Has Toyota fallen out of love with the Prius?

I don't think anyone's even got close, in their main game, namely a straight "hybrid" vehicle. There's plug-ins and pure electrics, but they bring another level of complexity, compromises, limited range.

 

While that's true, it isn't really the point. It's a question of what the consumer sees as available choices. When Toyota's hybrid system was first explained on the BBC's Tomorrow's World, there was nothing like it. When the Prius went on sale, if the consumer wanted a truly fuel efficient car, there was only the Prius. Then along came the newer generation diesels which in markets (such as Europe) where they were viable, could get close to Prius MPG. Then along came hybrids of varying types from other manufacturers that were viable, if not as fuel efficient alternatives. Then plug-in and electric variants which, for those commuting within EV range could better the Prius.

As technologies have broadened, it has squeezed the Pius into a narrowing group of potential buyers. In the UK, where new car prices are abnormally high, that band is even further narrowed.

 

Every car has compromises. The Prius has its share, although most are around the comfort and performance areas.
As for complexity, a hybrid is far more complex than a BEV. Which just shows how great a job Toyota engineers did with it.

 

I disagree, as it's been pointed out here that other Toyota hybrids are selling very well in the UK and the price of the Prius is way out of line compared to the Lexus CT200h

 

Apologies for my sloppy phrasing - I specifically meant the UK Prius rather than Toyota's UK hybrid range as a whole.

 

I think what demonstrates it is not a currency problem is that if it were, ALL Toyota prices - indeed, the price of all cars imported from Japan - would suffer the same fate. Likewise, the fact that not all Toyota prices are impacted means it is also not a simple issue of Toyota's profit margin overall.

Pricing of UK Prius models is clearly a consequence of Toyota UK's pricing 'strategy'.

 

Everytime gas prices go down, yes they do.

Seems that HSD does not equate to much fun: Even the 2015 CamHy SE getting mixed reviews due to tepid drivetrain.

Maybe the 4th gen HSD / TNGA will bring more driving fun to these things, maybe not.

 

i don't think the fun factor is a major part of the buying publics decision making process. no doubt it is for some people, but for the top 10 best selling cars, it's about cheap, reliable, functional transportation.

 

I don't believe USA sales back that up.

10 Best-Selling Vehicles of 2014...So Far - Kelley Blue Book

If you take out pickup trucks, the top selling cars this year, through August, are the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord.

While these cars aren't luxury cars, they do have more comfort and performance than the some less expensive, more efficient alternatives.

 

trust me, there's zero fun factor in a camry. and it's about as cheap, reliable and functional as they come. i won't speak for the accord or civic, as their fan boys find them all kind of fun.

 

"Fun" may not be a requirement, but the Prius goes the other way. A car shouldn't be painful to drive, and trying to get a Prius up to 60 mph on an uphill entrance ramp is painful. Yes, the car will do it, but with the pedal 3/4 of the way to the floor the engine is screaming at redline (not in a pleasant way) and the battery is charging. Flooring it produces a noticeable increase in acceleration as it draws from the battery instead of charging it, but there is no change in the engine note to go along with it. This is *very* disconcerting.

Compare that to the Taurus wagon we used to have with the ancient pushrod V-6. Slower than a Prius but the engine sounded surprisingly racy when revved. It worked hard to get up to speed but it sounded reasonably good doing it. The Taurus seemed to enjoy accelerating even if it wasn't very good at it. The Prius just says "stop hurting me".

That said, the fact that acceleration isn't fun is probably why I easily beat the EPA mileage.

 

ouch, i've never had a painful experience in my prius in ten years. but to each his own. good luck finding a powerful car that gets 50mpg!

 

Ah, you mean like this:

To me, fun also includes an element of predictability, so that the car responds to inputs as you expect. I haven't quite figured out the Prius yet. It's almost fun when the battery is full and it accelerates well with minimal engine RPM. Other times it just drones and goes nowhere.

 

or inside.