Not bad. I'm a fan of the Ford S-max, C-max, and Mazda5, and this appears to be in the same stylistic arena. But I'd love it to be a minivan people carrier and not just a regular wagon, if possible.
Hey, if I'm gonna drive frumpy, give me maximum utility ;) #toyotaprius
"So you're interested in fuel economy? Let me show you what we've got. Over here is our Highlander Prius. Next to it is our Camry Prius, and over there is our Prius Prius." ????
@jgrnt1: I don't know, I think they need to add another couple of Prius badges to the Prius Prius before people really start getting the message. Sales will be through the roof for the Prius Prius Prius Prius... Prius...
@quayzar: In all seriousness, this is only going to be confusing to consumers. People understand the term 'hybrid.' Who cares if they don't understand "Hybrid Synergy Drive." If Toyota wants to sell a "Highlander with Prius Drive," I think they're in for a rude awakening. Instead of emphasizing the technology, it just makes me think of a Highlander with an underpowered, four cylinder powerplant.
If you drive a Prius, you might be a douche or an unshaven granola, or you might be a forty-year-old virgin. (Or you might not.) But you do care about saving gas money and polluting less.
If you buy a Camry or Yachtlander Hybrid, welcome to the land of contradictions.
But then, I'd be quite pleased if they shot the Highlander, redesigned the Sienna, and hybridised that - better aerodynamics, and more practical than the Highlander, both as a passenger vehicle and as a hybrid.
@FP: Your Volvo is awesome! Anyway:
The Camry Hybrid is completely outclassed by the Ford Fusion Hybrid, but the Highlander Hybrid is the highest MPG 7-seater AWD going. 27 / 25 mpg for a fat ugly SUV is impressive, and some people need one. FWIW it's CR's top-scoring mid-size SUV.
Larger question is are they going to educate their "drivers" how to put floor mats in and how to drive a car?
I find it interesting that Jalopnik has not reported on the Lexry-Camrus that crashed at 120mph because the floor mat got stuck on the gas pedal and the driver didn't know to shift to neutral with a hung throttle.
Why do I have a feeling that had it been a VW/Audi, we'd have already seen 4 articles about it.....
"If somebody says ‘I drive a Prius,' everybody knows what he means."
Isn't this the very essence of brand dilution? Once they start slapping Prius badges on everything from the Corolla to the Tundra everybody will not know what the name means.
@slysolstice07: If you don't care about driving, why WOULDN'T you buy the most reliable, highest MPG, least polluting new car in the USA, one that's a practical 5-door hatchback with lots of fun tech for a reasonable price? Face reality, it's a mind-bendingly great appliancemobile.
Slapping the name on a bunch of also-ran Toyotas that aren't the most blah blah is a dubious step.
@elwood: Based on my gay friends, a "gay" car is either an E-class Benz or a Chevy Optra in blue with racing seats, rebadged as a Lacetti to perfectly match the Top Gear Reasonably Priced Car.
@petersterncan: Well, everyone knows Wrangler drivers are either poofters or retarded college students, unless the Jeep in question is rocking 33" Thompsons on steelies with a proper lift.
The goal of the Prius is to make the driver even more irrelevant than ever.
Driving very carefully, but not so slow that people are blowing horns and waving fists, I can get well over 35mpg out of my truck. That's a carbureted truck, old enough to buy beer if I could fit it through the grocery store's doors. But the Prius demands no skills, it just does it all for you. That's not as good a thing as it should be.
Eking out great mileage numbers is a different kind of performance driving, and I'm glad to say I'm pretty good at it. The new Prius is just another step along the road to curbside carryout, pay-per-view Internet-ready couch potato driving. And I'm not having it.
I'm really glad Toyota is putting the Prius out. Lots of disinterested, dispassionate but well-meaning people will pony up for it and get better mileage, meaning doing more with less. In a planet populated by billions of disinterested, dispassionate people, that means more for everybody. Good.
But I can do nearly as well, and I didn't make anybody open up a new steel mine, or poison half of Canada with heavy metals, to make it happen.
I adjusted the nut behind the wheel. I changed my expectations and changed my habits in order to bring those new expectations to light. Maybe what America - and the rest of the motoring world - needs is to demand less, and give more. Don't demand a sea change of technology, give a little me change: more attention, a little more consideration. Less "me first" and more "you, too."
Who "Digged" this? Seriously, my Jalopnik page now takes a minute and a half to load because someone's sent an article to Digg, and the article sent was about the Prius? Seriously? The PRIUS??
GUARDS! Find me the person responsible, and bring me their empty skull! I shall drink margaritas from the spot where their brain should have been.
@Panzerwagon: That doesn't change the fact that someone still "digged" this article... about a Prius. Turn in your Jalopnik membership card, you've failed at the Cult of Cars.
Unless it was A Strolling Player. He's forgiven, just cuz he's so adorable.
How about a small pickup truck version of this? The only small pickup that is fuel efficient now is a 1970's era VW Rabbit Diesel that gets about 40-45 MPG.
My 3.0 L Ranger, 5 spd, only gets 22-23 MPG.
Was hoping that Saturn would make a fuel efficient pickup but for sure, that ain't gonna be happening now!
Guess I'll have to find a VW pickup.
@UbadahGalo: The rabbit pickup came out in 1980, not in the 70s. The ratings you quote are based on the old system.. and they are based on a new car running on the diesel of that period. I highly doubt your Rabbit Pickup will do anything better than 20mpg now.
11/16/09
11/16/09
Hey, if I'm gonna drive frumpy, give me maximum utility ;) #toyotaprius
09/18/09
09/18/09
Prius
09/19/09
Full disclosure: I own a Camry Hybrid.
09/18/09
If you buy a Camry or Yachtlander Hybrid, welcome to the land of contradictions.
But then, I'd be quite pleased if they shot the Highlander, redesigned the Sienna, and hybridised that - better aerodynamics, and more practical than the Highlander, both as a passenger vehicle and as a hybrid.
09/19/09
The Camry Hybrid is completely outclassed by the Ford Fusion Hybrid, but the Highlander Hybrid is the highest MPG 7-seater AWD going. 27 / 25 mpg for a fat ugly SUV is impressive, and some people need one. FWIW it's CR's top-scoring mid-size SUV.
09/18/09
I find it interesting that Jalopnik has not reported on the Lexry-Camrus that crashed at 120mph because the floor mat got stuck on the gas pedal and the driver didn't know to shift to neutral with a hung throttle.
Why do I have a feeling that had it been a VW/Audi, we'd have already seen 4 articles about it.....
09/18/09
Source?
09/18/09
[www.google.com]
09/18/09
Indeed.
09/18/09
Isn't this the very essence of brand dilution? Once they start slapping Prius badges on everything from the Corolla to the Tundra everybody will not know what the name means.
09/18/09
09/18/09
09/19/09
Slapping the name on a bunch of also-ran Toyotas that aren't the most blah blah is a dubious step.
03/02/09
03/02/09
03/02/09
Japanese garbage, If you're looking to pay less and have a much better looking car buy a upcoming chevrolet cruze
03/02/09
And I thought the Miata was a gay car?
03/02/09
03/02/09
Yup...
Stuff like mini potatoes, Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette dressing, creme brule or strawberries with milk and sugar...
I found that out when I had strawberries with milk and sugar in front of my homophobic father-in-law.
And apparently, Saab was the first company to focus some advertising to the gay community in the US:
[www.gaywheels.com]
But then apparently the Jeep Wrangler, Range Rovers, Jags and Mini Coopers are supposedly popular in the Gay community too.
So I don't think the Prius is any more 'gay' than many other cars like my Saab.
03/02/09
Right? Right?
03/02/09
Driving very carefully, but not so slow that people are blowing horns and waving fists, I can get well over 35mpg out of my truck. That's a carbureted truck, old enough to buy beer if I could fit it through the grocery store's doors. But the Prius demands no skills, it just does it all for you. That's not as good a thing as it should be.
Eking out great mileage numbers is a different kind of performance driving, and I'm glad to say I'm pretty good at it. The new Prius is just another step along the road to curbside carryout, pay-per-view Internet-ready couch potato driving. And I'm not having it.
I'm really glad Toyota is putting the Prius out. Lots of disinterested, dispassionate but well-meaning people will pony up for it and get better mileage, meaning doing more with less. In a planet populated by billions of disinterested, dispassionate people, that means more for everybody. Good.
But I can do nearly as well, and I didn't make anybody open up a new steel mine, or poison half of Canada with heavy metals, to make it happen.
I adjusted the nut behind the wheel. I changed my expectations and changed my habits in order to bring those new expectations to light. Maybe what America - and the rest of the motoring world - needs is to demand less, and give more. Don't demand a sea change of technology, give a little me change: more attention, a little more consideration. Less "me first" and more "you, too."
My name is elhigh, and I'm running for Car Czar.
03/02/09
03/02/09
GUARDS! Find me the person responsible, and bring me their empty skull! I shall drink margaritas from the spot where their brain should have been.
03/02/09
03/02/09
Unless it was A Strolling Player. He's forgiven, just cuz he's so adorable.
03/02/09
03/02/09
My 3.0 L Ranger, 5 spd, only gets 22-23 MPG.
Was hoping that Saturn would make a fuel efficient pickup but for sure, that ain't gonna be happening now!
Guess I'll have to find a VW pickup.
03/02/09