sports cars vs suvs image
petpet5678
I'm creating a dichotomous key in Life Science class:
When I say groups I mean like...Similar characteristics. And the types of cars I'm looking into are sedans, coupes, convertibles, SUVs, sports cars, wagons, vans, trucks, luxury vehicles, mid-range vehicles, and economy vehicles.
Thanks for helping!
Answer
environmentally friendly vs. gas guzzling
environmentally friendly vs. gas guzzling
How to convince my Dad to buy me a Prius?
My dad is a Prius hater, however I think it would be a great car with the combined mpg of 50. I keep making those points that the Prius gets good gas mileage, it's very safe, and it has easy maintenance but he keeps making the point the Prius is ugly, he also makes the point that it will take much longer to pay off the extra cost it is to buy a hybrid vs a internal combustion engine car. I need some good points that might make him change his mind about the Prius. I also say that he wouldn't drive it so he wouldn't have to deal with the "bad" looks. Please help me get some good rebuttals to his statements and make him want to get a Prius. Thanks :)
Answer
There are two views on what should be a first car:
A. Get a cheap used car because new drivers often get into accidents due to lack of driving experience. A cheap used car cost less when it gets wrecked.
- There is not much to say about this veiw. It's pretty self explanatory. It's also what most people do.
B. Get the safest car you can find because you can always replace a car but you can't replace the driver.
One of the safest cars out there is the Prius, and here's why:
1. There are four braking systems on the Prius:
- Regenerative brakes
- Friction brakes
- Engine brakes
- Parking brakes
2. Vehicle stability control:
- A system that prevents doughnuts during slippery conditions if you are going anything like a reasonable speed. Studies from Europe and Japan indicate that VSC reduces head-on collisions by over 30%.
4. Brake assist:
- A system that applies extra force to the brake pedal when it senses an emergency stop. Studies by Mercedes indicate that people press the brakes quickly but not hard enough. Brake assist compensates for this tendency.
5. Brake override:
- A system that stops the acceleration when the brake pedal is pressed firmly.
6. The smooth acceleration of the Prius (there are no gears that shift) helps prevent you rear-ending someone if they slow down right after stopping. (An old fashioned economy car typically has a very low first gear to disguise the fact the engine is small--this creates rapid acceleration up to about 10 mph after which the acceleration bogs down. The Prius smoothly accelerates up to it's maximum speed of about 105 mph which is controlled by the system.)
7. Optionally in the 2010 Prius:
- Radar pre-collision
- Lane keep
Many of these systems prevent the accident in the first place. The best accident is one you don't have.
Besides the safety aspects, the Prius is a mid-size car so there is more room for friends and equipment. It has low maintenance requirements and a very high owner satisfaction rating. I purchased my first Prius (a 2001) for my wife (who was also a new driver at the time). It was so good that I got a 2004 for myself. It's been one of the most exciting and fun-to-drive cars I've ever driven. The 2001 now has 100,000 trouble-free miles and the 2004 has 145,000.
I'd stay away from any SUVs or sports cars because beginning drivers just don't have the experience to handle them.
Note that the Prius C is not more than an old fashioned car. Even for the standard Prius, the hybrid components add about $500 to the price of the car, the rest is because it's a mid-sized car, not a subcompact and has a lot more amenities standard than does an econobox. As far as looks go, aerodynamic styling where form follows function make the car look as if it belongs in the 21st century rather than the 19th.
My 2004 Prius MPG from the logbook. (Complete years only):
2003-2004 -- 50.8 mpg 17,628 miles
2005 -- 52.6 mpg 14,688 miles
2006 -- 56.3 mpg 16,174 miles
2007 -- 57.3 mpg 18,384 miles
2008 -- 59.9 mpg 21,755 miles
2009 -- 61.4 mpg 16,177 miles
2010 -- 65.2 mpg 12,134 miles
2011 -- 66.9 mpg 11,272 miles
2012 -- 69.2 mpg 16,212 miles
There are two views on what should be a first car:
A. Get a cheap used car because new drivers often get into accidents due to lack of driving experience. A cheap used car cost less when it gets wrecked.
- There is not much to say about this veiw. It's pretty self explanatory. It's also what most people do.
B. Get the safest car you can find because you can always replace a car but you can't replace the driver.
One of the safest cars out there is the Prius, and here's why:
1. There are four braking systems on the Prius:
- Regenerative brakes
- Friction brakes
- Engine brakes
- Parking brakes
2. Vehicle stability control:
- A system that prevents doughnuts during slippery conditions if you are going anything like a reasonable speed. Studies from Europe and Japan indicate that VSC reduces head-on collisions by over 30%.
4. Brake assist:
- A system that applies extra force to the brake pedal when it senses an emergency stop. Studies by Mercedes indicate that people press the brakes quickly but not hard enough. Brake assist compensates for this tendency.
5. Brake override:
- A system that stops the acceleration when the brake pedal is pressed firmly.
6. The smooth acceleration of the Prius (there are no gears that shift) helps prevent you rear-ending someone if they slow down right after stopping. (An old fashioned economy car typically has a very low first gear to disguise the fact the engine is small--this creates rapid acceleration up to about 10 mph after which the acceleration bogs down. The Prius smoothly accelerates up to it's maximum speed of about 105 mph which is controlled by the system.)
7. Optionally in the 2010 Prius:
- Radar pre-collision
- Lane keep
Many of these systems prevent the accident in the first place. The best accident is one you don't have.
Besides the safety aspects, the Prius is a mid-size car so there is more room for friends and equipment. It has low maintenance requirements and a very high owner satisfaction rating. I purchased my first Prius (a 2001) for my wife (who was also a new driver at the time). It was so good that I got a 2004 for myself. It's been one of the most exciting and fun-to-drive cars I've ever driven. The 2001 now has 100,000 trouble-free miles and the 2004 has 145,000.
I'd stay away from any SUVs or sports cars because beginning drivers just don't have the experience to handle them.
Note that the Prius C is not more than an old fashioned car. Even for the standard Prius, the hybrid components add about $500 to the price of the car, the rest is because it's a mid-sized car, not a subcompact and has a lot more amenities standard than does an econobox. As far as looks go, aerodynamic styling where form follows function make the car look as if it belongs in the 21st century rather than the 19th.
My 2004 Prius MPG from the logbook. (Complete years only):
2003-2004 -- 50.8 mpg 17,628 miles
2005 -- 52.6 mpg 14,688 miles
2006 -- 56.3 mpg 16,174 miles
2007 -- 57.3 mpg 18,384 miles
2008 -- 59.9 mpg 21,755 miles
2009 -- 61.4 mpg 16,177 miles
2010 -- 65.2 mpg 12,134 miles
2011 -- 66.9 mpg 11,272 miles
2012 -- 69.2 mpg 16,212 miles
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