On the fence on buying a Hybrid after owning two sports cars, will I be disappointed?

you can get touring in various packages

 

Who said get a Prius and a Motorbike for thrills? Give that man (or woman) a cigar. (don't smoke, stunts your growth you know)

I just got back from a trip to Alice Springs Central Australia from Adelaide on the south coast and it was great. Mostly cruising at 116km/h in South Australia and 135km/h in Northern Territory but did get up to 172km/h and held it there for several kilometres so it will get along. Passed several tripple road trains an the 1 lane each way highway with no issues. I like the way my Prius handles but I think we get stiffer spring rates in Australia and we get Michelin MX1 tyres 195 60h-15.

 

I second/third the idea of getting the Prius as your daily driver but you might want to keep a sports car (if you can afford to do so) as a weekend/fair weather driver. But I would guess that as gas continues to creep up in price, you'll really come to appreciate the beauty of a car that gets 50 mpg rather than 20 mpg.

 

the prius is not a sport car, but has plenty of power for passing. Top speed is 107-112mph. in fact with 300ft/b of torque off the line from the electric..it is quite quick at first.

A great all around car, lots of leg room to boot. IF you want something with more muscle and sporty, that will save fuel it would be a good idea to also look at several of the euro diesel cars,like the jetta TDI for example. They get great mileage and have alot more power mostly

 

yeah wait. There are going to be changes for 09's for the better

 

I'm not sure what changes xsmatt81 is referring to but '09 is a carryover year. There might be some tweaks but will not be a new generation.

 

Rent for a weekend!

When I was trying to make a final decision I rented a Prius for the weekend. Never could realy tell anything from a test drive. My final choices were the Prius and an Altima. I rent one each for two weekends. Cost a couple of hundred but it was money well spent. Altima was a toy and I still am really happy with my Prius.

Rent Rent Rent ... answer your own questions for sure for very little money.

 

454 SS


Vortech supercharged 351w 10sec 1/4mile


717rwhp twin-turbo 5.3L


Dyno sheet from the Z71

12.5@111mph 1/4mile and 28mpg freeway


11.12@123mph 1/4mile and 18mpg avg.


After all these cars I can honestly say that the Prius is my favorite one so far. Once you change your mind about what is important in this world the love of high speed driving starts to take a back seat to responsibility. If you must entertain yourself then simply purchase a used sports car for occational weekend driving or track days.

 

Seriously, the ICE is a 2 lt, with like, um, is it 75 horse? but the electric motor kicks in some SERIOUS torque, when you punch it!!

I haven't actually laid rubber, but I've picked up and MOVED entering the freeway, enough that a coworker that carpooled with me (a total gear head with a cougar of his own) was IMPRESSED!!

I did replace the OEM tires, and installed a BT Stiffening Plate, which, I feel, greatly improved handling on the highway (tires first,... then the plate).

 

My other car, 1991 Porsche 928 GT made the cover of the local Porsche magazine this month, it the dark one with the white intereior. Picture was taken at the Pavillions car show in Scottsdale. Little do my fellow Porsche owners suspect I also drive a Prius.

I went on a day trip today to northeren Arizona, and anyone who has driven I-17 can tell you there are some serious mountains to drive over from Phoenix to Flagstaff. Set the criuse on the Prius to 78mph and away I went. Got 43mpg on the way to Flagstaff, and better on the way back home for a grand total of 49.3 mpg for the trip. Yes, slower would have been better, but I wanted to see what the Prius could do if you did not baby it.

Yes, there were some times when the engine sounded like a weasel in distress, but I was passing alot of other vehicles on the way and I think that the Prius did a wonderful job.

The Porsche would not have even noticed the mountains...at twice the speed. But then again the local police frown on 150MPH. I have owned many sport cars, and I love the Prius because it is high performance of a different kind.

 

Where did you get a Prius with a 2.0 litre engine? Mine is only 1.5 litres.
There is almost 400 foot-pounds of torque from the petrol engine and the electric motor combined from a standing start and it is available up until the electric motor hits 1200RPM. The traction control prevents wheel-spin beyond a chirp. You can shock a turbo ricer off the line and by the time they have recovered your cruising at the speed limit. I love doing this then after the ricer speeds past I wait to see the flash of a speed camera reflected off their rear number plate. More fun than adding bacon to the salad at a Bar Mitzvah.

 

LOL, "weasel in distress" is a good one - reminds me of the last time I took the Prius over the Grapevine during my last trip from So Cal to No Cal.

Only things I miss about the Prius when compared to my lightly modded WRX:

• Flat cornering (have aftermarket swaybars and springs in the WRX) and near instantaneous turn-in that goes with it.
• Turbo-charged performance (near double the horsepower is fun to have).
• Seats which have some actual side bolstering and are height adjustable.

Things I don't miss:

• Jiggly ride (because of the stiffer suspension in the WRX it sometimes gets to be too stiff on bumpy roads).
• Spending double on fuel (25mpg vs 46mpg and the WRX needs premium).

I miss the handling the most - it's nice to be able to fling the car around a corner now and then without the car flopping over and the tires wailing in despair, but as the others have mentioned, the Prius is fun to drive for other reasons.

 

ound:ound:ound:

 

Thank you Tom, thank you for noticing.

 

:embarassed::noidea::hail:
Ooops... forgive me my transgression.
Not being a gear-head, small details occasionally get fuzzy.

I'll go back and sit in my corner now....

 

Off you go then! ound:

 

Re: Does the Prius have what you need?

Your question is a good one.
My short answer to you is this, two concepts: 1) Touring is more to your taste, 2) re-define performance. For details, see below...

Many of us I suspect have wondered similar things. I am used to the way BMW feels. I've seen some people say that the Touring model P. is "germanic". I've gotta say, not in my book. It is more nimble, more responsive and certainly more stable, but germanic? Don't set yourself up for disappointment. WAIT THOUGH... please read on.

I think for many decades, people often get personal about their autos... they attribute the car's power with that of the drivers etc. and certainly relish a love affair with "high performance".

I appreciate your question because as Prius owners, we all have a tremendous opportunity here to be a part of the future and help to redefine High Performance as something more valuable to our environment.

You asked if Prius has the power to pass slow cars when you need it? Yes. However, I think you will only feel a happy YES to Prius if you redefine performance in terms of cutting edge excellence MPG, emissions, safety etc. and reasonably great in handling.

We have a second car, and it occasionally gets used (28mpg) for social activities... but what I am finding as a Prius owner, is that my daily driving is more engaging, more invigorating in a totally new way... and I am really tuned into the strategy of moving intelligently through the streets. Is it the same as a BMW or other "ultimate driving machine"? No, it is something different, something evolved.

Happy pondering, and if you buy a Prius, welcome to the evolution!
Madeleine

 

stumpy, looks like we've taken a similar path to the prius.
i used to own an 05 WRX STi (car before last). don't have a hayabusa but I used to ride a cbr600rr nearly every day to work.

A few yrs later, i'm 34 yrs old w/ a few more responsibilities and 2 young kids. I've accepted the emasculation of driving a Prius :third: