23rd May 2007, 05:40
Even the low sulfur diesel exhaust stinks and will quickly give me a headache.
The exhaust fumes don't get inside most cars, so unless you make a habit of standing behind peoples cars, I don't see how this matters.
And yes hybrid technology may be improving, but the present production Prius is not up to scratch with most modern diesels.
29th May 2007, 13:37
"The Golf will "kill the environment" with its emissions which last the duration of its life"
Please, at least do a bit of research before posting, todays diesels produce half the emissions that a regular gas engine produces.
29th May 2007, 23:55
Sorry to say you got stiffed by Toyota thinking you bought a car with great mpg. But in a country full of 15 mpg SUVs 40+ mpg is considered great, but in the rest of the world any small or compact car is a 40+ mpg car. It does not even need to be a diesel. My mothers Polo does about 50 mpg and that's the gas version at not the 70 mpg diesel version.
30th May 2007, 09:10
Yes, Prius buyers you would have been better off with a VW diesel Golf/Jetta.
You'd be getting better mileage, and a better car, plus you can use biodiesel.
Or better yet just ride a bike!!!
So what are Prius good for? Check out video below.
4th Oct 2007, 13:09
I don't think these commentaries should be a contest between diesels and hybrids. I think we should be happy that a variety of technologies will lead to more innovation and better products for consumers.
I've rented a Toyota Prius and in my opinion it's a marvel. Yes, I agree that it's not cost effective compared to a 1985 VW Jetta diesel, but the point here is that the Prius's innovation will lead to competition among all car manufacturers. Don't you think the Prius's technology has led to other manufacturers adopting hybrid technology (such as Honda Civic Hybrid, Ford escape Hybrid)? In addition, won't this in turn lead to better batteries? I know Toyota is researching the more powerful and longer lasting lithium ion battery to replace the NiMH (nickel metal hydride) in the current Prius. Furthermore, isn't this going to in turn lead to plug-in hybrids and straight electrics? Google Calcars, Chevrolet Volt, Plug-in Prius, and Tesla motors. They are coming!
That said, the Europeans do have it right by recognizing the power, longevity and fuel economy of diesels. Being in Canada, I would love to see all the VW, Opel and Citroen, etc diesels you see in Europe.
We should embrace this variety, not slam one over the other. I think both hybrids and diesels are looking at solving consumption and environmental problems. Let's hope the car manufacturers keep on improving them.
19th Oct 2007, 19:11
Also consider that the Prius is a fairly large car compared to the VW Golf, Polo, and even Jetta. The Polo in particular is incredibly small and you don't even come close to the hauling capacity since they are both hatchbacks. For such a roomy and spacious car even 40 mpg is good. Most of these mileage estimates factor in highway driving anyway whereas the Prius is more efficient in city driving conditions. Besides I've been doing 80mph in a regular gas car on the highway and Prius's have passed me like I was standing still. Obviously this is not every Prius driver, but it does show that we tend to speed on highways. In addition most people buy the Prius as a commuter car. Studies show, and if you just observe yourself, that people who are driving to and from work do so much more aggressively than going to the supermarket, post office, etc. which then results in worse gas mileage. Also it should be well known that EPA estimates are done under the most ideal situations and should not be taken too seriously.
19th Nov 2007, 09:48
"Regarding increasing battery capacity in the Prius, it's old news and it does not help much on CO2 emissions so long much of the electricity is made in oil and coal fueled electricity plants."
What has this person been drinking? The electricity in a Prius battery is generated by its VVTi engine, not a coal fired power plant. I think you need to get you head around the concepts before posting drivel.
30th May 2008, 12:52
Umm... gee. You add more batteries, then upgrade the software and and install a plug to so you can plug your Prius into the wall. THAT's where the coal powered electic plants come in at. Sounds like an increase in CO2 emissions to me!
15th Jun 2008, 09:47
The computer on a Prius is very optimistic. I wish Prius owners would measure their mileage themselves. They simply need to reset the the odometer every time they fill up and divide the miles by the total fuel consumed. The Prius does not get near the mileage the computer claims, in fact it rarely gets over 45 MPG in the real world, which isn't bad, but isn't as great as most Prius owners would like to believe.
25th Jun 2008, 14:34
Using the EPA’s earlier calculation, which was finally replaced for 2008, the Prius rated 60/51 mpg city/highway. This, like most EPA ratings, was wrong (your tax dollars at work…). There was some backlash, but you can’t fault Toyota, which wished the ratings were more accurate but was required by law to publish the official EPA numbers. (Apparently no one ever thought a manufacturer might want to use a lower number, so the law simply said the official specs must be used.)
By 2008’s more reliable method, the Prius’ rating is 48/45 mpg. This is pretty damn good, especially in city driving. Most full hybrids give better city than highway mileage because the drivetrain relies more on the electric motor and best captures and reuses energy in stop-and-go situations.
26th Jun 2008, 12:56
The Prius is homelier and has much less horsepower than the Cobalt SS. The higher initial purchase price of the Prius would take years of ownership to justify the alleged increased gas mileage. Because the Prius is so slow, there is a safety consideration when performing accident avoidance maneuvers, which require maximum horsepower.
I drive about 15,000 miles a year, and even if gas rose to $10.00 per gallon, it would still consume less than one percent of my income, so who cares about gas mileage anyway?!
27th Jun 2008, 10:48
My wife's Prius recently needed a new battery... $4000.00 installed! I recently replaced the battery on my gas guzzling Chevy Suburban... $70.00 installed. I can buy a heck of a lot of gas for the difference!
31st Oct 2012, 21:55
Never happened.
The battery in the Prius is covered by an excellent warranty, 10 years, 150,000 miles in CARB states, 8 years, 100,000 miles everywhere else.
Failures in the hybrid battery pack are very rare, and when/if they do occur, a rebuilt battery is $800.
Confirmation bias and use of F.U.D. (google it) at its best!!
23rd May 2007, 00:21
Regarding the 'stink' from diesels this is partially a myth. In most markets there is legislation on how much sulphur is allowed in diesel fuel and this has eliminated this problem. So this boils down to legislation and by 2010 sulfur will be down to 15 parts per million (ppm) from its current 500 ppm (97% reduction).
Also DPF (filters) will take away the rest of the 'stink' and soot and other emissions that made some diesel cars not pass CA emission regulations. At this point in time these are the most stringent in the world, but the new Euro 5 emission limits (coming in 2009) will be even stricter. Most diesel cars by 2009 will be built according to Euro 5.
Regarding increasing battery capacity in the Prius, it's old news and it does not help much on CO2 emissions so long much of the electricity is made in oil and coal fueled electricity plants.
So why are you guys buying Prius cars? To save the planet or to get good mpg or both? Anyhow hybrids is not an especially good solution when you already can get 60-70 mpg diesel cars like the 72 mpg VW Polo. And how are they recycling those 110 pound battery packs?