Everyone talks about the Prius, everyone wants a Prius and everyone apparently knows someone who owns one.

At least that’s what the media will tell you.

Japan got a nice jump start (big shocker) on us selling the Prius back in 1997 while we were still busy mucking up the environment. The rest of the world jumped on the bandwagon in 2001.

Interesting note, the name Prius supposedly means “To Go Before.” I always thought it meant “Slick Automotive Marketing.”

Here’s all the poop you need on the current Prius models and why its a little difficult to locate these gas sippers.

The first model sold was the 1997-2000 NHW10. You won’t find these in the states as they were only sold in Japan and shipped out to a few other countries. If someone tries to sell you one of these here in the states, its probably a black-market Prius and/or been through hell and back. Move on and keep looking.

The US got the Prius in 2001-2003 - model NHW11. Our version sported the 1.5-liter 4 cylinder gas engine with the electric motors and nickel-metal hydride battery pack. (Probably the batteries left over from the early Motorola brick-cell phones.) The gas engine pumped out a whopping 70hp & 82 ft. lb. of torque. The electric motor kicked out 44hp and 258 ft-lb. of torque.

2004 saw a major face-lift. This created the current look you see everywhere - the NHW20 model…its a half a foot longer and has less drag than previous models. Besides the design, overall efficiencies were greatly improved, such as a smaller battery, more power,(Gas: 76hp/Electric:67hp) independently running A/C and Smart Key Technology. Back-up cameras, better airbag technology and an upgraded stereo/speaker set-up also became available in the Touring Edition starting in ‘06.

Safety ratings got the attention of consumers as well. NHTSA gave it a five star rating for the driver and four stars for passengers. Side crash and rollover tests yielded 4/5 stars for the driver & passenger. The most interesting item I found was the two out of four rating it received for the PEDESTRIAN. Honest. Apparently its not so bad being hit by a Prius as you cross the street.

The real issue seems to be with the batteries. Toyota’s warranty is for 100k miles or 8 years. California’s warranty was bumped to 150k miles or 10 years. The original expectation for the newer models (’04 & beyond) was 15 years.

Expect waiting lists if you’re out shopping for a new Prius. The companies making the batteries are still backlogged. Its been hard for the parts manufacturers to keep up with the increased demand. Be sure to get a CARFAX history report to verify the service history; a one-owner vehicle is preferred. A one owner Toyota Prius is worth an average of $2,241 more to consumers.

Supply is short and consumer demand is raising the price of the used Prius market currently. (In some cases, used Toyota Prius prices may be over those quoted at new dealers because of factory & dealer incentives)

Do your research and consider other alternatives such as the Honda Civic hybrid or the Mini Cooper if your Prius search falls short.

Own a Prius? Tell us about your shopping and driving experiences…

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Is this the best time to buy an SUV or Pick-Up truck? If you’re in the market for a work truck, something to haul the kids around or even just something to try and flip for a quick sale - then now may be the best time. Whether its a used truck or a brand new SUV, you can’t help but notice the prices of the vehicles in this class.

Here’s the Top 10 cash-back vehicle incentives for May, as released by Cars.com:

1. 2007 Mitsubishi Raider: $4,500; 22.62 percent; June 2

2. 2008 Nissan Titan: $5,000; 20.5 percent; June 2

3. 2008 Mitsubishi Raider: $4,000; 20.01 percent; June 2

4. 2008 Chevrolet Aveos: $2,000; 19.54 percent; June 30

5. 2007 Mitsubishi Galant: $3,500; 17.59 percent; June 2

6. 2008 Chevrolet Aveo: $2,000; 16.43 percent; June 30

7. 2008 Land Rover L3: $7,500; 15.46 percent; June 30

8. 2008 Nissan Frontier: $2,500; 15.12 percent; June 30

9. 2008 Mitsubishi Galant: $3,000; 15 percent; June 2

10. 2007 Mitsubishi Endeavor: $4,000; 14.82 percent; June 2

Be sure to do your research and compare the prices between new vehicles with incentives and the used vehicles available - you may find even more savings.

Are you in the market for a truck or an SUV? If so, what’s your specific need?

And no, you’re not seeing things - that is a Ferrari SUV. We may be lucky enough to see it go into production by 2010.

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Creaks, squeaks and ketchup stains. Three things you hope you’ll never have to deal with in or on your used car.

But if you do happen upon these, WD-40 is your savior. People love their WD-40.  And its all due to the hard work and persistence of one man: Norm Larsen.

Norm’s intense perseverance would eventually become a metaphor for WD-40’s own legendary power. You see, Norm was just grinding away, as a chemist at Atlas Rockets; Trying to create a solution for a water displacement problem to protect rocket missiles.

Try and try he did. His first 39 solutions failed. 

Then it happened. He achieved Water-Displacement on the 40th try.  Little did he know those efforts would eventually become one of most recognizable household brands, with a name nobody really understood. [I wonder if it had taken him longer, would they have called it WD-173?]

The customer service department at WD-40 must be one quiet place. The only complaint in 50+ years? Losing that tiny red straw. You know you’ve lost at least a couple dozen in your life.

WD-40 fans will be happy to know that a solution is finally available. A permanent straw attached to a hinged mechanism. Here’s a sampling of ways to use WD-40 on your used car:

•  Removes decals from windows and bumper
•  Removes insects from front grill
•  Cleans motorcycle chains
•  Removes grease from clothing
•  Removes adhesive tape without damaging factory paint
•  Helps hone cylinder walls
•  Protects corrosion-sensitive areas of car
•  Prevents corrosion of spark plug cables
•  Shines motorcycle finish
•  Removes sludge from outside engine block
•  Removes asphalt from trucks
•  Cleans grime from engines
•  Cleans and protects chrome on cars
•  Helps remove brake dust from wheels
•  Restores shine on classic cars
•  Keeps hitch locks rust-free
•  Cleans road oil from rocker panels
•  Cleans and protects aluminum rims
•  Shines car tires

Need more WD-40 used car care tips? Here’s 2000 Uses For Wd-40.

Check out more great uses at the WD-40 Fan Club. Yes, there’s a fan club. And yes, I’m a member.

Take care of your used cars. And your rockets.

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Planning on packing up the family roadster and doing your best Clark Griswold impression this Memorial Day?

If so, here’s 10 ways to lighten the load on your wallet so you’ve got more to spend at Wally World.

1. Drive slower. (Duh!) It does work though. Slow down to the speed limit and you’ll notice how less you stop to fill up again. Let all lead-footers pass on the left - you’ll probably get to your final destination in the same amount of time too…
2. Pace along-side big trucks. Truckers try to keep an even pace whether it’s in traffic jams or on the open road. This saves more gas due to less shifting.
3. Slower starts. You’re not Jimmie Johnson or Kurt Busch. Lay off the pedal and pull away from the green light nice and easy.
4. Lay off the car accessories. You’re not Jay-Z, you’re Clark G. Remember? For long trips - smaller, thinner stock wheels give the best performance. The more tread you have, the less fuel economy you’ll receive.
5. Kill the A/C. Mostly at lower speeds that is; at higher speeds it’s actually more efficient. The drag from the open windows may reduce your fuel economy.
6. Keep the tire pressure up. Your tire pressure is on the tires & listed in the owner’s manual. (That’s the little book in the glove box behind all of those napkins) Get a tire gauge too & check your pressure before you start driving.
7. Get the junk out of your trunk. Stop hauling around those X-mas presents you meant to return in January. The extra weight is killing your gas mileage.
8. Replace your air filter. This is one of the biggest reasons why your fuel economy may be so poor. (Other than gas prices) Your engine needs a strong flow of air - a clean air filter accomplishes this. Simple test: Lift your filter up to the sun - no light? Get a new one.
9. Don’t drive. This is a simple one…(for the holiday weekend - have everyone over to your house.)
10. Get rid of your old car. A lot of newer models get excellent gas mileage today. Take a look at some other models - you may save even more than you thought.

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Here’s an article everyone can benefit from, thanks to CNN, about popular gas-savings myths such as buying gas on Wednesday, restarting your engine and not using your air conditioning.

One fact I took away from it - a little tip about using your cruise control:

• If your car comes equipped with cruise control, make sure you use it, especially on long trips. Edmunds.com’s study revealed that using cruise control at highway speeds offered an average fuel economy savings of 7 percent.

Get the entire story…Gas-Saving Myths