Two wrongs make a right. Nice…

As a SUV driver, I’m sick of people complaining that we’re all arrogant, thoughtless jerks who drive them because we can, or that we don’t give two hoots about the environment or energy conservation, or must be making up for some kind of physiological shortcoming.

I have to live with people’s preconceived notions about me because of what I drive, now so do you.

My favorite example of pundits taking this angle was the CNW study that found that over half of Prius buyers cited “image” and the “statement” it made among their top reasons for buying the vehicle.

Shock horror! Non-enthusiasts buying a motor vehicle because they like its looks and what it says about them!

Pray tell, which groups of buyers (or vehicles) do such accusations not apply to?

“It’s a combination of an ascending star and a falling star,” says George Magliano, director of automotive industry analysis at consultant Global Insight.

I have some small hope that the new Honda CR-Z will also have a manual transmission available along with similar amazing gas mileage.

I’m not sure that this is the case; Click & Clack fielded a question about that issue; they claimed that they could perform all routine service on the car & would feel comfortable working on any system except the powertrain.

I suppose in the future more independents will be forced to become expert in the synergy drive.

The stereotype is annoying and misplaced. The Prius is a brilliant car. It just isn’t brilliant in the areas that many typical TTAC readers value (power,handling,looks).

The other issue that people frequently get mixed up about is the class of car that the Prius is in. I see commenters who haven’t been inside one compare it to smaller, lower-rent cars just b/c it is a fuel miser. But in reality, the interior materials are of high quality, soft to the touch. And a lot of the switchgear came from the Lexus ES300. Not the Corolla or Yaris.

Toyota really nailed the execution of this second generation, and they are being justly rewarded. Though sometimes I wonder if they are actually taking a loss on these cars just to establish the brand & get the scale they need to reduce the cost of the hybrid powertrain.

The 2009 is suppposedly going to be a few hundred pounds lighter and use Li-Ion batteries. Allegedly with an 75-80MPG max.

One can only imagine the Rolaids being passed around the board room at the big 2.8….

Several diesel hybrid concept cars have been produced in Europe, but most of the diesel hybrid work in the United States is related to heavy applications where diesels are common in this country – diesel hybrid trucks, buses, and railway locomotives have been in production for several years.

The lack of diesel hybrid cars in Europe is probably related to the extra cost, while the absence of diesel hybrid cars in the US is probably related to the absence of diesel cars in general here. But when they arrive…diesel Prius, anybody?

The trick with the Hybrid Synergy Drive is the sophisticated energy management algorithm Toyota has developed, which handles the interchange between electric and gas power. Ford tried to create its own algorithms, but never got to where the output was energy efficient, which is why they are using Toyota’s.

I do wish more people would commute to work on a motorcycle or scooter, especially since most people just drive themselves. Better mileage, take up less space on the road and for parking, and forces you to pay attention, especially when it’s wet out like it was today. But that wont happen since everyone thinks they have to have a giant car or SUV to be safe rather than learn to drive defensively.

About the M/T I was thinking more like a DSG, but the engineering involved for this niche probably doesn’t make sense. Since most people barely know how to drive a M/T let alone way to buy one now a days.

There is a diesel premium and a hybrid premium, so the two together would drag the capital cost still further upwards. Furthermore, I have heard the diesel doesn’t work as well in a hybrid system as a petrol engine, but I can’t remember why. Having said that, I think there are a bunch of diesel hybrids in various states of development in Europe.

One thing to remember: as far as greenhouse emissions go, diesels don’t reduce emissions relative to petrol as the fuel mileage figures would suggest, because diesel fuel GH emissions are higher per gallon. And GH emissions are the most important environmental reason to seek better fuel mileage.

The Honda Insight is manual trans.

That may be part of it, but the Civic Hybrid suffers from the same issue as the Insight: lack of practicality. Its trunk is smaller than that of a convertible Corvette and the rear seatbacks are welded in place. Even transporting a single bicycle is a hassle.

What’s she look like?

Just askin’

Although, demographically speaking Prius drivers are far more educated and affluent than the typical car buyer so maybe you are just mad they are successful.

Beats me. My mom drives one and she’s an amazing (and extremely humble, fyi) person. Guess you’ll never have the pleasure of knowing her.

Unfortunately, the best way to get mileage out of them was to lug the engines with the boost from the battery taking up slack. Getting into the habit of doing this prematurely wears out the battery pack and is why current mild hybrids are only available with automatics: it allows the computer far more control over battery charge/discharge, so that the packs last the life of the car.

Full hybrids from Toyota and Ford don’t have a real transmission, they have a fixed power split device and as such there is no possible way to change “gears.”

The new GM/BMW/Chrysler “two-mode” systems have four fixed ratios in addition to the fake CVT employed by Toyota and Ford, but by their nature and design, also could not be designed with manual cog-swappers.

It really was a good deal for the money, given my buying priorities. I wanted a brand new car with room for four in comfort. I wanted xenon headlamps, smart entry, and good gas mileage. The sticker on my Prius equipped as such was something like $23,500. It’s not hard to hit that price in a basic Accord or Camry!

The Prius performed flawlessly for 66,000 miles over 2.5 years and averaged 48MPG while I had it. The worst tank I ever managed was with the cruise set at 90 MPH coming home to LA from San Francisco, three people in the car, facing a huge headwind the entire time. That tank was 37 MPG, and it was the only one I ever got below 40.

And while I’m sure it’s technically possible to get 30 MPG in a Crown Vic, I work for the government and we have many of the beasts; our CVs average in the mid-teens in city driving. If one is capable of wringing 30 MPG out of a V8 American sled, then surely such an individual would be able to get nearly 60 MPG out of the Prius. Even if a driver getting 30 MPG out of a Crown Vic “only” got 45 out of a Prius, it’s still a 50% improvement in fuel economy!

The Prius is cheaper than a Jetta TDI, with more space and better fuel economy, both real world and sticker. The Prius has a longer warranty, lower emissions, and a lot more cargo and passenger space. It’s priced in line with or below comparably-equipped cars in its class.

Certainly no mystery as to why it’s sold so well, especially given the Prius’ stellar reliability ratings.

Ultimately I sold my Prius (for $19,000) to get my Miata. I figured fuel prices were on an endless rise and this moment in time was my last chance to have a (relatively) thirsty sports car. When the lease is up on the Mazda, another Prius will certainly be on the short list for replacement options.