I’m 6’3", about 250 pounds. The backseat of the Prius is very comfortable on long drives, even with my 6’2’ 190 pound son next to me.
Yeah, you could probably “want” a bit more trunk room in the Prius, but with creative packing you can stuff an amazing amount in there.
I have a “normal” Camry – actually two of them. The mpg on the Camry “normal” vs. the Camry hybrid is pretty much the same, so I keep asking WTF.
Seems like you are rejecting everything out of hand. If you have never really driven a Prius, you would be amazed at the mpg, the room, etc. The only drawback I can see is the storage space might be a tad small, well, for those times, pack smarter.
Otherwise, buy one of those hybrid SUVs, which also are “hybrid” in name only, only get minimal improvement in mpg, etc. And drive it around with one driver 9/10ths of the time like everyone else does and pretend to be green.
If you really are as committed as you say, the Fit or the Prius would be your lot, the Prius winning the nod because it has a bit more room (I have a best friend who has the Fit).
I should add, that I am a PRIUS owner, and that, actually, I just went out and looked and four “normal” suitcases would fit in the back. Having said that, while two large guys can co-exist in the back of the Prius with no problems, putting three folks back there would be a bit of a stretch – unless they were like two “normal-size” and one kid, or some combination of that sort.
The Ford Escape hybrid is a little smaller than the Highlander. You might take one for a spin to see if you like it. Many midsize cars are available with 4-cylinder engines now, like the Accord, Camry, Altima, and Malibu. Just to name 4. All the manufacturer’s have a midsize with a 4 these days. They will get about the same mileage as the equivalent hybrid on the highway, but less fuel mileage in the city. My top 3 would be the Accord, Altima, and Malibu (not Classic). The Malibu is generally considered by the car test crowd as being fully capable of competing with the market leaders anywhere, anytime, and under any circumstances. But not the Malibu Classic (Chevy sells both now).
Are you suggesting that the only way to be “green” is to buy either a hybrid car or an econobox? Any ULEV (ultra low emissions vehicle), even a car-based SUV, is environmentally responsible. Environmental responsibility isn’t determined by how much fuel you use. It is determined by how much you pollute. If you want to conserve energy, that is a noble goal, but don’t confuse environmentalism with energy conservation. They are not the same thing. A ULEV that gets 20 MPG pollutes less than a 20 year old econobox that gets 30 MPG.
…besides, you don’t want to be one of those judgmental reactionaries, do you?
Glad to be of assistance. Spent several mo. in Japan. Been to majority of states in Cont. US. Jap. peaple don’t like to drink their water. Paper and cloth masks are frequent in Tokoyo. Worked in deep south. Japan is on very short list where paying, sober Aferican Americans are not welcome in restrants. Disagree, OK. Don’t like the news, buy a rice burner, don’t shoot the messenger!
People in Japan wear masks to prevent the spread of colds and other germs. They consider it polite.
So are you saying you’re American? We write in complete sentences here, with articles like “a” and “the” before nouns. If you want to be taken seriously on this board, you should also learn to spell.
Ricers aren’t all Japanese cars, by the way. Ricers are ridiculously modified cars. Neons are often “riced” and they’re made by Dodge. A Honda Accord or CR-V is not a ricer, for example, by any stretch of the imagination.
Oh, good point, cappy! I drink most of my water from a PUR filter because I don’t like the chlorine taste clean municipal water has. This is a little old, but: http://web-japan.org/trends/lifestyle/lif030509.html
Apparently Japanese people don’t like the taste of their tap water. Same as half the Americans I know! Water doesn’t have to be unclean to not look, taste, or smell appealing.
What is an Aferican American? Is it like an African American? Perhaps being a paying sober customer isn’t enough. Maybe manners and literacy are guidelines and you took it as a racial thing? Their culture is so different from ours that there could be a large number of things, other than skin color, that offended them. Did you rule those out?
When I was in college, students cramming for exams took benzadrine pep pills, commonly called “bennies”. A friend of mine took too many and collapsed during the exam. He had to be carried out.
I have no idea what Masda means, perhaps an Egyptian fertility goddess.
I’m sort of going through this too. I sat in an Altima Hybrid. That is one beautiful car. Very high quality.
However… I’m not sure you can justify the price difference between an Altima Hybrid and an Altima 2.5S. HUGE price difference. You’ll never save that much in gasoline. As people have pointed out, the longer the distance the drive, the more a hybrid acts like a non-hybrid.
Go to fueleconomy.gov, and compare the 2.5 and the hybrid side-by-side. The hybrid gets 33mpg on the highway, and the 2.5 gets 31 on the highway. You’d break-even after about 220,000 miles, I’d bet.
A few months ago we had a lengthy discussion on the economics of owning a hybrid. Only a few owners could make it pay; you need lots of city driving in a mild climate. Normal highway driving produces savings too small to justify the extra cost, and consistently cold weather needs the engine for heat.
However, OP wants to be as environmentally green as possible, so the economics may not weigh as heavy. The big focus points are highway comfort and trunk size.
If I won the $20 million lottery, I would buy a Mercedes E Class Blue Tech diesel, which gets better mileage than a Lexus Hybrid.
, and uses the cheaper end of the crude oil barrel.
However, OP wants to be as environmentally green as possible, so the economics may not weigh as heavy. The big focus points are highway comfort and trunk size.
I anticipated your response. Do I get a cookie?
Well, the price difference between a comparably-equipped Altima Hybrid and Altima 2.5S is about $4,000. According to fueleconomy.gov, the Altima will save you about $400/year in gasoline.
So get the 2.5S, and give a $2,000 donation to a “green” organization. That would be a way more cost-effective approach to being green.
“If I won the $20 million lottery, I would buy a Mercedes E Class Blue Tech diesel, which gets better mileage than a Lexus Hybrid.
, and uses the cheaper end of the crude oil barrel.”
Actually, they cost under $60K, so you don’t really need to win the lottery. Unfortunately diesel fuel is general more expensive than gasoline at the moment. Without any lottery winnings, you can find used TDIs for a reasonable price with better mileage than the benz.
Americans are slowly being brainwashed into believing hybrids are the only way to be green. There are alternatives, such as smaller cars and diesels to get more useful mileage out of a gallon of fuel.
I guess what you’re saying is that hybrids are overrated and a good diesel is a more cost-effective way to be green. Being green to me means generating the fewest lbs of CO2 per mile, the way European cars are measured.
In real life I’m waiting for a good reliable diesel in a Toyota or Honda, and I will not look at a hybrid again.
I think when the new breed of clean diesels in small cars start hitting our shores, hybrid sales will not grow as fast. The first major wave of battery replacements outside of warranty may put a dint in the sales as well.
Yep- J. Holt, hoffmalr (et cetera) really got little old me! You all are way too cool. Heck, I don’t even type well or spell check. Let me guess- you all think the Jews ‘had it commin’, and think the best “Ho-moes” need a rock to the head, am I right? Go ahead, get your last word in. I figure you know way too much about cars (and how poorly your fellow man should be treated) to wast time on this site, anyway. Does your bottled water come with a White Hood?
What I don’t get is that you can’t spell a four letter word like “Hoyt” but you know how to spell the Latin phrase “et cetera.” It is almost like you are doing it on purpose. What are “Ho-moes?” Is that what happens when the Three Stooges dress up as Santa Claus?
Do you really think it is fair to call people bigots because they object to your incoherent rambling? All I did was pose a question, so I will ask it again. Japanese culture is so different from ours that there could be a large number of things, other than skin color, that offended them. Did you rule those out? Why are you so sure it was because of the color of your skin? Honestly, I would really like to know. I treat people the same regardless of the their skin color. If you want special treatment based on your ability to play the race card, you have come to the wrong place.
Wow, I’m almost offended. For your information, ericpxjs, I’m about as homophobic and racist as you are coherent and learned (to clarify for you, that means I’m not).
Racism doesn’t just mean white vs. black, you know. You can’t insult Japanese society and then whine that we’re attacking you because you’re black (which I’m not sure you are but either way we’re not). We’re arguing with you because you make broad generalizations about entire cultures without any knowledge to back them up.
So grow up, learn a little bit about how the world actually is, and read a book once in a while so you can write a decent sentence. Then come back here and I’ll take you seriously.
Hybrids will always have a niche market in those who want to impress their reactionary liberal friends. I, however, am beginning to see the wisdom of buying a car with only one motor.
Okay. I’ve done some more reading, and now I need to go do some test driving. What I’m leaning towards at this point are two 4 cylinder sedans: Nissan Altima and Toyota Camry.