Any 2000 Prius still on the road?

General Discussion
121

Ok CAA - here you go

From your earlier post.

“Social (as in socialism) Security is part of an economic system of wealth redistribution”

Then you get in your rant how socialism is bad by making the comparison to the Soviet Union.

“Socialism kills incentive for many workers to excel and this helped bring down the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Vodka sales went through the roof, though.”

Yes Soviet Socialism is bad. And the USA while claiming to be capitalist has MANY socialist policies. Read your very definition above.

122 
" I have always been bothered by the fact that no U. S. manufacturer bought into this technology back in 2001."

"Could it be that the Prius is protected by patents? "

Then just pay a license fee to use the patented technology.
That’s what Ford (and some of the others I presume) has done.

123

The Prius drivetrain is based on US Pat. No. 3,566,717 Dated March 2, 1971 and assigned to TRW, Inc.

124

The high voltage hybrid system was patented by Paice LLC in 1992 under US patent 5,343,970. Both Ford and Toyota lost lawsuits with Paice and in the case of Toyota, had to pay royalties for all Prius and other Toyota hybrid cars.

125

@sgtrock21

We definitely share some of the same values

I remember several years ago, many of my coworkers were making fun of me, because I was driving an old Corolla at the time. Plain jane, but pretty reliable, paid for, and very economical. I was getting 37mpg at the time. And I was using the ac all the time, and I wasn’t driving like an old granny, either.

They asked me why I didn’t buy a nicer car. I said not only can’t I afford to buy such a car, but I also couldn’t pay the higher registration fees, much higher insurance rates, much higher fuel costs, etc. In fact, if somebody had GIVEN me such a car, I still couldn’t have paid for the fuel and insurance. I was financially in limbo, just able to maintain, but I knew exactly what I could afford and what I couldn’t

They also said I should have bought a much bigger house and sold my soul to the devil to do it . . . in other words, really stretch myself out. I told them I wasn’t comfortable doing that, and rather would have a house with an affordable mortgage payment, versus a much higher payment, and I would be sweating blood every day, worrying if I would be able to make the next payment or not

Anyways, a few years later, when the gas prices really went up, they were all complaining about what it costs to refill their thirsty suburbans and F350 duallies. I actually didn’t gloat or say a word. A few of them asked if I’d sell them my Corolla. I asked them if they thought I was a fool, or what, and I told them I remembered how they were ridiculing me a few years earlier.

Then when the economy really went down, many of them were earning much less money and were no longer able to afford their mortgage, or all the payments for their suburbans, F350 duallies, and their otherwise extravagant lifestyles. I was still able to hang onto my possessions and my modest house. I had no problem making my mortgage payments. They could not say the same.

Some of them declared bankruptcy, and felt they had absolutely nothing to do with it. They felt denying any responsibility was just fine. Childish, if you ask me

126

@db4690 I agree with your thoughts on not living beyond your means and living only for the present. I should have taken your advice and saved for retirement, but I had to splurge. When I,was working, Mrs. Triledaq gave me $2.50 each week so I could have a cup of coffee with my colleagues every day. Coffee was 50¢ a cup on campus. One of our group found that we could get coffee at McDonald’s for 25¢ a cup with our senior citizens’ discount. However, rather than saving my windfall of $1.25 a week, I, would splurge each Friday and buy a cinnamon roll. Now, in retirement, I find myself having to beg for coffee at the mission. Putting this in perspective, I can see the real problems people get into by living for today and going way into debt for big houses and expensive cars. I drove the same car to work for 33 years. I had colleagues who,laughed at me and some,even told me I wasn’t maintaining a good image. However, I have a financially secure retirement (except for the coffee).

127

As for me, I have always questioned if it’s really a “luxury car” if you have to work like a slave to make the payments. Do you own a car like that, or does it own you?

128

@“B.L.E”, some people behave that way, but others can actually afford a luxury car without breaking the bank. I work with a guy that bought a Mercedes Benz S550 in 2011, and I’m sure he could afford it. He and his wife are both well paid, and I doubt it cost him more than one third of their annual income. I do agree with you that we should not overspend for anything we buy, even really fun stuff like cars.

129

“Then just pay a license fee to use the patented technology.
That’s what Ford (and some of the others I presume) has done.”

Exactly!
Ford executives recognized a good thing in the Prius technology, and because of that Ford pays license fees to Toyota for Toyota’s hybrid technology–which they have essentially copied for the Ford hybrid models.