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Toyota Prius: Major threat?

Left lane bandits

They come in all colors and types of vehicles. Around here in NASCAR country, many know how to use the Richard Petty method of removing obstacles in front of us. Watch out for trucks with reinforced front bumpers; they are there for a reason.
 
JDOCKERY132445 said:
They come in all colors and types of vehicles. Around here in NASCAR country, many know how to use the Richard Petty method of removing obstacles in front of us. Watch out for trucks with reinforced front bumpers; they are there for a reason.
Click to expand...

Just another reason there are places I won't ride. That is called assault with a deadly weapon in civilized locations but not in "NASCAR Country" apparently.
 
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JDOCKERY132445 said:
They come in all colors and types of vehicles. Around here in NASCAR country, many know how to use the Richard Petty method of removing obstacles in front of us. Watch out for trucks with reinforced front bumpers; they are there for a reason.
Click to expand...

I lived in that part of the country for many years and believe this to be hyperbole.
 
I clicked on the thread thinking this was about how much better gas mileage a 1.5 ton car can get over just about any motorcycle on the road. Hmmm...

We did just buy a 2016 Prius. My wife is not one of those who hogs the left lane on the freeway. She doesn't drive the freeway. So much for that.

As for the Prius, I really liked it even though it is her car. The seats on ours are comfortable. The ride is firm and swallows the bumps like a much larger car without having the weight. We didn't get the version with the HUD, but it has enough technology in it to make me really appreciate what Toyota has done. Wind and engine noise is non-existent. And the gas mileage? It's in the 70's with normal driving.

BTW, racer7, my car is a 2005 Subaru Outback XT with the 2.5 turbo. There's nothing bland about that when you press your foot to the floor. (Only on a freeway on-ramp or on a closed course with professional drivers, of course. ;) )

Chris
 
daboo said:
I clicked on the thread thinking this was about how much better gas mileage a 1.5 ton car can get over just about any motorcycle on the road. Hmmm...

We did just buy a 2016 Prius. My wife is not one of those who hogs the left lane on the freeway. She doesn't drive the freeway. So much for that.

As for the Prius, I really liked it even though it is her car. The seats on ours are comfortable. The ride is firm and swallows the bumps like a much larger car without having the weight. We didn't get the version with the HUD, but it has enough technology in it to make me really appreciate what Toyota has done. Wind and engine noise is non-existent. And the gas mileage? It's in the 70's with normal driving.
Click to expand...

Good for you.

My Prius will be 10 years old this October. No rust holes at all, original hybrid battery pack, 50+ mpg every day. I haven't had a bike yet that could top it for mpg's.

Harry
 
AKsuited said:
My Prius will be 10 years old this October. No rust holes at all, original hybrid battery pack, 50+ mpg every day. I haven't had a bike yet that could top it for mpg's.
Click to expand...

My car gets 56 MPG without any hybrid complexity. And my other motorcycle gets 63 MPG. Both at a very comfortable lazy cruise on the highway.
 
GlobalRider said:
My car gets 56 MPG without any hybrid complexity. And my other motorcycle gets 63 MPG. Both at a very comfortable lazy cruise on the highway.
Click to expand...

Only front rotors, a water pump, a 12-volt battery, and a muffler changed out in 10 years: no problems with Prius complexity. I did just get four new tires for it today. You must be driving a VW diesel?

Harry
 
AKsuited said:
You must be driving a VW diesel?
Click to expand...

And loving it. Lots of torque, low RPM cruise and over 600 mile range. The MPGs are in US gallons in both cases.

The trouble with batteries is their capacity decreases over time with respect to charge-discharge cycles.
 
greenwald said:
Here in the upper mid-west, we refer to those "I own the road" types as "Nas-holes" and law enforcement takes great pleasure in picking them off one at a time, like 'Uber-Snipers!'

Just finished up a 5,700+ mile ride (15 days), and found those annoying Prius's to be the leaders of 'wagon trains' on most occasions.

Not imperically scientific data, but I saw what I saw. :dunno
Click to expand...

If they aren't in the passing lane and maintaining adequate spacing (i.e., braking distance).........then it's OK and, actually, smart. Only the first vehicle experiences pressure (i.e., frontal) drag, the rest are just getting some skin drag. In part, it's one reason why trains are so efficient.

Now, it they were being A-holes..........that's another situation.
 
GlobalRider said:
And loving it. Lots of torque, low RPM cruise and over 600 mile range. The MPGs are in US gallons in both cases.

The trouble with batteries is their capacity decreases over time with respect to charge-discharge cycles.
Click to expand...

As Harry says, those batteries seem to last a long time.......well past 10-yrs.
 
And there is that little problem with VW diesels and emissions...I can buy a new Prius, but not a new VW diesel. You won't ever see a Prius "rolling coal."

Harry
 
Here in OR I find Priuses (Priusi?) to be the main offender of poking along and letting traffic stack up behind them.

I have been infrequently forced to drive a Prius at work and find if you put it in Power mode and stomp the snot out of the accelerator it will move along. Also the low clearance and weight of batteries comes in handy when cornering, but a bike it is not.
 
VW has given its final approval for a nearly $21K (US) buyback of my 2012 diesel Passat and I have 2 years to give them notice and collect it! Will have about 100K miles by then.

Options include swapping about even for a leftover but new 2015 when VW gets the OK to sell them off.
Also various new hybrids on the market and more coming. Some US testers claim the revised rear suspension (true double A arm, the only really decent suspension choice) on the 2018 Camry hybrid actually makes it fun to drive which would be a first for anything Toyota since the original Lexus sport coupe.
Looks like the BMW new 5 series diesel is delayed or never for the US.
VW has a new really high mileage diesel but it is Europe only. And of course BMW cages have even more electrical issues and needlessly complicated systems than a BMW motorcycle. (SOs 2008 5 series just needed a $2K replacement of an electronic (!) shifter that died at 150K miles)

Meanwhile I'll keep putting depreciation free miles on the Passat and see what else happens for 2018. There is even a Cruze diesel hatchback made in Mexico coming later this year said to do 50 mpg but GM lack of design quality scares me as it encompasses everything from stuff as simple as door seals and wiper motors (and much other electric stuff from Delphi) to engine cooling systems prone to corrosion failures.

To those who actually can tolerate the cvt in a Subaru- my sympathies. Its a cheapout way to avoid designing something more modern though suitable for those who have trouble differentiating the handling of their cage and refrigerator.

An observation on my Passat is that its mpg is impacted more by season than speed. Probably because diesel is always turning low rpm compared to a gas motor. $30 buys me a tank fillup with high 600s / low 700s range.
 
racer7 said:
VW has given its final approval for a nearly $21K (US) buyback of my 2012 diesel Passat and I have 2 years to give them notice and collect it! Will have about 100K miles by then.

Options include swapping about even for a leftover but new 2015 when VW gets the OK to sell them off.
Also various new hybrids on the market and more coming. Some US testers claim the revised rear suspension (true double A arm, the only really decent suspension choice) on the 2018 Camry hybrid actually makes it fun to drive which would be a first for anything Toyota since the original Lexus sport coupe.
Looks like the BMW new 5 series diesel is delayed or never for the US.
VW has a new really high mileage diesel but it is Europe only. And of course BMW cages have even more electrical issues and needlessly complicated systems than a BMW motorcycle. (SOs 2008 5 series just needed a $2K replacement of an electronic (!) shifter that died at 150K miles)

Meanwhile I'll keep putting depreciation free miles on the Passat and see what else happens for 2018. There is even a Cruze diesel hatchback made in Mexico coming later this year said to do 50 mpg but GM lack of design quality scares me as it encompasses everything from stuff as simple as door seals and wiper motors (and much other electric stuff from Delphi) to engine cooling systems prone to corrosion failures.

To those who actually can tolerate the cvt in a Subaru- my sympathies. Its a cheapout way to avoid designing something more modern though suitable for those who have trouble differentiating the handling of their cage and refrigerator.

An observation on my Passat is that its mpg is impacted more by season than speed. Probably because diesel is always turning low rpm compared to a gas motor. $30 buys me a tank fillup with high 600s / low 700s range.
Click to expand...

The Camry Hybrid and Prius chassis are similar. If the Camry works, the Prius should too. Does my wife's 2010 Prius drive like my 2003 330i, no.

Relative to your Passat, is that the softer US-specific model or the stiffer European model? Why not an Audi A-6?
 
We picked up a 2016 Prius for my wife this past summer. Handling is actually good. It's not a sports car, but then she didn't want a sports car. Taking a turn on the freeway and hitting a large bump in the middle, doesn't upset the chassis at all.

And in a trip from Seattle to McCall, Idaho last September, it did very well for comfort.

Chris
 
daboo said:
We picked up a 2016 Prius for my wife this past summer. Handling is actually good. It's not a sports car, but then she didn't want a sports car. Taking a turn on the freeway and hitting a large bump in the middle, doesn't upset the chassis at all.

And in a trip from Seattle to McCall, Idaho last September, it did very well for comfort.

Chris
Click to expand...

We've found the Prius to be a very competent vehicle for accumulating Interstate miles. I promised my wife she could get a new one in 2017, but she's opting to stash more $ in the 401(k) and keeping the current car.
 
There you go, clogging up the anti Prius thread with your pro Prius drivel!
AntiMatter

P.S. Whatever you do, do NOT watch the vid akbeemer posted on page 2 of the STIRRING THE POT thread.
 
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tanker4me said:
There you go, clogging up the anti Prius thread with your pro Prius drivel!
AntiMatter

P.S. Whatever you do, do NOT watch the vid akbeemer posted on page 2 of the STIRRING IT UP thread.
Click to expand...

Funny thing is........there's a lot of Prius owners on this forum. Some are so far out there, they even claim to be conservatives.
 
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I had a P car come flying up behind me earlier in the week on a two lane road w/ no shoulder and double yellow stripe. I was in my Cummins Dodge pushing 5 over in a 70. Got so close , I could barely see it in the rearview:dunno I was not impressed, but not much to do short of having them eat a bumper for several miles.

I finally got to a wider spot in the road and eased over as far as I could... PeePaw and MeeMaw well into their 80's blew by and she was chatting at me...didn't lip read ,but I guess I was not being blessed. Who knows:scratch

They def were not HyperMilin' :banghead
 
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