An interesting pattern seems to be emerging. I always assumed that HCH drivers chose the HCH b/c of the combination of price and looks of the car (the Prius draws strong opinions either way), but from the posts here it seems that prospective buyers given the hard sell and a choice between two similar cars, at least pricewise, it's the sales transaction that can turn people off to not only the dealership, but to the brand. Also, tall drivers seem to favor the HCH.

 

I actually had every intention of buying a Prius. The poor rear view was the deal breaker for me. They now come with a standard rear mirror, which works great for backing out of parking spots, but isn't activated when changing lanes. There's no way I felt like I could safely change lanes on a highway in the Prius (I'm 5'2").

If the Prius had come in the old body style with a normal rear view mirror, I probably would have gotten it.

BTW, LOL at the "cockroach" slam. I never liked the way the newer Prius looked, and now that you mention it, they ARE roachy looking!

 

i have a hch 1 and i'm looking for a mexican used hch 2 for my wife...

reasons:

there is no prius excisting in mexico, for a new hch without nav they charge 25.000 US-$...

my wife is 5'2, she would fit in the prius as well i guess..

so toyota... get the prius south... but not for 30 k with base equipment.. !!!

best wishes

 

Cheap initial price and decent mileage on the 2.0l CVT (even if it's a rare option) kept the Patriot in the mix until the maintenance and repair costs kicked in. Build quality is a real problem, or so I keep hearing. My BIL's Liberty literally had a wheel come off at highway speed last year; he's lucky he wasn't killed.

 

"I may make some sort of pad you can put on the E brake handle."

The right-hand-drive HCHs also have the e-brake handle on the same side as the driver, so the Japanese can have sore knees, too!

http://www.auto-power-girl.com/pics/..._version-13036

 

I've had an 07 HCH II for about two months. I bought this over Prius since I've always liked Honda, I've owned Toyotas too but think Honda has always emphasized performance, even in economical Civic. Hybrid system may be a little more advanced in Prius, but overall I think the Civic is better performing car. I also am turned off by Prius styling, to me it seems too "econobox" looking, though I realize some think it looks futuristic. I also was swayed by fact that Honda hadn't sold as many as Toyota hybrids, thus tax credit was higher, though after checking further (after buying car) that, like typical buyer, I don't qualify for any credit (alternative minimum tax BS). What a letdown to expect, I think it was $2000 credit, to find out after going through endless tax forms that I wouldn't qualify. Thanks Uncle Sam (and George Bush) for the great incentive to advance alternative energy.

 

I purchased the HCH II instead of the Prius for three reasons. First, here in the SF Bay Area, the price of the Prius (at the time of my purchase last July) was about $7000 more than the HCH II. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, the CA carpool stickers were nearing there end point and I was able to get my hands on an HCH right away, while there would have been a several month wait for the Prius. Finally, I felt very strongly that I wanted to get a "stealth hybrid" that would get great mileage but not scream "look at me". I really do think that to a large extent, the Prius and HCH II really address different segments of the market.

 

Someone here (tall gut) suggested removing the dead pedal for more leg room - did it this weekend and holy moly - what a difference!

 

Someone here (tall guy) suggested removing the dead pedal for more leg room - did it this weekend and holy moly - what a difference!

 

I got the HCH I because I thought it looked more "normal" and I loved it so much that I got an HCH II when my HCH was was hit. I also liked the HCH because I was told that it gets better millage on the long freeway drives and I drive 25 of freeway 2x per day and hardly any surface street driving. I think that I made the correct choice for me.