My brother bought a Prius.

[The Veg]

Got to see it yesterday...lots of interesting textures in the interiour plastics!

I didn't drive it but I doubt that I would have gotten much in the way of strong impressions from it, judging from how the ride in the passenger seat felt.

One thing though; the car makes an interesting sound when it drives away from my ear in all-electric mode.

[USAndretti42]

Had a ride in a Prius taxi in Detroit earlier this year. I was surprised at how rough the ride was. It's not a light car and there were 2 of us in the back so it was fairly well loaded. Yet I almost lost my fillings. Not impressed at all.

[rogerch]

for the public admission of being related to a Prius owner.

[ads_green]

Don't get the "it's heavy" lines.... Its lighter than a 1.6 mondeo with similar size and interior space. Remember that the prius doesn't have a gearbox, alternator etc so the extra weight of the battery (40kgs) is offset by a degree.

Hell, it's got a lot more room than my RS4 inside.

If anything I think the ride is too soft? Feels like theres no damping in it at all. Was it the current 3rd gen?

[The Veg]

for the public admission of being related to a Prius owner.

Hell, he traded a beat-up, eleven-year-old Saturn for it!

Don't get the "it's heavy" lines.... Its lighter than a 1.6 mondeo with similar size and interior space. Remember that the prius doesn't have a gearbox, alternator etc so the extra weight of the battery (40kgs) is offset by a degree.

Hell, it's got a lot more room than my RS4 inside.

If anything I think the ride is too soft? Feels like theres no damping in it at all. Was it the current 3rd gen?

I agree on the interiour volume- it's HUGE inside! And yes, current generation, brand spankin' new as we say. My brother is still trying to figure out out how everything works without tha benefit of cracking open the manual...he's a serious computer-geek and geeks just don't do manuals!

[cjtpb13]

Had to laugh...I too have a few family members that own one.

I have a close friend who uses one for travel in his job. Talk about interior space...he managed to fit inside the Prius a standard kitchen range...I was on my ass laughing when I stopped in to help him unload it...but it was even more humourous...a lady I was dating at the time overheard a conversation in the break room at the Home Depot where she was doing contractual work...Some of the workers were laughing about placing the range inside the Prius. As she was telling me this story about a month later I told her it was possible because I happened to have help unload the damn thing. Kathleen lives about midway between my houses so she was three hours away from the final delivery spot. Makes the world small...

Back on topic...I actually have fun driving my sisters Prius...It is like playing a game...I have a client that has a Tesla and have driven that too...much more fun than the Prius...Would love to get my hands on the new Chevrolet Volt to see what it is like too...

[ads_green]

I needed to repair some cosmetic damage to the 211 - I whipped of the entire side panel and it fit inside the prius fine.

Don't get me wrong, not an ecomentalist - it was bought as a cheap 5 seater car.It was interesting for a while as wanted to have a play with a hybrid but the novelty does wear off quickly.

It didn't do it for me so got an RS4 and the prius just sitting under a mound of snow waiting to be sold.

It can do 70mpg (65 is easy) and can seat 5 and take luggage. But it is very tinny and doesn't feel substantual. If you drive about in london then not paying the 8 quid a day congestion charge soon adds up.

[Kimbers]

You really want to admit HERE that a family member has got a Prius? God aweful load of crap!

When I was at Honda we had to drive their and Toyotas Hybrid against the closest rivals like the Polo diesel and other small cars and many not only beat the Hybrids on Fuel economy but kicked their ass on Co2 production as well!!

[bingoking]

He needs help!

[ads_green]

When I was at Honda we had to drive their and Toyotas Hybrid against the closest rivals like the Polo diesel and other small cars and many not only beat the Hybrids on Fuel economy but kicked their ass on Co2 production as well!!

Yeah - lets compare a full size 5 seater hatchback with a mini car that up until this year didnt even have air conditioning available (not even as an option).

I do find it interesting on car forums the faster, bigger more powerful car gets slammed in favour of a 75ps 1.4 diesel.

Don't get me wrong - I got fed up with mine but I did comfortably hit 65mpg average whilst trying to go quickly down lanes that my old vxr8 managed 12mpg at best.

Sure its not the solution to all problems but I don't think they deserve to get the bad press that seems to surround them

[Dan]

Go and stand in the corner and think carefully about what you've said...

Prius = Pious

[ads_green]

<sigh>

I would say you're more on a religious crusade than I.

If you bother to read (assuming you can?) I wasn't saying the prius is the answer to all and the best car ever. It's not. far from it. In fact I'm selling mine. But as a cheap to run car *with decent spec and space* there's not a lot else that can touch it.

I couldn't care less if it spewed molten cyanide out the exhaust. It's cheap. Insurance - 139 fully comp, zero car tax, 99 quid to service *from a main dealer* and a real 65mpg on petrol that's cheaper than diesel.

[ajheath]

They get the bad press cause they are sold as a green solution when they just arn't. If they were sold just on the basis of economy and space I'm sure they would be quite highly respected, and aything Clelebrities buy will instantaniously attract ridicule and scorn

[mangel]

My issue with prius and electric cars in general is that I'm not sure about its sustainable crdentials and longevity.

The batteries contain numerous precious and rare metals and will need to be replaced at a high cost. This will surely affect the residuals heavily. These metals are not mined (and please excuse me if i speak out of turn) in the best and most environmentally friendly way. They arte then shipped elsewhere in the globe (another continent I believe) to be refined. they are then shipped to another location to turned into batteries and finally on to the car manufacturing plant for inclusion in the final vehicle build.

This seems like a large preproduction carbon footprint for one component.

I would suggest that a better solution is to look at alternatives like the 'Clarity' or similar. Yes they do have similar issues with fuel production using similar materials but these materials are used again and again!!

Finally, Electric cars will only come into their own once the supply of electricity ion this contry is improved and the ability to charge them up becomes more readily available.

Slightly madder thought s I have had are an electric only lane on the motorways which would have a track which the cars plug into and recieve charge as they drive meaning that they can be kept at a constant distance and be self drive and be fully charged when they exit the motorway (how many people travel more than 40-50 miles off a motorway who would buy an electric car anyway!!

[winners]

Bottom line is. Plenty of people buy them. Everyone is entitled to an opinion and to select what they drive, for what ever reason.

Esprits would be slagged off on a "green" forum. Not keen on forcing opinions on others or having a go at others choices. If I have a go at other drivers cars I'm as bad as those who slag off my Esprit and I wouldn't want that!

Mark

[Bibs]

My Esprit had lower emissions at tickover than Laura's Corsa at MOT time. Esprits are the choice of enviro'mentalists'.

[oneshot]

Interesting comment on the radio saying that the current electricity system in the UK is "clapped out" Linky - the words used by David Cameron, and needs substantial investment meaning higher bills for you and me to pay for it. Given that the current infrastructure cannot handle the demands already placed on it, it is not going to be able to support a widescale electric vehicle programme.

[mangel]

Correct Dave.

This is the reason the new Nuke generating facilities are being pushed forward.

The green solutions have all been weighed, measured and found lacking.

We have fallen behind the rest of the developed world really with most of our national infrastructure. Our Gas system is is poor, our Water system has had its pressures all reduced to achieve leak targets.

Electricity is only one of the challenges we face!!

Edited December 23, 2010 by mangel