter car than the Prius. :shrug:

[NYC_SKP]

16. I don't know, but you know they could if they wanted to.

There is a big list of the highest mileage cars, most of them unavailable here. Some because they are diesel and don't meet emission standards.

I'd love a hybrid cooper, but they already claim pretty good mileage, or a hybrid MGB.

[TreasonousBastard]

17. I know someone who traded in her minivan for...

a Prius and she says what she saves in gas makes the payments, so this does work.

(Plus, she gets to travel in the carpool lane)

Me, my car is paid for, so the payback isn't so easy.

[emilyg]

18. My daughter did that

Loves her Prius -

[Bigmack]

19. 40 mpg in a Prius? I get 52....

and I just drive it like a car. Not stop-and-go traffic, either. In SoCal in the winter, we get about 47 mpg, but never anything like 40.

[spinbaby]

25. I get 40 mpg in the dead of winter

When the temperature is hovering around 10 degrees. This time of year I get in the 50s.

[NYC_SKP]

38. Yeah, sadly, it's hard to break 40 even when I'm trying.

These figures are based on religious entry of miles driven and gallons purchased on a spreadsheet.
I just turned 30,000 miles on it and got new tires.

I wonder if there's something wrong with a setting or some component.

I'll have to search Pruischat.com to see if anyone else is having the same issues.

thx

[MyNameGoesHere]

29. well we get false advertising all the time

so why not on DU? I understand your point but to use cheap marketing techniques to get your point across is well. i guess normal.

[haele]

34. Way to bum us out, man...

I couldn't afford even a used hybrid, much less a new one. Your article may be good for someone who is at the end of their Escalade lease and can turn it in for a Prius, but not for someone with poor credit driving the single, cheap, paid for family sized used gas guzzler and living paycheck to paycheck.

Bleah. I'd love to triple the family gas milage. But it ain't gonna happen 'cause there's no way we can afford payments. Even after the savings in gas.

Haele