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My husband says his Prius is comfortable, reliable, has good mileage and the hatchback lets him haul stuff. (http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_7669503?source=rss&nclick_check=1)

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/2008_Toyota_Prius.jpgGary Richards – San Jose Mercury News – Dec. 8, 2007

With the Prius-II heading for 180,00 sales this year alone, its popularity is unmatched in the hybrid marketplace. -- Ed.

Q I read Jennifer Cost's questions about how to shop for a new hybrid. Having just completed this process, allow me to share what I learned: I went to several dealerships and drove the Toyota Prius, the Honda Civic hybrid, the Nissan Altima hybrid and the Toyota Yaris (which isn't a hybrid). I found the Prius to be physically uncomfortable, with remarkably lousy rear-view sight lines. Since I do both short- and long-haul driving regularly, I needed freeway performance and wasn't sure I could trust the Prius to deliver pickup and power in a pinch.

Vera S. - Palo Alto

A And the Civic . . .

Q A great car, but it uses a different hybrid technology. The mileage is still very good but noticeably lower than the Prius' mileage. The Altima hybrid was an outstanding driving experience and uses Prius technology to produce electric power. It, however, is too big for me.

Vera S.

A After all that, she is buying a Honda GX, the natural-gas-powered vehicle. And you can still get carpool stickers for those types of cars.

Q We purchased a Civic in 2005 and a Prius in 2007. The Civic consistently gets 45 miles per gallon around town and if I drive like Ralph Nader and use a feather touch on the accelerator I can get 50 mpg. My wife drives the Prius and gets 52 mpg. This is a small enough difference that no decision should be based on it. The difference is that the Prius has more luxury, more room in the back seat
and the ability to fold the rear seat down to carry large items. It also costs $3,000 to $5,000 more. If you anticipate carrying passengers often or have the need to carry large items, choose the Prius. If you are on a budget and already own a van or pickup, the Civic is a great choice.

Dan and Anne Bergmann - Livermore

A And … http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_7669503?source=rss&nclick_check=1

I don't seem to be able to read the linked article but I always like reading different persectives on the available technologies.

Hi Sean:

___Since the link is not working for you, here you go. Just don’t tell anyone ;)

Q I've had a Civic hybrid for about three years and I like the way it blends in. The Prius is more conspicuous. Its unique look announces itself proudly, perhaps a bit smugly. Buy the one with the image you prefer. Have you noticed that people complain a lot more about self-righteous Prius drivers in your column?

Marian Cochran - Santa Clara

A Oh, have I noticed.

Q My husband says his Prius is comfortable, reliable, has good mileage and the hatchback lets him haul stuff. I like that my Civic hybrid looks like any other car on the road.

Linda and Roger Dahlberg - Sunnyvale

A And . . .

Q Our 2007 Civic Hybrid has performed magnificently, averaging more than 40 mpg. We drove to Las Vegas for Thanksgiving and used 11 gallons each way (48 mpg) at 70 mph. The Civic isn't as flashy as a Prius, but stands out in other ways.

Gary Lieber - San Jose

A Here's a Web site with comments from hybrid owners worldwide: GH (www.greenhybrid.com).

Q We bought a Prius two years ago and average about 49 1/2 mpg. My friend just bought a Civic hybrid and gets about 38 mpg. But I think a really important fact is that her dealership didn't give her much instruction on her car. She didn't know what a couple of the gauges were for, couldn't find a gauge to show her current mpg. When we bought our Prius, our dealership had two owner's meetings. One covered all the technical things anyone could want to know. And I don't think it looks like a wedge of cheese. It's aerodynamic and the looks quickly grew on us. It's comfortable and fun to drive. We are very satisfied Prius owners. Keep up the good work on educating people about the importance of cutting our dependence on foreign oil and helping the environment.

Marty and Dick Johnson

A I am trying. I want to see the day when Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., recants his ridiculous comment that the threat of catastrophic global warming is the "greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people."

Q The intangible factor: Most people agree the Civic looks sleeker than the Prius.
Ben Chui - Palo Alto

A You can't be serious.

___Good Luck

___Wayne

>I needed freeway performance and wasn't sure I could trust the Prius to deliver pickup and power in a pinch.

Huh!? Obviously this person wants to speed and pass . I have never found the *Corolla* inadequate for highway driving.

BTW, is the statement about education of drivers typical for Prius drivers? Now that's interesting. Though you'd think someone with such an education would do better than 49 mpg.

--des

>I needed freeway performance and wasn't sure I could trust the Prius to deliver pickup and power in a pinch.

i was quoted from a guy who drove a 2.4L 5spd AWD subaru forester and he was following me on the highway:

"wow phil, when I'm following behind you I notice your car has very good low end pull."

so it must mean my 1.5L detuned engine with electric motors + battery can keep up with a 2.4L of similar displacement.... sweet! 5spd too not some wussy auto