Toyota Prius Greenest Car in 2010?
Consumer Reports announced it list of top cars in various categories, including green. The Toyota Prius received the award for being the top Green Car in 2010. This is the seventh year in a row that the Prius has won this award in this category.
It’s still the most fuel-efficient car in our Ratings, getting 44 mpg overall. That distinction helped it earn our pick in this category for the seventh straight year, the longest of any current model. In addition, the Prius is a pleasant car to drive, with a roomy interior, a steady ride, hatchback versatility, and excellent reliability and crash-test results. The 2010 redesign also gave it a more solid feel and a dedicated EV mode that allows it to run longer on electric power at low speeds, an advantage mainly in slow, congested traffic.
I would question the reliability aspect because of the recent recalls, but it seems pretty apparent that the Prius seems to be considered the best “green” car by many, not just Consumer Reports.
I have not driven a Prius or driven in one, but I have not had good experiences with people I know who drive them. It’s great that people want to buy a car that uses less gas mileage and is more eco-friendly, but some people buy these cars like they do new electronic devices. Another thing that made me a little frustrated is the fact that some feel they can drive more just because they now have a more gas efficient car. This mentality negates the whatever benefit you are receiving from having a more fuel efficient vehicle.
My experiences are with some of the owners of the Prius, not the car itself. Overall, the Prius seems like a pretty good vehicle and great car to consider if in need of a new vehicle. I would still much rather have a full EV than just a hybrid, but they are still a few years away from hitting the market. It’s also good to find other ways than buying a new car to save on gas or avoid using a car at all. Some include biking, car pooling, public transportation and many other gas saving tips.
I decided to include a poll to get an idea of how you feel about the Prius being the top green car on the market.
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March 1st, 2010Trackback from : Toyota Prius Interior High Class Pictures | Toyota Prius Pictures
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I have a feeling they did this report before the recent Toyota recalls. I have driven a Prius before and it’s a decent vehicle. It’s not really my style though. So I probably wouldn’t buy one either. Still it is good news that one of the more popular hybrids continues to make improvements to remain the industry leader.
my experience with the Prius is also through people whom I know.
I have a colleague who drives a Prius as a commute car – yes, the MPG is great, however, when it comes time for repair/maintenance the parts cost higher so it offsets the savings in gas mileage. Yeah, you may argue it is more eco-friendly, but cost-wise it has a pretty long break-even point.
I don’t think many people buy the Prius to save money. It is a rather pricey car considering what else you can get for that price. I think more people buy the Prius to have less impact on the environment and to advertise to everyone around them that they are doing this. I’m sure many of us remember all the celebrities that jumped on the Prius bandwagon. I just wonder how many sincerely care about the environment and and how many just thought it would be a good PR move.
I think the new all-electric Tesla sportscar and others like it will soon challenge the Prius. They offer fun and performance while being all green, something the Prius can’t boast of entirely.
Till then,
Jean
I like the design of this car,it has a hatchback versatility, and crash-test results and a eco-friendly car.
thanks..
Whoah! This car is Awesome. The only thing is, It is very expensive. :-p
Wow. It’s such an amazing invention. I wonder how much toyota has invested in this project.
Video: Toyota demonstrates safe hybrid vehicle stopping techniques
03/12/2010
http://www.leftlanenews.com/video-toyota-demonstrates-safe-hybrid-vehicle-stopping-techniques.html
Toyota now has produced a high quality video that clearly demonstrates how to stop any Toyota hybrid vehicle in the event of unintended acceleration, following their distribution of a low budget video, apparently created by a Toyota car salesman earlier this week.
This new video demonstrates how a Toyota hybrid – any model – should function under normal conditions if the vehicle is accelerating out of control.
This video demonstrates that the recent incident in San Diego was either the result of abnormal function of the vehicle’s computer, or complete operator error on the part of the driver, James Sikes.
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Haven’t found that software glitch, Toyota? Keep trying
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/opinionla/la-oew-cummings12-2010mar12,0,2595172.story
David M. Cummings, executive vice president of the Santa Barbara-based Kelly Technology Group, spent nine years as a consultant for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where he worked on the Mars Pathfinder spacecraft.
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Washington Post
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/10/AR2010031003705.html?sub=AR
Playing the blame game with runaway Toyotas
Thursday, March 11, 2010 A20
Frank Ahrens quotes an auto industry consultant who claims the problem with runaway Toyotas almost always lies with drivers who step on the wrong pedal ["Why it's so hard for Toyota to find out what's wrong," Sunday Business, March 7]. I find this assertion infuriating. I know exactly where my foot was on the two occasions that my 2004 Prius accelerated out of control on the Beltway last year — firmly on the brake until the accelerator popped back up from its unnaturally depressed position. The dealership blamed “floor mats,” but I was using small carpet squares that didn’t reach the pedal.
The condescending assumption that drivers don’t know what they are talking about when they report problems like this is why I must now mentally rehearse how to put my car into neutral every time I venture out on the highway.