Here's some correspondence for you: I wrote to the Car Guy about an article he wrote reviewing, and I thought, panning the Prius: Greetings, Bob: Didn't mean to dog the Prius, or suggest that mileage and conservation aren't important; I tend to prefer smaller, higher-mileage cars myself. And you're right, the emissions part of the equation is where the Prius excels, and certainly more Americans are seeing that as an important feature. The numbers we reported were from hundreds of miles of actual testing in each model, including for the Escape Hybrid (we test vehicles before they go on sale). They were also based on actual consumption, not the cars' mileage computers, which are notoriously inaccurate. I'd add that Toyota itself has tested the Prius at about 42-43 mpg in combined real-world driving, though that's not a number they're hot on publicizing. I have managed to get various Priuses to 40-plus mpg, but steady state driving at 65-70 mph, or city runs where you're not getting a lot of stop/start cycle, do tend to drive down the average. My one knock on hybrids vis a vis the EPA test is that I can and do match or sometimes exceed EPA ratings on gas-only models, but I've never come close to EPA on hybrids; the EPA itself has acknowledged that its decades-old fuel economy test is especially inaccurate when it comes to hybrid models, and they're trying to develop a better real-world test. There's no doubt the Prius is a huge success for Toyota, its owners are a hugely loyal and satisfied bunch. I'm very excited to test their next round of hybrids, those being the Lexus RX400h (hybrid version of the RX300 SUV) and Toyota Highlander. But we're big on value at MONEY, and it was really only the price premium versus cars like the Corolla or Mazda3 that kept it off the list. Again, for people willing to pay a premium for the mileage and emissions, it's about the best thing out there. Thanks for reading, and writing -- much appreciated. > ---------- > From: Bob Allen > Sent: Wednesday, July 14, 2004 9:26 PM > To: Car_Guy - Money <[email protected]> > Subject: Prius > > I read your article about gas saving cars, and noted especially your > comments about the Prius. I've owned a Prius for six months and have never > recorded mileage as LOW as 39 mpg. I consistently get mileage in the high > 40's low 50's depending on the length of my trip. On a 2,000 mile trip to > California, I averaged 53 mpg at freeway speeds. Prius owners around the > country are consistently getting these numbers which are, admittedly lower > than the EPA numbers, but much higher than you suggest. And, the EPA > numbers for ALL cars are skewed in the same way; why punish the Prius and > accept the EPA numbers for all other cars in your survey? > You threw in a comment about "wearing green credentials on your sleeve", > as if being concerned about the environment and the cost of operating > automobiles was somehow suspect, or beneath your serious consideration. The > Prius is about conservation and emissions, not just gas mileage. > Where did you get 39 mpg and why do you so readily discount the Prius > EPA numbers but accept without question the 33 mpg posted for the Escape > hybrid which isn't even on the roads yet? > You would serve your readers better by doing some research before > writing. > Sincerely, > Bob Allen > > _________________________________________________________________ > MSN Life Events gives you t
I don't see how he can say the car's computer is so off when the gas tank makes it nearly impossible to tell how much fuel you've actually consumed.
This was his response to me, including my letter at the end: Greetings, Gurmail: Sorry I didn't give examples for the Prius, we were extremely tight for space...briefly, I would say the high price, sluggish acceleration and numb electric-assisted steering, along with poor resistance to crosswinds and the need for course corrections at highway speeds to be the major criticisms. I'd add that I'm not 'against' the Prius -- I find it a very comfortable and well-engineered machine, like most other Toyotas. And owners love their Priuses, which speaks well to the car. People determined to buy a hybrid will find it a solid choice. But we're very big on value at MONEY, and it's hard to strongly recommend the car -- outside the realm of committed environmental buyers -- when you can get other top small cars for thousands less (Civic, Corolla, Mazda3) and even top midsizes (Accord, Camry, Nissan Altima, Mazda6) for the same price. Thanks for reading, and writing -- much appreciated. > ---------- > From: Gurmail Gill > Sent: Friday, July 16, 2004 5:51 PM > To: Car_Guy - Money <[email protected]> > Subject: Prius Bashing > > Sir, > Your article crticizing the Prius is extremly biased and poor jounalism. You vaguely and deceptively invoke "compromises" in the Prius without giving a single example.You ae full of praise for vehicles planned for the future which claim to improve the mileage by a couple of miles per gallon, saing this is great for fleet owners, while you decide to overlook the savings Prius would generate if used in different kinds of fleets such as taxis, city vehicles, campus police etc. why are you so against the Prius?
He's right, of course. A Prius does not have the lowest total direct costs to the owner. Arguably it does have the lowest total costs to the owner and society, but if he starts talking about the costs of local pollution, global warming, and defending foreign petroleum sources many of their readers will start snickering. But hell, they should start educating those poor dumb bastards before their folly ruins us.
