Comments: 1-15, 16
One computer hiccup, has not surfaced again. The dealerships I have been working with have really attempted to make this a positive driving experience.
The Hybrid Gas/Electric is just what I was looking for. The car has all the comfort and styling that I needed, all the performance that I wanted, and best of all, it has averaged 47.5 mpg for the whole time I have owned the vehicle.
Technologically, this car is the leader, similar to the Honda Civic electric and the Insight. The car is a 4 door, about the size of a Corolla, and will pass anything on the road while still getting 4 to 5 times the mileage than others get. Do not underestimate this car and design, it is the car of the future. I have made 3 long trips (over 2000 miles) and have been pleasantly surprised with the operation of the gas/electric combination.
I own a Geo Metro and I removed the catalytic converter and now getting about 70 miles per gallon.
Your Geo is also spewing out tons of emissions whenever you drive it, especially with the converter removed!
This is a review of a car that saves the environment and you post about how you remove your cat converter to save money yet dirty the environment. What a shame.
It is also a FEDERAL CRIME to tamper with the emissions system of any vehicle. Plus the catalytic converter does not reduce mileage unless it is plugged due to a misfiring engine and a lack of proper maintenance.
New battery pack - $7,500?
If this vehicle, the Prius, is returning 47 mpg, is a gas/electric hybrid, supposedly more fuel efficient, then why do I get similar consumption with a 1994 1.4 litre Ford Escort? With a catalytic converter?
Also, what is everyone else driving that only gets 10 mpg?!
I am shocked. Such inefficient vehicles should not be allowed to be economic to run. They should be priced off the road, so that only the rich and stupid will use them.
The catalytic converter converts the harmful emissions of an IC engine (NOx, CO, and Hydrocarbons) to CO2 and N2. However, these harmful emissions are only a fraction of the CO2, N2, and water vapor that the IC engine produces anyway.
All hybrids still produce these same emissions - just not as much of them. However, the only place you would truly see the benefit of it would be in large city, rush hour, stop and go traffic.
No matter what, the hybrid is still burning x-amount of fuel. The amount of pollution produced depends on how far and how often you drive.
If a small car (said Geo Metro WITH the converter) gets 50 mpg and the brand new hybrid gets 50 mpg and the Metro driver shuts off his engine at stop lights and stopped traffic, both drivers are going to fill up at the same time AND produce the same amount of emissions.
First off, while it is a Federal crime for a dealership or a mechanic to remove a catalytic converter, I don't believe that this law applies to individuals working on a vehicle they own. It IS very environmentally irresponsible, though.
Second, may I suggest that you test drive a Geo Metro and a Ford Escort, then test drive a Prius. There is no comparison, the Prius is a superior automobile to either of the others mentioned in many ways. Handling, comfort, safety, these are all clearly superior in the Prius. I have enjoyed my 2004 Prius since the day I purchased it, and I anticipate many more years of enjoyment to come.
<<First off, while it is a Federal crime for a dealership or a mechanic to remove a catalytic converter, I don't believe that this law applies to individuals working on a vehicle they own. It IS very environmentally irresponsible, though.>>
In California cars are smog tested every two years and there are severe penalities for tampering with the catalytic converter. Also, some states are considering implementing "smog traps" where a cop can detect whether your car is polluting or not.
'Handling, comfort, safety, these are all clearly superior in the Prius.'
'Handling'...You are joking, the Prius must be one of the worst handling cars available at present. The understeer is unbelievable.
<<'Handling, comfort, safety, these are all clearly superior in the Prius.'
'Handling'...You are joking, the Prius must be one of the worst handling cars available at present. The understeer is unbelievable.>.
Absolutely not true. Took a friend's Prius up a variety of winding hills around here and it did fine. It's no Porsche, but it is competent and certainly in league with mass stream sedans like the camry, accord, etc. - cars that its owners would probably buy if the Prius did not exist.
It's just not that the handling is exciting, unlike the amazing Honda Fit I took on the same hills.
I think the biggest problem is that Hersey is making a new chocolate flavored candy while Fanta is bringing down number of flavors from 68 to 65.
How would you like to pay $ 2,020.00 to replace catalytic converter on the Prius? Yes, I did have that Toyota "feeling", but 5,000.00 miles over the warranty expiration of 8 years/ 80,000 miles, whichever is first; I am still in shock! Do the research... turns out there is no discount after market cats, and on the prius the cat is complex and is made with various components.
Toyota replaced my dad's engine in his truck back in '89 for free, but apparently they don't care about there customers anymore. Devin at Toyota's Customer Experience Dept. at corporate office advised me this morning there is nothing they can do even it means losing a customer and having told 10 of my co-workers at work. I'm going back to American made or Korean. A lot of Prius Owners are starting to hit 80,000 miles and you will see and hear them say Toyota sucks!!!
<<How would you like to pay $ 2,020.00 to replace catalytic converter on the Prius? Yes, I did have that Toyota "feeling", but 5,000.00 miles over the warranty expiration of 8 years/ 80,000 miles, whichever is first; I am still in shock! Do the research... turns out there is no discount after market cats, and on the prius the cat is complex and is made with various components.
Toyota replaced my dad's engine in his truck back in '89 for free, but apparently they don't care about there customers anymore. Devin at Toyota's Customer Experience Dept. at corporate office advised me this morning there is nothing they can do even it means losing a customer and having told 10 of my co-workers at work. I'm going back to American made or Korean. A lot of Prius Owners are starting to hit 80,000 miles and you will see and hear them say Toyota sucks!!!>.
There have been a number of New York Prius taxis that have reached 100K, 150K without this issue.
Yours is not indicative of all Prius cars.
The Prius is no doubt an automotive wonder with all that computer control, two engines, and battery/gas technology.
I have considered buying one...
But, my 1993 Ford Tempo delivers 30 mpg and costs next to nothing for repairs, which it seldom needs. For a savings of 20-40% in fuel per year, I would have the initial outlay of $30,000 and then the nagging fear of repair costs over the next decade, which (for those Prius owners who have been unlucky) seems to have driven some to walk away from their cars.
I refer to traction batteries, electronic controls, throttle controls, and transmission/electronic couplers that do cost thousands to repair, from anecdotal owner comments on the internet.
An econobox wins in the latter scenarios due to the combination of reasonable fuel costs, durability, and cheap repairs.
Still, I admire the Prius as a real-world example of brave new technology that actually works. The owners are pioneers for a new direction in automobiles, and their risks will benefit us all in the near term as we search for "greener" autombiles.