Once upon a time Japanese cars came to our shores promising high fuel economy and despite feeling small and cheap, buyers flocked to the dealers. Over time however, the Japanese auto industry grew up. “Small and flimsy” are qualities that modern Japanese imports do not possess but as is the way with the world, better quality came with a price: lower fuel economy. The first generation Prius proved that good fuel economy did not mean jamming yourself into a two-seater light-weight vehicle full of compromises a family of four just couldn’t make. Still, it was far from perfect; it was dreadfully boring, felt small and cheap and was not large enough for many families.
In an era when ginormous SUVs were all the rage, the Prius’ mileage was nothing short of show-stopping and they sold like hotcakes once the Hollywood set made them the latest fashion accessory. When the third generation Prius saw the light of the automotive press, it was obvious that the upstart had grown up. Unlike the other Toyota family members however, the Prius becomes more efficient and larger with every revision. One complaint however has stuck: the Prius is just too small for some.
Recent Comments
carlisimo - Wait, 2015? We need to wait more than another year before we get it?
johnny ringo - I certainly hope minivans don’t go away. I have a couple of Newfies (Newfoundlands for non-dog people) to haul...
Pig_Iron - One time, about a decade ago, ChryCo added a hitch to crash test vehicle. It ended up making the the liftgate hardware fail right on the minimum...
Wheeljack - I think this is a serious mistake. I recall reading an article published sometime after the Plymouth Voyager went away...
Easton - I hope someone wiped that stupid smile off the 3′s face!
Trend-Shifter - It had better work for Nissan and VW. They are at the bottom of the 2013 JD Powers initial Quality list. All GM vehicles are leading the list!...
Wheeljack - I’m not sure about today, but when launched the Journey nowhere near equalled the sales of the SWB van. If memory...
Pig_Iron - But wait, what about the rumoured Dodge Barracuda?
Pig_Iron - I’m disappointed. It’s gone from a wagonette to a 4 door hatch. To me, those are the only thing on the road uglier than a sedan. Except for maybe those...
Beerboy12 - Considering Fiat invented the common rail, I would think Merc when to Fiat for that 2.1 ;-)