Why is the Prius the MPG King?

... because the even higher MPG Honda Insight (original) wasn't quite as practical as the Prius, so had its lunch eaten by the Prius's wider market appeal.

And since Toyota owned the patents on the more versatile propulsion system, Honda couldn't merely copy it.

 

i think your premise is flawed. many new hybrids do as well or better than toyota, and a couple do better than prius
keep in mind, the sticker epa is not what you might think it is, and it also depends on whether you're talking highway/city or combined.

toyota has over 20 years of hybrid r&d, and a unique propulsion system. but others have caught up and it's just a matter of time to prove the reliability of their systems.

also, many manufacturers realize it isn't worth trying to get into the game at this late date. the market is miniscule, and it's much easier to build a bev.

 

My theory is Toyota isn’t afraid of making a hybrid car that is slow. I respect that! I feel like other automakers want all these high mpg ratings but still want to go 0-60 in 7.5 seconds! That’s a hard feat! Toyota seems to try get the most fuel economy out of the system, not performance and economy.

Ford C-Max for example (my car) has great power but the fuel efficiency is lacking especially on the highway! It was originally rated 47,47,47. Ford thought they could have their cake and eat it too. It just didn’t work like that. It can get great fuel economy around town because it runs a lot in pure EV. But when the ICE is running it’s economy goes way down even while driving slow! Now the car is rated 38,41,40 or something like that! I’d rather it be a little slower for a trade off of more efficiency. Right now it can do 0-60 under 8 seconds.

 

FWIW my work G3 seems to have enough acceleration for my needs.

0-60 somewhere in the high nines - probably closer to the advertised 10 seconds, real world.
There's a related thread on acceleration:
Prius 0-60 Times, Post Yours! | Page 3 | PriusChat

TIFWIW...

As far as efficiency?
THAT is a much different question indeed, and there are thousands of threads, and the king of the heap for pure gassers is no longer a Prius.

However (comma!) I think it's safe to say that Priuses are a big part of the reason why it's possible to have cars that are fun to drive (irony noted!) AND thrifty at the pump.

 

I want to propose a different theory.

Mustangs are involved is many more crashes than are Prius. I do not believe a Mustang is inherently more dangerous than a Prius, but that "Mustang owners" take more risks and drive more foolishly than "Prius owners".

In a similar fashion, the Prius gets great gas mileage because people who want great gas mileage buy them. If you drive one like you stole it, it does not do as well. It will still get good numbers, but not what you can get by being sensible.

 

Ford stretched some old 'similar equipment' rules too far in borrowing the rating of a different vehicle (Fusion hybrid?). The EPA whacked their knuckles, updated the rule, and forced them to test and rate an actual C-Max.

It is power, not gearing. The Toyota HSD eCVT already has a wider 'gear range' than any normal geared or mechanical CVT transmission, and is infinitely adjustable (or close enough) through the range.

 

according to u.s. news, hunday ionic is the mpg king

 

I heard that about the Hyundai and Is it well true? Well they been around the block and got popularized, gotten funded for advanced R&D competing with todays good MPG cars.
The day view chase event went all the way back in the 90's claiming it can out run a cop car at 90 MPH in an alley. But when they test drove the car, it couldn't hit 55 on straight freeway. Either or the word was spread and definitely its "The King"

 

probably. when gas was higher and standards were stricter, it was more about finding the right tech.

now, i don't think the competition cares anymore. plus, i think there is some collusion between toyota and honda.

 

I used to hypermile. Then I realized I wasn't seeing much benefit. Now I have fun when I want to have fun, and I still get better than EPA mileage. It truly is efficient even when driven hard.

 

I remember the Volkswagen commercial with the the cop pulling over speeder on the freeway.

In reality, a friend of mine had the VW Rabbit Diesel, and it did get 50 miles to the gallon all the time. The only time it got poor mileage was when she used it to tow a small U-Haul across the country(1988). She was accustomed to driving it in the "E"conomy mode and with the trailer she had to keep downshifting, learning to drive all over again.

I don't know what year she bought her Rabbit Diesel, but it was a shame that nothing else in the economy class even came close.

 

You got a good memory. That was an '84 rabbit, They can pull and cruise. Its unreal on how it cruise at 75mph and you wont feel it. I've seen those diesel engines go up to 180k, overhaul then keeps on going.

 

When the Geo Metro died, the Prius took over.

 

Whatever happened to the guy why came that came up with revolutionary 100 MPG car. I thought that was a game changer.

 

Which guy?

 

I remember his name was ogle or toggle something like that. All the way from the 70's