What an Offer!

[queenoftheskies]

I'm not sure whether I've posted about this in my Live Jounal before, but it always amuses me.

I drive a 2002 Toyota Prius. On June 2, I'll have had her for FOUR years. Her name is Terra (after a video game character).

I LOVE Terra. Best car I have ever, ever had. In four years, she's had tires, gas, oil changes, and routine check-ups. She has required NO repairs at all. (After my previous car...a real lemon...that's been a life saver!)

As many of you probably know, Priuses are hybrid cars.

When I first got her (and still some now), people stopped me everywhere I went and asked how I liked her. Then, they asked the inevitable, "How often do you have to plug it in?"

NEVER, stupid people.

I used to see Priuses occasionally on the street, but not often.

Now, people get on LONG waiting lists to get the new ones. I see them all over the place. I cheer. Maybe people are only buying them for the gas mileage, but they're still helping the environment.

Anyway...I digress.

About a year after I bought Terra, I think it was, I started getting offers from Toyota to buy her back to have used Priuses on the lot. I got offers from Nissan and Ford to buy her outright.

To all of these offers, I said NO.

Over the years, the offers from Toyota to buy her back have become frequent (once every 2 or 3 months) as they are desperate for used Priuses in this area. Apparently, people are NOT trading them in, but are holding onto them, as I hold onto mine. I like to hope they love theirs like I love mine.

The offers keep getting better and better, but the one I got yesterday tops them all, hands down.

The dealership where I bought her has offered to give me a trade-in equal to WHAT I PAID FOR HER FOUR YEARS AGO...the original sticker price!!! In addition, they sent a "check" to be used for an ADDITIONAL $7,000 down payment toward any 2006 car and have offered to finance anything I choose.

Sheesh! Can we say desperate???

But, you know what? I love my Terra. I wouldn't trade her in for anything.

Comments

[buymeaclue.livejournal.com]

That's...wow. Amazing.

(Good choice, though.)

[queenoftheskies.livejournal.com]

I LOVE my Terra. She's amazing. :)

[cyberwuzzle.livejournal.com]

That's my DREAM CAR. My husband is opposed because we'll have a baby soon. He says they're too small, not safe enough.

I REALLY want a Prius.

[queenoftheskies.livejournal.com]

If you haven't test driven one, do so. They have TONS of room inside. Mine even has a huge trunk. I don't know about the new hatchbacks.

They are EXTREMELY safe. I have four air bags standard on mine. My insurance is reasonable, so I have to think that's an indication of safety as well.

I'd preach the benefits of owning a Prius all day to anyone who would listen. :)

[spaceoperadiva.livejournal.com]

Why does he think they're not safe enough?

When I was 8 months pregnant with my daughter, a huge 3/4 ton pickup truck sideswiped and destroyed our Honda Civic. Even though the Civic was totaled (this was a highway collision, not just a little boo-boo in the parking lot) neither Kurt, our 3 year old son in his car seat in the back or I had a scratch. Big does not necessarily = safer.

[aberrant1.livejournal.com]

Wow.

I see quite a few Priuses here, and they make up part of the city-owned fleet as well. I know the people who own hybrid Civics love them. Yay, hybrid cars!

I wish they made a hybrid Matrix.

Then again, it's probably good they don't, because I can't afford one.

[queenoftheskies.livejournal.com]

They're putting hybrid systems on MANY cars these days. They might have a hybrid Matrix before long. :)

Hybrid cars are VERY energy efficient and inexpensive to operate.

::LOVES:: mine!!!

[aberrant1.livejournal.com]

Maybe by the time I sell a novel they'll have one! :-) Or a hybrid Subaru Outback Sport. That would be like my dream car.

Right now my ambitions are more like getting my poor old Saturn to keep running until I can get the clutch replaced next week. Oh well. It gets 35 mpg when it's working right, that's not bad.

[ryan-howse.livejournal.com]

I definitely want to get a hybrid car whenever I opt to get another car.

Also: Terra? Final Fantasy III? (Or, VI, if its Playstation?)

If so, you have some good company. And taste in games.

[queenoftheskies.livejournal.com]

They're AWESOME vehicles! I highly recommend them. I love mine to death...as if you couldn't tell.

Yes, yes, Final Fantasy III (or VI...I have them both). And, my computer is named Celes. :)

I adore the Final Fantasy games. Best ever! You play, too?

(Of course, then, I also like the Metroid games, which are on the other end of the Spectrum, and the Zelda games. Can't wait for the new Zelda to come out the end of the year!!!)

[channe.livejournal.com]

My husband drives a Prius. We will NEVER EVER EVER give it up.

[queenoftheskies.livejournal.com]

Do you have a new one? Or one of the older models?

Aren't they WONDERFUL?

[marthawells.livejournal.com]

We bought a Prius when our Saturn got totalled last year, and it is the best car I've ever had. Even aside from only having to buy gas once a month, it's fantastic. And yeah, people do ask if I have to plug it in. :)

[queenoftheskies.livejournal.com]

Aren't they awesome?

Do you have the new hatchback? Or one of the older models? (I'm guessing hatchback since you said you got it last year.)

[marthawells.livejournal.com]

Yep, it's a hatchback. I love driving it, it's so quiet.

[madwriter.livejournal.com]

I know two other folks who drive a Prius, and I don't think they'll ever give up theirs either.

[madwriter.livejournal.com]

BTW, I'm afraid that to the "Plug it in" question I'd probably answer something silly like "Only once a year, and then we can just stick the plug in a lamp socket rather than a wall outlet. You should see the car glow when we do that!"

[queenoftheskies.livejournal.com]

Funny. :)

It would be cool if the car really did glow.

You know something scary about it, though? There's a warning in the manual that the battery packs enough power to stop a person's heart!!!

[queenoftheskies.livejournal.com]

I am soooo thrilled to hear that so many other people feel the way about their cars that I feel about mine.

Guess that explains why my dealer is so desperate to try to get used ones, huh?

[kmkibble75.livejournal.com]

That's incredible!

I'm really hoping to get a hybrid for my next car (that, or a Mini Cooper), but I'm driving the current Strat-illac into the ground first. (It's about 6-7 years old.)

[queenoftheskies.livejournal.com]

Do you think your car will last much longer?

I think my Prius will last forever. She's wonderful!!!

[kmkibble75.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure how long she'll go... it seems to be in good shape so far! Here's hoping...

[queenoftheskies.livejournal.com]

Good luck!!! Do you have a lot of miles on her?

My last car was a clunker. Just horrible.

My car before that was used. I was the third owner and then gave her to my sister. She has over 300,000 miles on her. She's a 1979 and may just last forever. (Though, of course, she needs work more frequently as she gets older and older.)

[kmkibble75.livejournal.com]

I think her mileage is about 65k, so it's not too bad yet. Yearly maintenance isn't so horrible that it's more than the car's value yet.

It's hard to imagine cars these days getting 300k...

[lanyn.livejournal.com]

Totally envious! I want one! I looked at them a few years ago, but found I couldn't fit me, my camping gear, and my two big dogs in one, so I ended up getting a VW Jetta wagon instead, which I love to death, but it ain't a hybrid.

Waiting for a hybrid station-wagon type vehicle, then I'm all over it!

[queenoftheskies.livejournal.com]

You know, there are hybrid SUV's out now.

I could probably fit camping gear in mine, but not camping gear AND two big dogs.

What kind of dogs do you have?