StandardShift.com

Squint wrote:I wish they put a standard shifter in the Prius. Would make a world of difference in a fairly boring car to drive.

I hear that trying to maximize manual regen can be interesting.

So my g/f wants a hybrid but doesn't want to give up the manual as the hybrid would likely replaced her TSX (auto) and her Jeep (manual). She asked me but I couldn't tell her much, other than that's the only manual hybrid that I know of.

I might be test driving one of these at some point.

all i know is they look okay and the interior looks cool. just don't try driving one up a hill in the snow on all-season tires - during the snow storm nemo the other day i had to help one get moving that was stuck on a hill. it was an auto, but i doubt the manual would've done better at breaking through the snow mounds (note: the driver was clueless and kept trying to traverse the same foot-high snow mound instead of backing up and driving on the plowed part of the road). the other guys (plow drivers) who were helping (and were there before i stopped to help) said something ham-n-eggerish like, "what the hell are they doing driving a prius in a snowstorm"

Hybrids are counterproductive. Do not let the girlfriend get one, Tonebone.

She's a big girl and can drive whatever she wants. If she likes it, why not? Sometimes car buying is not only about the numbers or what's right, it's about what you like. Otherwise you'll get sick of the car later.

AHTOXA wrote:She's a big girl and can drive whatever she wants. If she likes it, why not? Sometimes car buying is not only about the numbers or what's right, it's about what you like. Otherwise you'll get sick of the car later.

This. x1000. First and foremost you gotta love it...if you love it and can't wait to drive it, everything else gets pretty easy.

I just get pissed at people who think that hybrids are environmentally friendly. As long as her intention is gas mileage and she has no misconceptions about the environmental impact I have no issues with a hybrid.

In the nearly 2 years we've been together we've actually never had a "green" conversation. She recycles some stuff but she's never preached it to me or made any statements regarding going green or some other crap. She's generally very sensible and rational, so I doubt that she has such delusions or radical opinions.

watkins wrote:I just get pissed at people who think that hybrids are environmentally friendly. As long as her intention is gas mileage and she has no misconceptions about the environmental impact I have no issues with a hybrid.

That's the only reason I'm interesting in the hybrids. If the USA had some of the more fuel efficient diesels from Europe, I'd be interested in those over the hybrids.

I wish we had more diesels too

Mazda 6 Skyactiv Diesel is coming late this year in manual and auto, and Chevrolet is releasing a turbo diesel Cruze sometime this year as well although slushbox only.

I don't know if diesels will ever catch on in the U.S.

I certainly have no interest in them, despite the fact that they are not the same noisy, black smoke blowing pieces of junk that they were a few years ago.

I would be interested in a diesel and would have bought one if it wasn't a bit above what I wanted to spend. The Golf TDI was at the forefront.

AHTOXA wrote:I would be interested in a diesel and would have bought one if it wasn't a bit above what I wanted to spend. The Golf TDI was at the forefront.

you might be able to pull off a used Golf or Jetta TDI for a decent price. The 2009/2010 diesel models were going for substantially more than most of the 2012 CPO gas models I saw back in November though. The TDI models are also said to be a lot of fun to drive for a diesel.

I should mention that my other reason was the HPFP (high pressure fuel pump) failures. Nuisanse in-warranty and an atrocious cost out of warranty. VW/Audi aren't the only one struggling with it though. There are reports of other makes, namely German, having very similar issues with their disels.