Even thinks it's "fun" which he argued when I wrote him. Prius still hip : SearchChicago Autos : Dan Jedlicka
I like this line; "It seems hard to believe that not long ago the Prius was a slow-seller because of little demand for it. " I had to wait weeks for my 2001. Enough said.
Hi All, Yea, seems like Jedlicka has not been tracking Prius demand, and just made that line up. In late 2005 demand was such, it was a 6 mo wait from the local dealer. Only through luck did I find one in January 2006, for delivery in February 2006, 400 miles away!
Greenwashing alert. The article is filled with misleading info. For example, Notice now the reporter made no mention of the 10-year 150,000-mile guarantee available to owners in CARB states. Like many others who attempt to greenwash, they go out of their way to make sure you are not able to draw a conclusion yet. They pretend that more data collection is still required, that the verdict is still out. They don't want you to know out how many owners have already proven that there is no reason to doubt anymore. .
This is all true, John, but this reviewer is SO MUCH BETTER than the alternative (Jim Mateja in the Chicago Tribune) that those of us in the Chicago area see this as a breath of fresh air. Read this a recent PriusChat thread about one of Mr. Mateja's articles.
From a facts point, not his personal opinions, Jim Meteja's article was somewhat more accurate. Jedlicka's article pointed out the the you could add package 6 to the Touring edition for an additional 4k+. If I was unfamiliar with Prius I would have understood package 6 to be only available on the Touring edition. I think where both writers miss the point is that Prius and Hybrids in general are very special automobiles..... versus hybrid owners are some fringe lunatic group. As far as both writers are concerned there is some bias and personalization about the car that is unnecessary, like seat comfort i Meteja's article. Neither of them seems remotely competent in understanding the hybrid technology and why its important that auto manufacturers focus their attention in this direction. Its always the same story, you save gas but it costs more, its really like a Corrolla but Toyota says its midsize the Camry...how about the Prius is the closest thing to a aerodynamic gem that reduces emissions to almost nothing, and educates drivers through the consumption/energy monitor to reduce bad habits like speeding, fast acceleration, quick stops, etc.. and it seats five adults comfortably and you can park it easily in the City.....geez they should be educated by some of the senior members of this group before writing about the Prius..
Perhaps it is just me, but I think Mateja's representations were factually deficient -- to a higher degree than Jedlicka's. I believe I laid this out fairly well in the thread referred to earlier. Read about his statements that the Prius starts out in electric mode and then the gas kicks in at 30mph, or that the battery is underneath the back seat (that's why it is uncomfortable!), or that a 5-minute loop at low speed vs. high speed shows you that you have to "baby" the Prius to get good mileage, or . . . More than one person has attempted to educate Mr. Mateja, but you know what they say about an old dog and new tricks.
Jedlicka's revelation comes in the last sentence,"By then, the Hollywood crowd will have moved on to another type of vehicle." He simply can't imagine anyone buying a Prius except because of his Hollywood fixation. This is also common in European articles and automotive journals. As for Mateja, facts and data seems to have little impact on his writing when the word "Prius" shows up. He writes about another time and place when gas was cheap and cars big and mechanically simple. For example, when the CNW Marketing nonsense came out, Mateja was all over that nonsense. But I don't read Mateja normally so I don't know if he screws up his other articles with the same disregard for facts and data. Neither one would attract me to their publications. In contrast, I find the Australian magazine, Autospeed, to be worth every read. Julian Edgar is one of the best applied, automotive engineers writing on the net today. Bob Wilson
Complicated drive train??? Well, I guess that shows how ignorant this guy is. While the drive train is dreadfully difficult to conceptualize, with its different modes of operation, and while the computer programming is very complex, it is mechanically the simplest drive train there is, apart from a direct-drive electric motor of the sort in my Xebra. Take a look at an automatic transmission and then try to tell me the PSD is complicated! Okay, the press has never distinguished itself as a presenter of information. We should not be surprised if they misrepresent the Prius. I think you lose your license as a journalist if you write an article without at least one completely false statement.
Guys like Jedlicka write for the whole car industry. They understand the industry is stuck with millions of dinosaurs buyers don't want (and that includes Toyota), so they have to be very diplomatic and industry-conscious about what they say. That means business as usual and no upsetting the applecart. Without compromising your integrity, of course.
I think a more fitting quote is "There are none so blind as those who will not see." I actually thrash my Prius and get good mileage, I just don't waste energy racing to red lights. Actually not a bad article when compared with most.
