5 years ago, the verdict of the very first review of Prius by Car & Driver magazine was: "A fascinating, and costly, way to save cheap gas." It was only $0.99 per gallon back then. Yesterday, in the Midwest where gas is usually less expensive than everywhere else, I saw two different stations selling it at $2.08 per gallon. Obviously, the situation has changed. Hopefully, attitudes will change too. That review also glossed over the environmental aspect, not giving any real credit to the significantly reduced smog-related emissions. Instead, they just stated it wasn't a zero emission vehicle. In retrospect, I find the review wasn't all that bad. The nonsense that followed about "stop-gap" references have ended. (At one point, media interest in hybrids was completely dropped, believing the other automaker's claims that fuel-cell vehicles would dominate in just a few years making hybrids a total waste of time & resources.) Motortrend's spot in history will be noted as a big one. They declared the 2004 Prius as their car of the year, back before the gas price nightmare began, when hybrids were still just considered a novelty. Now people actually are starting to consider the long-term affect of their decisions. Our future is starting to brighten. Yeah!
:wave: Ya know, I remember that quote by C&D's Editor-in-Chief C.C. :!: And what do ya know that just yesterday on one of the major news channels he was in an interview about hybrids (Ford is doing major press for the Escape Hybrid due for August release.) In short he used the Civic as the bases for the amount of what a Hybrid costs over a non-hybrid ($3 to $4 thousand). Then he came out and said that the cost savings in fuel is only a couple hundred dollars a year (I don't know what this guy is doing but he is a few Gallons short of a full tank.). :computer: :wave:
Looks to me like what he was really after was a good line. You gotta admit that from a literary/journalistic perspective (i.e., leaving facts aside) it's a great line.
and Motor Trend voted the 2004 Prius Car of the Year; an honor indeed. http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/altern...112_031120_coy/
