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New VW TDI Commercial disses PRIUS

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by djasonw, May 23, 2009.

  1. cycledrum

    cycledrum PSOCSOASP

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    Ok.
    I think that is very impressive for the Jetta. 700+ miles, 50.3 MPG average highway. Very good. It might be a more comfortable car for the open road ... I'd have to try one to be sure. hehe. I drove a Jetta from '91 to '99. After getting through a nasty ECU problem, it ran fine for 5 more years.

    That Gen2 Prius has it charms but major flaws in the front seating for very tall drivers. Overall a nice car though.

    'Course, Auburn will now need to redo that test against the 2010 Prius.
     
  2. cycledrum

    cycledrum PSOCSOASP

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    Reality check.

    Tell 'em to stop just quoting highway fuel economy. Remind them to only quote average fuel economy which is what counts in the real world.
     
  3. cycledrum

    cycledrum PSOCSOASP

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    Good catch F8L. Poster above, you just confessed you've never driven a Prius or you had a brain lapse.

    My 09 Pri is no tiger on the backroads, and I have to pull over for fast locals on a long stretch of twisty road. I'd take the TDI in that situation any day.

    That said, I'd have to try the 2010 Prius V on twisty roads. Car and Driver thinks it could qual as a 'sport' model.
     
  4. cycledrum

    cycledrum PSOCSOASP

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    Then how come the TDI hasn't started to outsell the Prius?

    checking gas receipts of actual, average MPG's (lots of city and highway), 2009 Prius (real numbers off fueling receipts) ...

    49.56 , 47.71, 48.85, 46.54, 54.21, 52.11, 47.53, 42.76, 49.86, 58.53, 55.3, 49.51, 59.59 ...

    note - 50+ is warmer weather, under 50 is Winter.

    Only way I'd know if TDI is bette overall would be to try one for a week I suppose.

    Let's see your average fuel economy.

    little off topic but, have this for the twisties. Me and the crew could show you and your TDI some good backroads. :focus:

    IM002305.jpg
     
  5. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    good for you. We also know plenty of Prius cabs with that kind of mileage took. They've only replaced their brake pads once. How many times have your friend's TDI's brake pads been replaced? What about the coolant? timing belt? anything else gone wrong? ;)
     
  6. cycledrum

    cycledrum PSOCSOASP

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    OP's video is old hat, yesterday's news.

    There's a new Prius in town. Talk about the 2010, let the '09 go.
     
  7. hampdenwireless

    hampdenwireless Active Member

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    They are afraid too. Its faster, gets better mpg and may even cost less to buy once the initial rush is over.
     
  8. nownow

    nownow Junior Member

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    2003, 200k, brakes at 130k (fronts actually were okay), timing belt twice, coolant goes with T/B and water pump. Nothing else. Oh, except the damn deer I hit at 75mph totalling the car when I had 90k until my next service.

    $20,200 new. $8,100 settlement for 6 yrs / 196k. I can't be unhappy with that. Overall cost including paying the car off (and being paid off), all of the mods, all of the maintenance, everything, was somewhere around 17 cents per mile. I can't complain about that.

    I fully expected to hate the Prius when my wife picked it up. I don't. There are actually things I like quite a bit about it. I wish I lived in the midwest to get 50+ MPG at 70+ MPH, but that's not reality in the northeast with hills, etc. We've averaged ~45 over 14k. I'm not complaining, but I'm just saying...we're not getting 50s. I also just wish I could get comfortable in the car for more than an hour drive.

    I've stated why I went with the 09 SportWagen over another Prius. Do you really need to go package IV on the 2010 to get a sunroof, or is the website just wrong? To me, requiring leather and Nav to get the roof is just asinine. I can't, no matter how hard I try, justify 30k + for a Prius. Sorry. I'm not going to bash it though, because at the lower trim levels, it's not a bad value in the slightest. (yes, I realize we have a Pk-6...unique circumstances)

    IDK...I've been reading both of these threads on this commercial (here and TDIclub) for waay too long now. I'm just exhausted. I've had one of each in the garage since October, and it'll stay that way for a very long time now.

    Both communities are pretty passionate about their particular cars. That's a GREAT thing. I'm more than happy with both of my choices, and I'll continue to read both boards. Continue on your way, though...please...enough with this dead horse.
     
  9. usbseawolf2000

    usbseawolf2000 HSD PhD

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    You've got to be kidding me! Green washing a Diesel on PriusChat is not going to work! We know what is green and what is not.

    Green car performance is not measured by 1/4 mile run, slalom speed, nor ability to burn rubber. Those are actually wasteful and are bad for the environment. Highway MPG is only 40% of overall miles as EPA weights 60% City and 40% Highway for the combined MPG.

    It takes more energy to produce Prius compared to a comparable non-hybrid gasoline car. However, Prius is more efficient while driving and it makes up the difference and then surpass it by the 3rd oil change (15k miles). See the graph of when the Prius effect starts.

    For the Jetta TDI, when does the Prius Effect start? Did VW ever produce a study comparing gasoline Jetta vs. Jetta TDI? If not, why?
     
  10. usbseawolf2000

    usbseawolf2000 HSD PhD

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    Well, show us some pictures of the car and the ODO then. It is not that we don't believe you. Extraordinary claim requires extraordinary proof. You are the one claiming here and we are asking you for the proof.
     
  11. Blauer Glimmer

    Blauer Glimmer Active Member

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    I think you can get the solar roof on the package III. No leather, but it only comes with the Nav.
     
  12. usbseawolf2000

    usbseawolf2000 HSD PhD

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    I test drove one and found the disruption in power delivery quite annoying. I wouldn't call 230 lbs-ft torque as "monster". It is only available around 3,000 RPM but it redlines at 4,500 RPM, followed by disruption in power (gear shifting) and ends up at low torque RPM. It was not fun!

    Highway MPG was lower than my Prius. I did test the acceleration but I coasted (--- MPG) and did not hit the brakes. This was done to eliminate the Prius' regen-braking advantage.

    I noticed low rumbling of the Diesel engine at 55 MPH. It sounded as if I was driving on the concrete at low gear.
     
  13. Dreamer

    Dreamer New Member

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    I have an 85 Jetta TD with over 750+k miles on the clock . I replaced the drive train @ 724k miles . There are plenty of examples of TDIs hitting the 300+k mile mark and still happily motoring along . There are also more than a few 200-500k mile Eco-diesels still running around returning low to mid 40s mpgUS .

    And on diesels being clean or not , with sales only hitting <3 % of total US auto sales who gives a crap >>>>>>>>>>>..

    If you really care about emissions why not concentrate on removing the real polluters , Loophole SUVs & over sized pickups that make up ~65-75 % of what is on the road today !!!!!!!!!!
     
  14. usbseawolf2000

    usbseawolf2000 HSD PhD

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    Golf (compact size) is a smaller car than the Prius (mid-size). Prius gets Good for both frontal and side impact crash test from IIHS. Jetta (still smaller than the Prius) got the same overall score.

    Prius Frontal Score: IIHS-HLDI: Toyota Prius
    Jetta Frontal Score: IIHS-HLDI: Volkswagen Jetta

    Prius Side Impact: IIHS-HLDI: Toyota Prius
    Jetta Front Impact: IIHS-HLDI: Volkswagen Jetta
     
  15. usbseawolf2000

    usbseawolf2000 HSD PhD

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    Standardize government test shows 2010 Prius @48 highway MPG and Jetta TDI @40 MPG. At ideal TDI condition, Diesel is short of 8 MPG.

    For your information, my Prius with 17" wheels handles better than Jetta with stock 16" wheels.
     
  16. liverbomb88

    liverbomb88 Push the Button!

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    I'm still waiting for the diesel hybrid. Makes a lot of sense to me.
     
  17. usbseawolf2000

    usbseawolf2000 HSD PhD

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    The sound of a real car is defined by the future, not the past. The future of the automobile is electrification.

    People who live off their past will just die off but the future generations will live on! Here is a bad news for you. The clock only ticks one direction.... forward.
     
  18. usbseawolf2000

    usbseawolf2000 HSD PhD

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    There is nothing to cover up for the Prius. It beats the EPA 46 MPG by 2 more MPG.

    How did the Jetta get 10 more MPG than the EPA rating of 40 MPG? Is there a cover up? Why was it going slower than the Prius? Jetta was behind the Prius as it pass by showing Prius filling up more gas.

    Jetta TDI holds 14 gallons of Diesel while Prius holds 11.9 gallons of 87 Octane gas. Diesel also has about 15% more energy. It wasn't a fair test to begin with.

    One thing is for sure, Prius used less energy than the Jetta because it is more aerodynamic (0.26 vs. 0.31 Cd). Jetta wasted 19% more energy pushing the air on the highway!
     
  19. usbseawolf2000

    usbseawolf2000 HSD PhD

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    Busted! You don't own a Prius nor do you understand how Prius works. I doubt you've ever driven a Prius.

    Prius never shift a gear, not even in reverse as the electric motor just spin backward. It is always in top gear and always in low gear because it is in the right "gear".

    Prius shifts power sources instead. Electricity for "low gear" and gasoline for "high gear". The balance is computer controlled by a simple Power Split Device.

    I suggest you go out and drive a Prius, preferably a 2010 model with 17" wheels.

    BTW, electric motor has more torque than the Diesel engine.
     
  20. usbseawolf2000

    usbseawolf2000 HSD PhD

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    Unbelievable! You are telling the Prius owners what MPG we should be getting. Have you ever driven Prius before? Show us the data showing TDI is "way better overall" in MPG. Extraordinary claim requires extraordinary proof!