2006 Toyota Prius from North America - Comments

Thank you to the above poster regarding why people buy Priuses.

It continues to boggle my mind why people are soooo anti-hybrid when they offer a world of advantages over any car/SUV available in America as far as environmental impact.

They pollute less, get great gas mileage, are big inside, but small outside, and endless other features.

If you're cross shopping Corollas, Neons/Calibers, Scions or whatever with a Prius you are not a Prius customer. Period. There is simply no economic argument to be made. You buy it because you actually care about things like clean air, stopping terrorism, and the rest.

But, then again, I don't see all you anti-hybrid people ragging on SUVs and asking why people are wasting MORE gas, MORE lives (they are horribly unsafe), and so on versus regular cars.

So what you are claiming is that if you drive a Cobalt, Corolla, Neon or a Scion, as opposed to a Toyota Prius, you don't care about clean air, reducing terrorism and "the rest"??? That seems like awfully faulty logic to me, the point we have been trying to make is that you can buy an economy car for thousands less, no complicated parts that will be thousands of dollars to replace and hard to recycle. And whether you accept it or continually deny it, they DO get mileage close enough to not justify the difference in price. How SUVs got into this, I don't know, but I will address it. I think some SUV's are less efficient then smaller cars, but regardless of that fact, it is NOBODY'S place to tell someone whether or not they can have one, in America you have rights, unlike places where the governments seem to think it is their place to heavily tax people for buying a car the government deems "inefficient". I hope the push to start running SUV's off Ethanol continues to move forward, along with more hybrid SUV's.

Diesels will unfortunately always smell like diesel, even without the sulfur and there will be no emulation of gasoline exhaust "aroma". But with a particle filter, they are nearly as clean as the Prius and certainly cleaner than most gas vehicles, due to the lower consumption. So there is a step in the right direction at least (unfortunately the nozzle at the pump will still be smelly and spilled full with diesel, making your hands smell lovely).

While the emissions are sure an incentive to buy a Prius, as correctly stated, the entire energy that the Prius uses is made from gasoline and as stated in another comment, the price of the car is hardly recoverable unless you are an avid city-driver.

Regarding the SUV's I think the discussion is now going towards a partisan discussion, which does not benefit anyone. Seeing the current gas prices it should be evident, that the time where it didn't matter how much gas you pumped through, are definitely over. While it is everyone's freedom to drive whatever they want I would like to advise the partisans of "freedom to drive what they want" of a few facts:

1) There is a limited amount of oil left and the number of consumers of oil/gas/diesel is rapidly increasing. Therefore gas prices will only go one way and that is up, for all of us.

2) While ethanol is a "green fuel", the soil can only grow a limited amount of raw materials. Growing any plant requires nutrients which are pulled from the soil in the process. As a result soils are depleted. Then comes the choice how to keep supply up. Either pump tons of chemicals in soils, which also first have to be produced or then grow plants for fuel rather than for food.

3) Even though some people still claim that global warming is nothing, but a lie or that it is too expensive to do something about it, it is a fact that the climate is getting warmer. Once it is warm enough, it doesn't matter anymore whether you drive a Prius or SUV.

4) Hurricane season is around the corner. I wonder how many refineries will be destroyed this year, leading of course to a...right, higher gas price.

5) The "Big Three" are all crying that they are losing market shares. Welcome to the mechanisms of the market. If you produce cars that the public does not want, then don't be surprised that you lose customers. Latest example Dodge Caliber: Available in North America with gas engines and for Europe only with a Volkswagen Diesel engine. Furthermore the vehicles churned out here do not reach any acceptable quality standard. I have a 4 year old Oldsmobile with about 50,000 mls and I look to get rid of it asap, before the big bills get worse. So far I was treated to new front suspension bushings, I still would need ball joints, brake rotors, calipers, a warning flasher switch, a way to get the spider webs out of the front lights and I haven't yet looked at the rust at all.

6) Even the US government is taxing SUV's. Not openly, but indirectly, if you compare gas prices around the world you will notice that you pump a lot of money into uncle Sam's pocket with each gallon you pump in your car.

1) The US government does not tax SUVs unless you consider consumption tax to be that tax, but it applies to all vehicles. The FACT is SUVs are SUBSIDIZED by the taxpayer since they pay no gas guzzler tax, get tax breaks if used for business, and the corporations who build them get huge tax breaks to make them.

2) Ethanol is not the end all, be all solution, but there is ample farmland to produce the crops. Trouble is, the main contributors are oil and chemical companies so they have a big incentive to make ethanol as "non green" as possible.

3) Diesel is still very expensive in America, not a 1/3 less as in Europe vs. gasoline there. The Caliber is yet another mediocre American small car (just read all the auto reviews of it) which will ultimately turn on its owners as it breaks down.

Wow!!

After reading about ten of these comments, I think I'll ditch my plans (for now) on buying a hybrid. I'll stick to my large, cheap to maintain, 23mpg, dependable 03 Impala.

Maybe I'll look back into it in a couple years, maybe...

Wow guys. Did you not know the Prius is for city driving? High compression diesels will do best on the highway. However, as many people have mentioned, American diesels are very dirty and substandard, not to mention loud compared to the prius.

I know a lot of people have insisted they know of cars than can "easily" get 41+ mpg with 4 passengers... frankly I find this hard to believe. Especially when the example on offer is a Neon?? I mean I'm sure its technically possible with the right car, the right passengers, the right highway, the right driving style; but as a general rule I think 40+ mpg with 4 passengers is just about the upper limit of mileage in the US.

The point is the original poster acted like 41 mpg on the highway with 4 passengers is a bad showing for the Prius, and this is just not true. The Prius specializes in city driving, which is where the majority of miles accrue. 41 mpg with 4 passengers is more mileage than I would have expected out of it. The Prius is also a mid-size car, not a compact or subcompact like a Geo Metro. The new Neon, for example, has a few cubic feet less space in it than the Prius, yet gets 35 mpg on the highway tops.

The original poster's experience with the window shattering is so obviously a fluke that I don't see how it can reflect badly on the Prius. More substantial negatives to the Prius are things like it's lightweight, low durability feel, the odd steering, the (probably) costly to repair powertrain, lack of towing ability, problems installing customization/stereo equipment etc.

The reason you buy a Prius isn't to save money in the long run, you could do that better by just buying old Corolla's or, god forbid, a geo metro. The reasons are: High-tech look, high-tech features (regen braking, cool display), near-zero emissions, environmental/progressive statement, built-in-Japan pride-of-Toyota build perfection (this is a very important car for them), hatchback utility, and, very important to me, a super-quiet ride. And of course, if one did enough city driving, and gas creeps high enough, the car might actually pay for itself.

"However, as many people have mentioned, American diesels are very dirty and substandard, not to mention loud compared to the prius."

You're thinking 1970's. Cars like the VW TDI and Mercedes E320 CDI prove you dead wrong.

Finally someone who gets it.

Yes, if you have four people aboard your Neon and are heading downhill and aren't hitting the gas you could maybe achieve 41 mpg, but that's about it.

The point is the Prius, obviously, gets that mileage on a consistent basis. And it doesn't pollute as much as even modern diesels, although theoretically that is changing with Mercedes's BluTech technology and similar.

Didn't read all of the comments, but of course had to throw my bits in.

First, Diesel cars have to burn as clean, if not cleaner than gas cars. Emission standards are standards, not guidelines. They have to be followed, and diesels are no exception. I've driven a few TDI's before, and personally like the low end torque a lot more. Not to mention 46 MPG from the Jetta and 30 from the Passat. And another thing. Why the crap is diesel more expensive than gas? It's lower on the refining chain!! Stupid oil companies.

Second, the Prius I got to drive was interesting. 03 with 44K miles. On the highway at 65 MPH, I'd get about 44 MPG. Not too bad, not great either. BUT, at 90 MPH (took a while to get there) it read 81 MPG. I never stayed at that speed long enough to test it out, but that's what the fuel computer said. I hope I don't encourage anyone to test a Prius at 90. I made it to 117 (with a tailwind), but the computer said 31 MPG. I think I was at 5000 rpms also, but I don't know because it doesn't have a tach.

Third, there are a few cars with EPA ratings that get into the 50 MPG range that nobody hears about mysteriously. Check out fueleconomy.gov, and look under Honda Civic HX 1992, or Honda CRX HF 1986. It's true, I had an HX and it did get 50 MPG. Where are these cars now, and why do Civic's get such "bad" mileage now? Gas mileage is a screwy subject.

Hi.

The Prius is a car made for urban traffic and not at all a highway cruiser, this is why it has an econo unfriendly automatic gearbox and the electric motor comes in very handy in when accelerating from a standstill. It`s a car for the gadget freak and there are many more economical cars out there, not to mention more enviromentally friendly because of the big batteries in the Prius that need to be taken care of when they are due.

If you`re looking for a cheap way of transport, buy an economical car with a gasoline engine and have it converted to LPG, this is what most folks here in Europe are doing because LPG gas cost half as much as gasoline.

Or you could buy a car with a diesel engine and then use biodiesel, but I heard in the states it costs more than regular diesel, in my country it is about 30% cheaper than diesel.

And about the argument on 41mpg with a car. 41 mpg is about 5.7 litres per 100 kilometres and with highway driving at 80mph you can easily achieve this kind of economy with any modern turbo diesel with a smaller engine. Just to name a few popular ones: Audi A3, A4, A6 and Volkswagen Golf, Passat (all 1.9TDI) ;

BMW 318d, 320d, 520d;

Renault Megane, Laguna (both 1.9Dci) ;

and many many more.

I could count in the gasoline cars with 1.2 litres or less engine capacity, but I don`t think you American would agree that they are actually cars:)

It seems that most of the people posting about the prius don't have a prius, other than the original poster. I have had a 2004 since June 2004. I have 46K miles on it. I have saved every gas receipt since I bought the car.

I drive a 75 mile round trip commute per day. The elevation change from my house to my work is 1000 feet. My commute is 95% highway, at speeds of 65 -75 mph, and the rest at 30-40 mph city driving.

In the winter (upstate NY), I have gotten a low (for 2 tanks) of 39mpg. In the summer, I have gotten a high of 56mpg (on a full tank). I don't know why the driver was getting such a poor mpg - was he going 80 mph? Speed kills any mpg in any car.

Maintenance? Every 5000 miles, I get an oil change and tire rotation. That's it. The hybrid battery is warrantied for 8yrs/100K miles in most states and 10yrs/150k miles in the low sulfur gasoline states, such as CA, NY and maybe 6 or 8 other states.

Tires? The originals, while low rolling resistance (LRR), were not very good. I replaced them before last winter because they had no traction on steep, unplowed hills. I put Nokian WR tires on the car and have had no other traction problems. This particular tire is not called out as LRR like some other Nokian models, but I have seen no decrease in mpg with them and they are much more durable than the OEM tires (which were also prone to flats).

Finally, I don't compare my MID-SIZED prius to economy cars. I am tall, long-legged and claustrophobic and I have no issues in the prius. Have you ever been in one? I live in a state where new diesel cars are not allowed to be sold. When I looked at the prius the same dealer also sold volkswagens, and told me I could no longer get a TDI. BTW the TDI was slightly more expensive and SMALLER than the prius. Plus, they still stink - just drive behind one with your vent on. I don't know why people have to justify the prius based on price. The only cars people buy for price are economy cars - all the rest are sold because the people like the style, attributes, or utility of the vehicle. BTW, with the high miles I drive, and the cost of gasoline today, I save about $4,000 per year in gas costs over the 21 mpg lifetime mileage of the minivan I used to drive.

I went to the fueleconomy.gov site and it says a 1985 Chevrolet Chevette. 4 cyl. 1.8L, Man (5) Diesel gets 39 City and 46 HWY. Yes, I know these are estimates. But I just wanted to point out that an simple, older, small car can still get pretty good gas mileage. So maybe spending $500 - $1000 on a 85 Chevette 5spd diesel (with lower insurance costs as well) is better than spending $20,000 - $40,000 on a modern compact car (not to mention high insurance rates) just to get within that 30-45 mpg range.

EPA MPG rating has been changed over the years. EPA rating from 20 years ago cannot be compared to newer rating given more recently, especially highway MPG. The Prius, if driven at legal highway speed (55-65mph) will achieve 51 mpg from my personal experience with my 2006 Prius. The city driving, on the other hand, does not routinely achieve 60 mpg. This is an artificially high mpg due to EPA test method. The EPA test allows the city test to proceed with full hybrid battery and A/C not running. This is unrealistic in real world driving. Diesel cars have good mileage, but they still pollute more because of the higher CO2 exhaust from diesel, in addition to the sulfur and carbon soot. Diesels also is inherently noisier because of its higher compression ratio.

To th commenter who thinks our money would be better spent buying an old, used, high-mileage subcompact vehicle instead of paying $1000s for a new vehicle with good gas mileage (not limited to hybrids, apparently), there are some flaws with your suggestion.

1. People don't just buy new cars for fuel economy. They buy them for expected maintenance security. They buy them for specific needs such as interior space and amenities. THey buy them because they are less polluting than older vehicles - have you driven behind cars from the 80s and older? The exhaust is noxious!

2. People can't just go out and order an 85 civic. It takes some luck and knowledge of cars to be able to buy an older vehicle and know you are not getting a piece of junk. I can't look under a hood and tell the condition of a car.

3. You obviously don't live in the rust belt. I would likely be using the Fred Flintstone system of propulsion with a vehicle that old on our heavily-salted, pot-holed roads.

4. THose of us who can buy new/newer cars should leave the older $500 cars to the poor. Maybe then, they can get better jobs because they have a way to commute. On the other hand, if you really want to save money, WALK. Bonus, there will be no emissions at all unless you've had beans the night before!

I think I ran over a Prius the other day on my way to work in my Chevy Z71.