usb put it really elegantly -- seeing the road beyond where you can actually see the road, in 3-D analyzing the turns and terrain and planning ahead. *All* drivers should be doing that, whatever they're piloting. It's fun in a Prius because you're calculating the exact energy envelope required to traverse the space. It's fun in a performance car because you're analyzing how to do it fast without flying off the road. Both have their appeal, and their cost. . _H*
Thats very well put. I find my Prius just as fun to drive as my WRX. I've just never been able to explain why exactly. I think you've hit the nail on the head. rob
I had some stereo work done recently on my Prius and needed a car for the day so I used my zipcar membership and had a BMW 328 for the day. I averaged HALF of what I usually get with Prius (24-26 overall). I enjoyed the Bimmer but was happy to get back into my Prius the next day.
NovaBimmer's last post was a week ago. Other posters picked up on the fact that the OP was from Northern Virginia, NoVA, what I saw in his handle was "No va," "no go" in Spanish -- Chevy's classic PR blunder. Why would an ardent BMW fan use "NoGoBimmer" as a handle? Weird.
i must say ... this presumed-by-many-to-be-a-"troll" hasn't riled me NEARLY as much as other "trolls" wand'ring about here-n-there. i'm already confused ... since WHEN is 40mpg "no better gas mileage than" 35mpg ??? seems to me that that's approximately 15% better .... i'm still confused ... since WHEN is driving well over the posted speed limit for extended periods of time EVER going to maximize fuel efficiency for a car that is rather specifically designed to maximize fuel efficiency ??? and, while i "deleted" portions of the quotes above, i'd like to add here that we've had our Prius just more than a month, and i've NEVER had trouble passing anybody / anything that i CHOSE to pass. do i "choose" to pass vehicles that are already driving well above the posted speed limit? no. but i have passed several vehicles -- especially 18-wheelers -- while going up-hill AND have managed to be a bit above 80mph by the time i get in front / ease back into the right lane / slow back down to my customary 5-7 mph BELOW the posted speed limit. so far, my estimated highway-mpg in the Prius is between 50-55mpg .... there, now ... see what a bit of slowing down - granted ... PLUS the change in transmission - might do for mpg??? oops ... driving well above the posted speed limit again ... while having "complained" about getting "only" 40mpg ........ i for one don't plan on our Prius "paying for itself" ... never have / never will. still ... it DOES save us money at the pump each-and-every time and, much more importantly as far as i'm concerned, it a) consumes much less gas ... MOST of which comes from countries that love our money almost as much as they despise us ... and b) pumps significantly lesser quantities of pollutants into the air than does our other vehicle ... on a mile-for-mile / trip-for-trip / tank-for-tank basis. whenever i make "gas savings" / "money savings" statements, they are based upon my BEST estimate for the BEST mileage our '97 Stratus -- which we have retained as a second vehicle -- would have gotten under similar driving conditions. in just over a month and for the first 950 miles driven in our Prius, we've "saved" nearly $42 ... and we've "burned" 11.2 fewer gallons of gas than if we'd driven the Stratus those same 950 miles .... ok ... i'm done ... anyone-n-everyone here who habitually "speeds" and wishes to do so may now jump up my tailpipe ....
