Should I get a prius?

[Solonng]

Damn it, i should have gotten a prius instead


Senator Hillary Clinton Endorses 55 MPH Speed Limit
2008 Presidential contender Hillary Clinton endorses a return to the 55 MPH speed limit.

Hillary ClintonUS Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) on Tuesday endorsed a return to the 55 MPH maximum speed limit for "most" of the country during a speech at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. Senator Clinton, who is leading in the polls for the Democratic nomination for president in 2008, responded to a question about whether she supported the Carter administration's national maximum speed limit.

"The 55 mile speed limit really does lower gas usage, and wherever it can be required and that people will accept it, we ought to do it," Clinton said.

The senator admitted that the move would be too unpopular to implement nationwide. "Well, there are just some parts of the country where that's just not going to happen," she said. "You know, where you've got miles of open, flat road."

"I mean, there are things that can be done. So maybe the trade off is, you know, most of the country where 55 miles an hour doesn't seem like a burden, we have that. In the rest of the country, inflate your tires before you head off into the sunset," Clinton concluded.

A newly elected Republican majority Congress repealed the national 55 MPH speed limit in 1995 over the objection of then-President Bill Clinton after groups like the National Motorists Association demonstrated the law's shortcomings as a "life-saving measure."

[halB]

You need to drive a Smart Car to feel happy cruising at 55.

[yuggy]

lol...i've driven a prius a few times getting them for rental cars...
Certainly not the best looking cars out there..but can't beat the mileage you'd get!

[BK]

Originally Posted by Solonng

US Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) on Tuesday endorsed a return to the 55 MPH maximum speed limit for "most" of the country during a speech at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. Senator Clinton, who is leading in the polls for the Democratic nomination for president in 2008, responded to a question about whether she supported the Carter administration's national maximum speed limit.

(1) She isn't "leading the polls for the Democratic nomination."

(2) The gas savings from lowering the speed limit to 55 mph would range from negligible to non-existent.

On another topic, I've seen a few Smart cars on the road in the past month or so. Each time, it looks like a soft top convertible. I didn't realize they made them as convertibles? I didn't see them closely enough to tell for sure, but from a glance, that's how they looked.

[yazz]

the speed limit on the freeways where i live is 65, but does that mean everyone abides? no. even in the event of the country's speed limit being lowered to 55 i doubt many people will be deterred from "speeding." if anyone knows the 2 freeway in the glendale area you know what i'm talking about

[lkn]

Originally Posted by yazz

the speed limit on the freeways where i live is 65, but does that mean everyone abides? no. even in the event of the country's speed limit being lowered to 55 i doubt many people will be deterred from "speeding." if anyone knows the 2 freeway in the glendale area you know what i'm talking about

yes but when you have most of the cars going at 55 on all lanes, then how are you going to drive any faster.

[galahad05]

Plus....what happens when you do get pulled over? Going 75 in a 65 is, say, a $150 ticket. Going 75 in a 55 is a way more expensive ticket...

[yazz]

Originally Posted by lkn

yes but when you have most of the cars going at 55 on all lanes, then how are you going to drive any faster.

i suppose that could present a problem, i'm just used to the people on the innermost lane doing anywhere between 10-15 mph faster than the slow lane

[B'CahiLL-The Boss]

I got a 335 Saphire Black Coupe, it sux for real estate.

I'm going to be upgrading my car b/c of a warranty coverage issue...

Thought about a 911 C2S 2008. Credit is getting better.

I am going to upgrade to a Alpine White 2008 E92 Coupe M3 / Carbon fiber roof. then step up in 09 again

I thought about a PRIUS for real estate actually b/c it sux putting mass miles on a nice car!!

[John 070]

Nobody ever does anything about the root cause. It shouldn't take $5 gasoline to start thinking about saving fuel. Why can't a person drive a BMW for fun, and take public transportation the rest of the time? But public transportation is lacking here in the states maybe with the exception of NY.

Like I said, a guy in my office got rid of his Z3 for a Prius. He says he loves the Prius, but I really don't believe him. They are night and day as far as how they drive...

[dhan]

thats retarded. btw, isn't speed governed by the state? even if she imposes the national speed limit, isnt the state responsible for their own speed limits? for example, montana didn't really have a speed limit til 1999. then again, might just be a move to raise for government funds by taxing "speeders." stupid.

la/oc traffic moves at 10 mph anyway.

[yazz]

Originally Posted by John 070

Nobody ever does anything about the root cause. It shouldn't take $5 gasoline to start thinking about saving fuel. Why can't a person drive a BMW for fun, and take public transportation the rest of the time? But public transportation is lacking here in the states maybe with the exception of NY.

Like I said, a guy in my office got rid of his Z3 for a Prius. He says he loves the Prius, but I really don't believe him. They are night and day as far as how they drive...

the mass transit system in LA is nothing compared to NY's. I stayed in midtown manhattan last summer for a week with a friend, the bus/subway takes you everywhere you need to go. before i got my license i used to take the MTA (LA county transit) and the local buses and they showed up infrequently and didn't provide an expedited route of where i would want to go. my friend and i made a funny comparison while in NY, he spends i think 75 bucks a month for a metro pass and i spend 75 a week on gas (which has now ballooned to over 100 with the current gas prices). for my bank account's sake, i wish the mass transit here was as good as NY's.

[stressdoc]

Maybe instead of spending a trillion $ getting the middle east pissed off at us, we could have built a public transportation system like europe or Japan, and not gone hopelessly in national debt either.

[yazz]

Originally Posted by stressdoc

Maybe instead of spending a trillion $ getting the middle east pissed off at us, we could have built a public transportation system like europe or Japan, and not gone hopelessly in national debt either.

the trains in europe are outstanding, they connect all of the major cities in western and central europe, not too sure about the eastern countries though

[StarrDlux]

its 55mph all the way to work here in atlanta I75. average speed for cars and trucks is 75mph. so 80-85 is not unheard of and quite common when the traffic is thin.

bring it on. not like it will change anything in the city.

[Jesse Wilson]

Not until next year when they go PHV or the year after when they put Lithium Ion batteries in them. I am seriously considering it in 2010.

[aznshrek88]

Priuses are bullshit; they make less mileage on an average drive than our cars. It's such a misconception; that even when you do mostly city driving; it won't make a difference.

[Robert]

Originally Posted by stressdoc

Maybe instead of spending a trillion $ getting the middle east pissed off at us, we could have built a public transportation system like europe or Japan, and not gone hopelessly in national debt either.

Not going happen with oil industry making billions a year. Imagine the lobbying power.

[John 070]

I guess my point is that people here drive BMWs for a reason, and come to expect those qualities from their ride. A Prius is not going to provide the driving experience. And until now, Prius did not even make any financial sense, even when there was a tax incentive. They said gas needed to be $5/gal. AND the car needed to be driven over 5 years. The Prius was no more than a Hollywood/politically correct/look at me I'm green using the carpool lane driving around by myself in my hybrid move. Anyone who really cares about the environment does not drive around by themselves going anywhere.

The way I see it is with $5 gas, I will face the reality that I will drive my BMW far less. That's good for the car, my pocketbook, and a stark reality of having other expenses to contend with. But I will not buy a Prius to be cool, because it isn't. The avg. age of the Prius driver without including Hollywood must be well over 67.

[John 070]

I can't emphasize the treating the symptom v. root cause notion. Example, I'm in FLA on business and when I went to grab a shuttle ($17) I was told one hour wait. Time being money, I took a cab. First of all, I never heard of cabs having to use the cash lanes through a toll plaza, so that was like a 15 min delay. $55 later, I was at the hotel. That was wasteful for me to take a cab by myself, put two or three people in the car and the cab makes total sense. The shuttle co. (begins with the letter M and has 5 letters) offers poor service, because they can. Get a good transportation service at a fair price and you have something.

There are people in my firm who use a Town Car every day, costs more than what the cab cost me. Maybe someone in accounting will one day say my goodness, our transportation costs exceed buying 3 Maybachs and hiring drivers, we better just get Prius instead.

[GregL]

Originally Posted by halB

You need to drive a Smart Car to feel happy cruising at 55.

It's true, I've gotten the first-gen model twice as a loaner from Mercedes and it's almost like going on a rollercoaster when driving at highway speeds

[roadkillrob]

No man can be confident enough in his sexuality to be seen behind the wheel of a prius - ride a bicycle if you wand to do your part - it is much better in fuel economy and your friends won't make fun of you as much!