Bought a new Toyota Prius...

[T.K.C.]

Powernoodle:
LOL! I keep one in the back of my Tahoe, in case of emergency.

When I was in visiting in CA., I saw a Prius with a license plate frame that said: 0-60 in 15 mins. I roared with laughter.

[Sufler]

Hi...

[Joshua J.]

If they would put a diesel generator in them and drive them like nearly all heavy things with wheels, electric cars would be great, but battery power is a nightmare.

It doesn't cost any extra to just make a vehicle smaller and less powerful either. If I could afford to buy a new car I would have a 2012 Subaru right now.

[texas gun person]

Diesel Volkswagen is where it's at.

[orork]

Diesel Volkswagen is where it's at.

What he said.
Bought the wife a TDI New Beetle in 2000. Still going strong, getting 40+ in town and did 58.6 from Des Moines to Sandusky on one tank of fuel, @80 MPH with the AC on.

[Unk]

Curious, what keeps the world class diesel small cars and truck out of the U.S. market. I see references to various diesel models but mostly Toyota and perhaps primarily small trucks that are both inexpensive and run strong for a very long time.

I do like my air quality however folks are living and breathing where these vehicles are sold and used.

PS. Full disclosure I do not care for VW - ask me about our 75 Dasher- you will never buy a VW- horror story but did live through it..barely...dumb car...or maybe it was just the criminals that sold and serviced it.

[harkamus]

Curious, what keeps the world class diesel small cars and truck out of the U.S. market. I see references to various diesel models but mostly Toyota and perhaps primarily small trucks that are both inexpensive and run strong for a very long time.

Gas prices. Diesel is more expensive in the US. In Europe diesel is cheaper.

[Joshua J.]

Diesel Volkswagen is where it's at.

+1. Not all of them are diesel, but among my relatives we've got half a dozen VW's.

[Bo T]

The people I know who know the owners of these cars say that they love them and are aways trading them in for another one, which has me thinking.
Does anyone plan on running one of these cars for 10 to 15 years , are they even able to or built to put this much time under it's wheels and is it not wasteful/Environmental to not use repair and use up this vehicle for the life of the car?

Something ponder on the way to the airport to burn Pounds of fuel to get you where you're going.

I have a friend that has had his Prius for 11 years and @ 170,000 miles. His batteries are still working but I think he sees the handwriting on the wall as he is talking about getting a quieter (as in blocking the road noise from the interior of the car) car. I drove it for a couple of hundred miles one day and didn't have any problem maintaining freeway speeds. Personally, if I was in the market for that type of car I'd probably get a VW diesel.

[TimberWolf7.62]

From an owner of a Hemi Challenger R/T that gets I-don't-give-a-s^%#-gas-mileage, please stay the F&*( out of the left lane.
Thank you.

[harkamus]

From an owner of a Hemi Challenger R/T that gets I-don't-give-a-s^%#-gas-mileage, please stay the F&*( out of the left lane.
Thank you.

I've seen some crazy speed demon Prius owners. They may accelerate slow, but that doesn't really matter a whole lot when they're already driving at way over the speed limit on the highway.

[mete]

Go solar ! A big catamaran was built with just solar power . It's first big project was to go around the world . I has just completed the trip !! It only took two years !! LOL !

[harkamus]

Felt like showing this. They just unveiled specs last night for the Empulse and Empulse RR. 100+ mph top speed and over 100 mile range on one charge.

[555]

IMHO Engine guys aka Gearhead or Motorhead etc. are not turned on by Motors, or they would collect electric mixers and magnets.

Face it, there's something about owning and running a machine that turns exploding gases into power umteen times a second. There's a sense of danger there that draws peoples interest much like knives or guns do, that the humm, whir or silence of an electric motor can never replace.

Don't believe, try shooting only air rifles for a year. Soon you'll find out that exploding gases were not only exciting, they're a lot of fun.

[Socom Elite]

Nothing says save the environment like 118 lbs of Nickel metal hydride battery. And those things are not cheap at all.

VW TDI is the way to go IMO. They get 40+ MPG. if you want to save gas and drive slow then drive slow. If your not concerned about MPG for a moment and needs little boost. Hit the pedal and the turbo will come into play. With the Prius there is no option

[TimberWolf7.62]

I've seen some crazy speed demon Prius owners. They may accelerate slow, but that doesn't really matter a whole lot when they're already driving at way over the speed limit on the highway.

Just for fun, what do you consider "crazy speed demon"?

[harkamus]

Just for fun, what do you consider "crazy speed demon"?

I saw a crazy middle aged woman in a Prius going 90 in a 55...just my estimate since she passed me on the left lane beside me and I was following traffic, which admittedly was above 55. But I plead the 5th, so I will not say how slow or fast I was going.

[MrApple]

I absolutely cannot stand how damn quiet these things are when they are running. My father has one and he has almost hit me twice while he was backing up.

[TimberWolf7.62]

I saw a crazy middle aged woman in a Prius going 90 in a 55...just my estimate since she passed me on the left lane beside me and I was following traffic, which admittedly was above 55. But I plead the 5th, so I will not say how slow or fast I was going.

LOL! I don't think I'd trust a Prius at 90.

[M67]

LOL! I don't think I'd trust a Prius

Fixed

I too have seen some Prius owners driving like a bat out of hell. They're saving the world at 85pmh. Reminds me of crazy ass soccer moms in minivans.

That being said, going that fast, doesn't the Prius only get 18mpg? That's what I've heard I just don't know if it's true.

Where I live and the road I drive on, I'd tear a Prius up pretty quick, and if I hit a deer with it I'd be fubar. And driving a Prius in the snow isn't something I'd really want to experience.

I still like trucks