Do They Help?
With gasoline remaining near $4 a gallon, many people are looking to save more money than usual. Some people are starting to cut back on luxuries, and others are investing in more efficient tools. Recently, the all-in-one product market has boomed in America, but for some reason the American economy continues to decline. One of the biggest all-in-one products that has become popular in mainstream America is the fuel-efficient car. Most people buy a fuel-efficient car because it saves them money immediately; but the question remains, “Is it really more economical to buy a hybrid car like the Toyota Prius than to buy a small, gas-only car like the Ford Fiesta?” Approximately the same price, the Prius and Fiesta are both relatively affordable, but there are several factors that set them apart which help a customer decide in the purchasing process. When buying certain vehicles like the Prius and Fiesta, customers need to look at each car’s comfort, fuel efficiency, overall customer satisfaction, and basic economic repercussions before making a final decision.
One of the most important elements of buying a car is comparing the comfort of the seats and legroom of each car to the other. Many modern cars like the Prius have a bucket-style seat which many customers find uncomfortable during long trips. The legroom, though, makes up for this deficiency in comfort with 55.9 inches of legroom that gives comfort to the longer-legged drivers. On the other hand, the Fiesta – with the same general seat style – excels in the seating area. The only major complaints about the seating in the Fiesta are the lack of an armrest and the legroom, which is only 52.7 inches and not meant for the taller customer. The Fiesta’s legroom deficiency is often the ending point for some customers, but the average customer usually needs to do some more comparing before the shopping has ended.
Buying either a Prius or Fiesta also requires comparing the fuel efficiencies of both cars. Many customers, if their main concern is fuel efficiency, will buy the Prius because of the 48 miles-per-gallon rating and how it will save them money at the gas pump. Ironically, the Fiesta which is only rated at 37 miles-per-gallon, is among the highest selling fuel-efficient cars; giving weight to the fact that, for many customers, fuel efficiency is not the most important feature in a car.
In light of the fact that gas mileage is not always the most important factor of buying a car, comparing the overall satisfaction of current customers becomes a necessary and imperative part of buying any car. This comparison goes beyond just comfort; comparing goes on to performance, visual capabilities (mirrors, blind spots, vision through both the front and rear windshields, etc.), and, of course, the cars’ looks. The way one compares two cars like the Prius and Fiesta is by going to websites like kbb.com (Kelley Blue Book) and reading customer reviews. Consumers must carefullly choose which reviews he or she will read because many reviews give a nonobjective viewpoint that often misleads customers. On the other hand, customers often find many good reviews, if they know how to look. One should look for a review on the Prius that gives the pros about the Prius (the gas mileage) and the cons (the seating), and he or she should do the same for the Prius. Finding good reviews can sometimes be difficult, but when one does find good reviews on both cars, he or she will end up having to make a difficult decision, and, unfortunately, many customers will often overlook the final factor of wisely buying a vehicle.
In the end, the most important item to look at when buying either the Prius or Fiesta is the economic effects that buying either car will produce. In the current American economy, many consumers are trying to buy items that will support the American economy and keep the profit from those products in the United States. Unfortunately, many people will often overlook this principle just to get good gas mileage, making the Prius a perfect example of this mistake. When a customer buys a Prius, made by the Japanese car manufacturer Toyota, the profit goes overseas to the Japanese economy instead of staying in the American economy. On the other hand, buying the Fiesta, made by the American outfit Ford, ensures that the profit from this vehicle stays in America, helping the American economy. If the American car manufacturing industry is not supported, the price on foreign cars will increase because the foreign manufacturers will know that any car sold in America is coming from foreign plants. If imported vehicles are all that Americans will be able to buy, then foreign manufacturers will be able to ask any price for cars, and they will be able to receive that price for their cars.
So, looking at the economic effects, overall customer satisfaction, fuel efficiencies, and comfort of the Prius and Fiesta will help a customer decide which car to buy. Many will look at the easily thought of questions about comfort, fuel efficiency, and current customer satisfaction; but few look at what effect this decision will have on the economic future. Many times these all-in-one products like the Toyota Prius are exactly what customers are looking for; but in the long run, do these all-in-one products really help consumers economically?
