Prius

[Dryce]

I did one of my weekly defections to another brand and had a Prius for the first time.

It had some good points (smooth town car). The hybrid thing is very clever and it will move off under electric power only in stop/start traffic.

Some bad points (awful rear visibility on the road and awful all round visibility for parking).

Some whacky points. Silly little gear change stick and starting sequence. Poor dash control setup.

Some really disappointing points. It feels heavy and handling sucks on the open road. That was with just me. I think it would be worse with a higher load. Boot space is poor. The brakes feel poor which is probablymore about feel than actualm performance because of the regenerative mode.

Some really really disappointing points. I managed about 45mpg in 210 miles of mixed driving (motorway, urban suburban, country road). I was gentle with it. I could get close to that that from my old Honda Civic 1.6 auto in similar conditions.

Overall I came to the conclusion that it was a bit of a con with some fancy dressing to make it feel different. If it had got 60mpg+ then great. It didn't get anywhere near that so what's the point of it?

If anybody is thinking of getting one check out the cost of the auto parking facility or parking sensors because it's not easy to park.

And it totally failed the Dryce switcharoo test because my car felt better than ever when I got back into it this evening. Which I wasn't expecting given how smooth the Prius had felt.

 

[crockers]

many reports criticise the Prius fuel claims.....somehow the testbed scenario bears no relation to real life....I would prefer a good diesel auto over it anyday.

Now a diesel hybrid.???

 

[Howard]

My mates dad owns the company that chauffeurs the Mayor of Richmond around ....

Because Richmond is fanatically green , the Mayor has dictated that he must be driven in a Prius ..

So , my mates dad has just bought one , specced up , and it cost £27 grand !!!

WTF ????

 

[crockers]

The client is always right ------------ even when they are wrong

 

[BTB 500]

Some really really disappointing points. I managed about 45mpg in 210 miles of mixed driving (motorway, urban suburban, country road). I was gentle with it. I could get close to that that from my old Honda Civic 1.6 auto in similar conditions.

We used to regularly average 50 mpg over a tankful of fuel with our Honda Jazz (1.4 petrol). Some of the newer hatchbacks are doing 60+.

The hybrid stuff is a complete con, the Lexus SUV (and their large saloon) being exempt from the congestion charge is a total joke.

 

[TonyVianoAmbiente]

many reports criticise the Prius fuel claims.....somehow the testbed scenario bears no relation to real life....I would prefer a good diesel auto over it anyday.

Now a diesel hybrid.???

The original "ugly duckling" Prius came in both diesel and petrol versions. Unsurprisingly, the diesel was much more frugal.

The current Prius isn't very green at all. The fuel economy is very disappointing and can easily be beaten by diesels that also have far better performance. There are question marks over the disposal of the batteries, which are difficult to recycle, and the whole car is very energy intensive to make.

I suppose people buy it because it makes a statement that they are green and are doiing their bit for the planet. I think it makes a statement that the buyer is green in a different way, someone who is naively jumping on an environmental bandwagon in spite of the car basically being environmentally unsound.

I think the Prius is a triumph of marketing hype over substance. Very "New" Labour or "Cameron" Conservative. I expect you can even get a wind turbine to mount on the roof rack.

 

[BTB 500]

The fuel economy is very disappointing and can easily be beaten by diesels that also have far better performance.

It's beaten by some modern petrol-engined cars too.

 

[Dryce]

I suppose people buy it because it makes a statement that they are green and are doiing their bit for the planet.

Or to beat the congestion charge in London. Which kind of lets Ken make a warped statement about the city going green.

 

[TonyVianoAmbiente]

It's beaten by some modern petrol-engined cars too.

A fair point, but I'm not sure that it is beaten by petrol cars of equivalent size. Something like a petrol bluewhatsit VW Polo or a petrol Yaris will probably beat the Prius for mpg, but they are a lot smaller.

 

[gaz_l]

I saw a Prius being ragged down the motorway, the bloke was doing over 90. I wonder what kind of mpg you get in those circumstances? Not a lot is my guess.

Cheers,

Gaz

 

[recycled]

ISome bad points .

everything.



If you want to save the planet,(which i don't unless i am sure i am destroying it), get a blue motion.

 

[Dryce]

A fair point, but I'm not sure that it is beaten by petrol cars of equivalent size. Something like a petrol bluewhatsit VW Polo or a petrol Yaris will probably beat the Prius for mpg, but they are a lot smaller.

I think my conclusion (from an admittedly brief period with one) is that there is no economic justification for buying a Prius in this country except to exempt yourself from the congestion charge.

It's expensive and complicated and not that large inside. The alleged economy is highly suspect and that a smaller cheaper petrol car or a diesel of similar size will do as well if not better.

 

[recycled]

tell that to ken deadstone

 

[Satch]

Or to beat the congestion charge in London. Which kind of lets Ken make a warped statement about the city going green.

Alongside the serried ranks of (silver) E & S Class cars you see here and there in the City of London are the odd Prius or two. Silver, of course.

We now have a "green " option for cars. Would you like an S class or a Prius to take you home/airport/lap dancing bar, Sir??


Oooh let me think..........

 

[marcos]

A Prius pulled out on me the other week and I stopped about 3foot from the drivers door with a daft muppet staring at me like a rabbit caught in your headlights. I shook my head at him and was given a load of verbal about me thinking I owned the road and destroying the planet and other rubbish I didn't bother to take in.
I jumped out and told the bloke he was obviously a blind **** as why on earth would he pull out on me and why would he buy a car that in "dust to dust " terms was worse for the enviroment than a Hummer. He looked a bit perplexed and when I told him his car also looked like something Noddy would be embarassed to drive he told me politely to F*** Off.
I felt good after that.

 

[crockers]

A Prius pulled out on me the other week and I stopped about 3foot from the drivers door with a daft muppet staring at me like a rabbit caught in your headlights. I shook my head at him and was given a load of verbal about me thinking I owned the road and destroying the planet and other rubbish I didn't bother to take in.
I jumped out and told the bloke he was obviously a blind **** as why on earth would he pull out on me and why would he buy a car that in "dust to dust " terms was worse for the enviroment than a Hummer. He looked a bit perplexed and when I told him his car also looked like something Noddy would be embarassed to drive he told me politely to F*** Off.
I felt good after that.

Why would you feel good being politely told to F*** off.............hmmmm

 

[marcos]

Why would you feel good being politely told to F*** off.............hmmmm

Because his only answer to the facts I gave him was a F*** off.
Kind of showed his pathetic mentality and it made me feel good

 

[JC180]

greens largely are tw@ts.

It's so political these days it's about what you are seemed to be doing, or green impressions etc etc. No good in stupid tokenism will ever benefit the whole.

If any benefit is needed of course. Recycled

 

[whitenemesis]

Green?

Humans contribute approx 0.5% CO2 to the enviroment each year.

oceans contribute 80%




Drain the oceans.....

 

[timskemp]

The prius is only exceptional in town, where in stop start traffic it is using the energy that is otherwise wasted in a conventional car. On the motorway it's no better than a normal car with the same mass and CdA. It's green credentials really do apply in congested traffic - it uses no fuel when stationary, and that plus the regeneration of braking energy make the big difference - where constant power is needed such as motorway driving it's just another car.

Yes a diesel Aygo is more frugal, but it's also smaller...