Comments on: Chasing the Toyota Prius' 50 mpg nirvana

CNET News' Martin LaMonica, an early buyer of the 2010 Toyota Prius, finds that the car gets good mileage but there's clearly more to learn.

[sartor1]

Wish I could afford a new Prius!
(Maybe in a few years)

[galeso]

Cruse control kills MPG in older Piuses (or is it Pri'i).

[jaguar717]

^ Someone doesn't understand basic thermodynamics...

As far as the article, you don't drive many miles per year but hybrid tech "just makes sense"? An extra several grand for a couple mpg on a car already getting high mileage?

We need a lesson on marginal change. 10% better mileage when you're spending $600/year on gas is a wash. But I guess that's feel-good change for you...

[kormiko]

The best thing about buying a hybrid (even though the cost is higher than what you would pay on gas) is that it forces other car makers to compete in the hybrid market ... meaning more hybrids, more electric cars, etc.

I'd rather that extra money go toward the car company that gives the planet new technology than give the money to the gas company that takes away resources. Who knows, we might need this remaining oil for something in the future that we haven't even thought of yet that is far more important than cars.

[jaguar717]

Right, just like we need all the whale oil we left behind for kerosene, and all the tin we left behind for aluminum.

The Stone Age did not end for lack of stone. The Bronze Age did not end for lack of bronze. The Iron Age did not end for lack of iron...

Maybe we'll make that multiple-order-of-magnitude leap in battery tech that people have been calling for for 30 years, and you can pride yourself on being an early adopter. But until then, you're simply paying several grand extra to haul around a thousand pounds of something with 1% of the energy density of gas, with little benefit over diesel.

If hybrid technology ever does become physically and economically viable, it'll almost certainly be something like a turbodiesel and ultracapacitor...batteries just aren't good mobile energy holders, but a boring old TDI VW doesn't let anyone annoy everyone at dinner parties about the "difference" they think they're making.

[kormiko]

Could it be maybe Tin, Stone, Bronze and Iron doesn't really disappear as easily into the atomosphere when we used them as burning oil does? Could it also be that we haven't got that new battery tech that we've been asking for for the past thirty years because the consumers haven't demaned it? If we are to just keep buying gas cars, why would a car company invest in other technology? They wouldn't if the demand isn't there. We are well past the peak of oil, which didn't last very long. Hybrids aren't the car of the future, I know that, but it's a step toward going toward full electric. So, yeah, you keep buying your oil cars and save your precious money if you want to. Oh, we are also low on whales, or do you not care about that either?

[jaguar717]

The battery tech "we've been asking for"? Contrary to what you've been told, the act of consuming what productive minds have developed doesn't bestow you with special powers of "demand".

The laws of physics don't care what you demand--we've been working on advancing battery tech for decades because it would be nice for all sorts of things and yet they still have about 1% of the energy capacity of chemical storage such as oil. Unless you can think of a way to shrink the electrolytes' molecules a hundredfold or something, that's not changing anytime soon.

Regarding "peak oil", that claim has been debunked as junk science each of the 15 or 20 times it's been claimed since oil was first discovered. Every time some fool has made the prediction, known oil reserves have expanded tremendously. You can't predict tomorrow's yields based on today's knowledge.

[yanchineseguy]

I've had a second generation Prius for 3 years now. I average in the low 50MPG on a long highway trip. In normal city driving, which is most of my driving, I average in the upper 40s, typically around 48MPG. I had heard that even though it seems like a hybrid car would get better MPG in the city due to regenerative braking, the North American version has been tuned to do better on the highway since North Americans drive a lot more on the highway than, say, Japan or Europe. That's what my experience has been.

[D_J_L]

I have been driving a hybrid (Civic '08) for over a year now. I believe the problem with getting higher MPG in the city is due to accelerating after a stop or slowdown (red light, stop sign, making a turn, etc.). On the highway, you can build up speed and then coast or use only a small amount of acceleration to maintain speed.

Some tips for all, including Martin LaMonica:

Don't accelerate hard. Keep tires properly inflated. Don't tailgate (you end up braking a lot). Keep the trunk clean, so that you're not carrying a lot of extra weight. Do the speed limit or a little under it, because drag is exponential, so it takes more energy to go from 55 to 65MPH, than from 45 to 55MPH. Also, calculate your MPG yourself, don't rely on the car's computer.

A couple of notes: during the winter months, expect lower MPG (batteries and cold temperatures don't mix). If I lived in an area that spends most of the year below 50 degrees F., I would consider something other than a hybrid. Also, while batteries are toxic, they aren't releasing greenhouse gases into the environment.

[monkeyfun14]

You know what wouldn't be a bad idea instead of making it harder to press the gas pedal in these cars have a computer reduce the cars acceleration speed in eco mode.

[bsw33ms]

I've had a 3rd gen Prius for a few weeks now and mostly drive it in ECO mode. When switching between modes the accelerator doesn't feel any heavier or lighter to the touch. The acceleration is less responsive in ECO versus POWER mode. The power is there though if you floor it.

[SteveNYC]

That's a quick way to die. No car should ever artificially reduce its ability to accelerate. You could find yourself in a VERY bad situation that you need to accelerate out of. Fuel efficiency can never compromise safety.

[Don_Martin]

I have an '07 Prius. Even with that generation, it's possible to get 50+ MPG. The trick is to drive it like an old man. Keep your highway speed under 60 MPH. Use your brakes as little as possible by rolling up to stop signs and stop lights. Don't accelerate hard.

Basically, stop doing everything that's fun about driving, and you'll get 50+ with it.

[Sausagebiscuit]

I really hope you stay in the right hand lane, or move out the way in a one lane road for those who actually like to get where they are going the same day they leave.

Now, I said that harshly, but to me as long as you are doing the speed limit or faster I don't care. Slower than the speed limit and/or riding with your foot on the break pedal (I don't want to see your break lights the whole trip) = road rage waiting to happen. Luckly I'm a peaceful rager and keep to myself.

[wolivere]

@sausagebiscuit

What I do find amusing is that most traffic lights are timed for a specific road speed. I can't tell you how many times, I have been passed by a guy doing 5 over the limit. While I drive the limit. 90% of the time I find him stopped at the next light. As I roll up doing the speed limit the light turns green I don't need to brake or accelerate. I pass the guy who passed me, only to see him roar up past me again. And we repeat the process over and over, as he roars past brakes hard at the light sits, and grumbles then roars past again.

There was a reason they put the double nickle out there, it was for efficiency and safety. If you are doing 65 and I am doing 60 on a 300 mile trip. You will get there 15 minutes earlier then I. But consume 5-6 $ more in gas. On your average 5 mile city trip it will take me 16 minutes, and you will take 14 if there are no stops.

Now you need to ask how important is that 2 minutes and 15 minutes?

[medezark]

More accidents are caused by people driving slower than the stated speed limit than driving faster than the stated speed limit. Now, maybe that's because impaired drivers are more likely to drive slower in order to make up for their impaired state - (I'm tired/can't see/have nightblindness/am intoxicated so I'll drive slower and be more careful) - which would mean "I drive slow for fuel efficiency" doesn't count, or some other factor (other drivers, seeing a car driving slower than prevailing traffic are unable to properly gauge and anticipate lane changes, sudden turns, erratic behavior), I am uncertain.

[James7777777]

@wolivere

Yes lights are often timed, which is good. So as you go speed limit and get all green lights, I do twice the speed limit and get green lights.

As you go 60 and lose 15 minutes I drive 120 and cut my time in half.

[gpfpittsburgh]

Humm, I live in Pittsburgh with a few hills between the house and office, hasn't stopped my from doing 70 at times and still have been getting 50 MPG, plus, I find it fun trying to up the mileage and hold the speed!

[twolf2919]

@wolivere: where do you live to get the luxury of timed lights? I've lived in NJ for 20 years now and have yet to see any properly synchronized traffic lights. Lived in NC for 10 years - don't remember any synchronized lights there either. The only time I've ever experienced the benefits of properly synchronized traffic lights was when I was tooling about in Germany.

[D_J_L]

@ James7777777

By driving 120mph, as you say, you *waste* fuel (drag increases exponentially, so going from 55 to 65 uses more gas than going from 45 to 55), which increases demand, which keeps gas prices high. Not to mention that you put yourself and innocent people at risk. That's how children act, not adults. It's not a race out there; you don't get a prize for getting there first.

I switched to a hybrid last year myself and I have cut my fuel consumption in half! Now I just watch all the Neaderthals zooming by, wasting their money, causing accidents, getting tickets, and I just laugh at them. All the way to the bank.

In the end, burning all these fossils fuels is doing nothing but destroying the environment. If we don't change our habits, we're going end up fossils ourselves.

[bsw33ms]

3rd Gen Prius owner. I have a 32 mile one way commute, mostly highway and usually drive anywhere from 70 to 80 and still manage to get an average of 50mpg. When I drove it for the first week I was averaging 57+ for mileage but my driving habits have changed. I'm still learning the car. Depending on your roads you can get this mileage up. I drove on a 15 mile stretch doing about 55-60mph in the country, then drove in EV mode for a little bit within a town and was able to average 68.6mpg! So this car has a lot of potential.

[Truckdrvr]

The Chevy Sprint that came out in the early 80's routinely averaged over 50+ mpg. It was a tin can that had three cylinders, four seats and a heck of a lot of punch, but it was economical as hell. There was a turbo model if you wanted to scare yourself. My sister drove one all through college.

So much for progress huh? 25 years later and we are still trying to play catch up.

[T_Hoff]

@James7777777

>> Yes lights are often timed, which is good. So as you go speed limit and get all green lights, I do twice the speed limit and get green lights.
>> As you go 60 and lose 15 minutes I drive 120 and cut my time in half.

Um, really? You'll get green lights if you drive HALF the speed that the traffic lights are timed for, but if you go TWICE as fast, you won't get there any faster because you'll spend half your time waiting at a red light.

[KillersDad]

One difference I've noticed between my 2001 Nissan Maxima with 5-speed versus my Honda Civic Hybrid is the driving techniques for getting higher mileage are opposite. For example in my Maxima, I can hypermile by coasting down hills and using the higher gears faster and minimizing my acceleration. I generally achieve 30-32 mpg on the highway.

With the Civic, the only similarity is minimizing acceleration - the coasting down hills is totally out. You may charge your battery, but you're going to slow down like you threw an car-sized anchor out the back. The computerized auto-tranny doesn't help me either. So with the Civic, I just let go and let Honda manage my mileage. Honda generally achieves 41-42 mpg on the highway.

[gary85739]

There are plenty of diesel vehicles that get OVER 50mph!

Don't believe the smoke n mirrors PR on hybrids...you don't need them!

[Sausagebiscuit]

Batteries aren't pretty. I am interested in the clean diesel cars that are out, but still think there is no real replacement for a true gas engine still.

[wolivere]

Diesels are pretty good, and yes clean gas lets jsut say clean internal combustion is still nice :)

There is one point that someone made. Battery disposal is going to be a nightmare.

[fortyonejb]

Exactly. Hybrids are nothing more than a self indulging conscience placating sham. The batteries are less friendly to the environment than anything else in a car, the energy required to get the car into your hands is greater, and especially if you drive few miles, you are barely saving money. The environment is better off with you buying a decent mileage used car.

I drive an obscene amount of miles (80 per day to/from work) and I average about $2k a year in gas. If you drive much less, your total money spent on the car alone completely outstrips the benefit of increased mileage. By buying a used vehicle you are saving the energy required to produce the new one, remove the old one, and then some. So you might suck a little more gas, but really you are saving plenty.

Back to the parent, if you must have a new car, the new diesels, especially the VW TDI are phenomenal. Don't be fooled, the prius is not going to drive us into a golden era, its simply a marketing tool by Toyota. It's best hope is to be a catalyst for what does become the big change, but owning one will only serve the drivers own ego, not the planet.

[gpfpittsburgh]

I'd like to know (really!) what numbers people are using to say "and especially if you drive few miles, you are barely saving money" I've heard all sorts of things like that but I use a gas credit card and know for a fact it won't take any "longer" to pay for this cars "extra cost". As for the battery, this is America, when someone sees money to be made in recycling them the problem will get solved (btw , how many C,D,AA(or for that matter the one is your gas powered car) batteries have you used and how did you get rid of them?)
All in all , if you want to buy hybrid, all electric, diesel or regular gas,go for it! No one said you had to buy a hybrid just buy a car that gets better mileage than the one you have now!

[fortyonejb]

@gpfpittsburgh

here are your numbers sir.

we will assume 1000 miles a month, and use todays gas price of $2.61

1000 miles / 30mpg * $2.61 (gallon) = $87 * 12 = $1044

1000 miles / 48mpg * $2.61 (gallon) = $54 * 12 = $648

difference of $396

I can purchase a used 2006 corolla for a bit under $14k

the new prius, 22k.

thats $8k difference. So $8000 / $396 = 20.

that is 20 years to make up the extra gas mileage. And i'm being generous, a corolla would get more than 30mpg.

Fact is, you are doing the environment better by buyiong a comparable used car with good gas mileage. This is your proof.

[clamenza]

Did you know some of the Scandinavian countries don't allow hybrids to be sold as "environmentally friendly"? There's a good reason for that.

[Shaun822]

The key to hybrids being environmentally friendly is to make sure the batteries are recycled and not landfilled. Anything is environmentally un-friendly if you landfill it. All parts of the Honda and Toyota batteries are allegedly 100% recyclable. However, even using hybrid internal combustion the elements of fuel are still irreplaceable and clean diesel can be created using human waste which means the amount of fuel is limitless, and could potentially be cleaner than a hybrid gasoline combustion engine.

[martin1212]

The battery pollution myth has been addressed by others here so I'll skip that. The comment on buying a second hand car instead of a new hybrid is worth addressing though. If you think about the entire pool of vehicles in the world rather than your own personal choices you would see things rather differently. So for example buying a second hand car would be using fewer resources than buying a brand new hybrid, that is true. However in the bigger picture it is not so simple. The second hand car is being sold by somebody who is likely going to buy a new vehicle. If that new vehicle is less efficient than the vehicle you would buy, it is not really a win overall to buy second hand. Buying a new efficient vehicle ensures it will live in the car "pool" for many years with a net beneficial effect.

[fortyonejb]

@martin1212

you are absolutely incorrect. Whomever has released ownership of a car has already done so, or will be doing so regardless of your personal choice. If you then buy a new car, you have incurred the cost of 2 new cars. By not buying a used car does not in any way prevent the previous owner from ditching theirs. That is a horrible strawman, please do not repeat such falsities to anyone.

[martin1212]

@fortyonejb, you are again missing the point. Look at the overall market, not just the one or two owners. As gpfpittsburgh stated above, if everyone followed your rule there would be no new cars purchased at all.

[MEPace]

One of the possibilities for lower than expected gas mileage could be ethanol being mixed in your gasoline. I noticed about a 5% decrease in my average gas mileage since they have started adding up to 10% ethanol to gasoline here in the state of Washington.

[Sausagebiscuit]

Rumor has it they want to push for %15 nation wide... can't recall where I read this however :(

[owlafaye]

Ethanol "enhanced" gas is more at a 10 to 15% decrease in mileage. This will fade into the past also. Don't buy ethanol "enhanced" gas if you can help it. Ethanol manufacturers are going out of business on a regular basis and public opinion is shifting away from ethanol. In addition, it is not good for the longevity of your engine. The damages to the environment, to food prices and your machinery is becoming more apparent as time goes on. You can burn these organic residues and "straws" of agriculture in the direct production of power and at a much more profitable rate than the numerous processes and energy losses associated with the production of ethanol. Ethanol is a huge NEGATIVE factor in power efficiencies. The subsidies and encouragements by government were to please the "greenies" and not thought out very well. Educating the greenies is a difficult task as they run more on emotions rather than researching a few basics in their dogma. The biggest example of this was the "freon scare" years ago...This seeming outrage cost the American people trillions of dollars and our low quality refrigeration machinery production continues with the same rate of freon leaks. 800,000 tons of freon escape from low quality systems in America every year. Whether it is R-12 or R-134a, R-22 or R-502, R-11 or Ammonia, it is still 800,000 tons of whatever and 800,000 tons of ANYTHING will pollute the atmosphere. I am a refrigeration engineer and have often been assaulted by "greenies" wanting to know why I would work with such a dangerous substance. Of course, they are ignorant of the fact that almost all freons are, odorless (in concentrations of 28% or less) non flammable, colorless, tasteless and inert in every way. In a closed space, if the freon displaces all the oxygen, then you will die of suffocation...but then again, this is true of ALL gases. Seems simple doesn't it? But "greenies" are not known to carry many facts in their loud mouthed dogma bag. Ethanol will eventually be exposed for the power wasting fraud that it is.

[baconstang]

i think it was more to please the corn lobby.

[man_w_balls]

@ owlafaye:

I run a 20-year old Toyota sportscar. 3.0L turbocharged, fuel injected motor. 17mpg city / 24mpg highway.
It runs just as good on E10 (ethanol 10%) gas as it does on the "ethanol free" gas. Same mileage, no noticeable difference. I drive about 300 miles per week, so you bet I'm keeping track of it!

As for all the supposed negative effects of ethanol in your car's motor, you are wrong. Ethanol actually cleans your engine! It's a better solvent than gasoline, and leaves no oil deposits (like gas does - see imagery from fuel-injector cleaner commercials). Modern vehicles with the Flex-Fuel badging can actually run on straight 100% ethanol. If you were to run ethanol only, your engine would probably last much longer due to the continuous cleaning process of the ethanol passing through it.

As for the propaganda about negative power efficiencies, ethanol is actually positive by a small margin when produced with corn crops. The problem there is a small return. When you look at different crops, such as SUGAR CANE, the efficiency improves dramatically. We are talking about 8 or 9 to 1 ratio, or 800-900% efficiency. Look it up.

Fuel efficiency: you will get less MPG on pure ethanol than regular gasoline. Pure ethanol engines, tuned correctly, will get 20-30% less fuel economy versus gasoline. But what if the ethanol cost about $1/gallon? If gas is $2/gallon, there's no contest. And these figures are entirely possible. Sugar cane production dedicated to ethanol manufacture could easily provide America with $1/gallon ethanol fuel.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanol_fuel

^^ see the part about "Comparison of key characteristics between the ethanol industries in the United States and Brazil" about 2/3 of the way down. Brazil produces ethanol via sugar cane crops.

[ThatIsWhatSheSaid]

Seriously? We're citing Wikipedia for evidence about the benefits of ethanol?

And sure, ethanol might be cheaper, but that is completely ignoring how much it has made the cost of everything else go up. Practically everything in the US is somehow derived from corn, and we've seen prices for just about everything, especially most foodstuffs, go up in the past few years, especially as the previous administration showered ethanol companies with funds. Ethanol is bad for the economy and bad for the country. We can't keep funding an industry that will raise the overall cost of living for everyone.

[JBColeman]

Our 2009 Prius has a running average of about 46 mpg. We quizzed other Prius owners and what we have found about the best gas mileage procedures is: the accelerate and coast method. You accelerate relatively rapidly (traffic permitting of course) and then coast. Our display of the 2009 is not the same as the one pictured in your article, but it should show a low mpg during accelration and the then the mpg will "peg" at the 100 mpg mark during the coast phase. All that remains to be seen is how "aggressively" you apply these procedures. We had to replace our Toyota Sienna with the Prius last year on short notice as well. At that time we received a $750 rebate but that was in December /January time frame and sales were SLOW!!!! Great car with 10000+ miles so far. Enjoy!

[carlhage]

I also have a prior model, so don't know how the new model works. I get a little over 50mpg in summer, less in winter using the heater. The old model has no "eco" button so the trick is to get the car to flip into electric mode using only the gas pedal. You accelerate _moderately_ and steadily to just above your target speed, release the pedal, then reapply just enough to maintain speed. Unless the computer wants to charge the battery, it will flip into electric-only mode, or at high speeds, low fuel mode. If you reapply the gas too hard, the engine comes back on, then you have to punish the computer by letting off and reapplying. The main thing is to keep the gas pedal light and steady while cruising-- moving up and back slightly will lower your gas mileage 5-10mpg. The computer learns, and will use electric more with a lighter touch, or less otherwise. So once you figure out the trick to getting the computer to switch to electric mode, eventually it will do it more and more. If a friend borrows the car, the computer adjusts and then you'll get worse mileage for another 500 miles or so until it re-adapts. Perhaps they fixed this quirk with the eco button. Also, I get 5mpg less with cruise control than my foot-- I don't understand why as I would have expected the reverse-- just poor software I suppose. The (<=2009) cruise control is stupid and keeps adding or subtracting gas like the low-mileage drivers, so you'll see the fuel consumption go down and up a lot. You get the best mileage by keeping the fuel consumption steady, and in electric mode as much as possible.

Note, you don't have to drive like an old man-- I get >50mpg at 65mph. The car seems to hold speed at about 1gph, so you'll get 50mpg at 50mph and 60mpg at 60mph with the same amount of gas. If you accelerate really slowly (once the engine comes on), you'll use more gas than accelerating moderately and getting past the high fuel consumption zone sooner. Of course, don't drive like a teenager and floor it, except when accelerating onto a highway, etc.

[carlhage]

I forgot to mention that you can recharge the battery braking the most by decelerating slowly. In general, the electric braking can slow the car down only as fast as speed up, so if you are approaching a red light (one unlikely to turn green) slow down more gradually than normal. I suppose you can get the highest mileage by coasting to a stop, but that's a traffic hazard, pissing off other drivers.

[Craiger450]

While as Americans we have the freedom to choose anything we want to buy. We also have a responsibility to each other and our country. We have 3 major car manufacturers on the verge of disappearing, yet Americans are still buying foreign vehicles. Yes, I know many foreign models are made here, and yes, many parts and assembly lines are in foreign countries. But it is where the profit from the sale goes that matters.
When a Japanese car is sold here, the profit goes directly to japan. It is another chip off the US automaker tree. This is one thing bringing them to the brink of shutting down. I'm probably one of only a few people who has never owned a foreign made car,(I'm 57 and have owned over 20 vehicles).
My current car is a 2008 Dodge Caliber. it does everything it is supposed to do good, not great. But then again the base price was only $14500.00. I knew at the time there were what many would say are better cars out there for the money, but then if I bought a foreign brand, I wouldn't be supporting my local dealer, the small machine shops selling parts to the manufacturer, or the manufacturer itself and all the thousands of Americans working at one of the above.
I imagine I will get slammed for this by many people, but as more and more of our country is absorbed in one fashion or another by foreign interests,(banking, leasing highways, real estate, manufacturing, media ownership), maybe enough Americans will wake up and smell the Columbian coffee.

[macman87asdf]

Sorry, but that's not how it works. If the American car companies can't sell products that people want to buy and that are truly better than their foreign counterparts, then why should I pay more for an inferior product?

[monkeyfun14]

"We have 3 major car manufacturers on the verge of disappearing,"

Excuse me? Ford is doing better then most of them including foreign companies.

GM and Chrysler are coming back up newer sleeker cars and electric vehicles.

Trust me these guys will be here for years to come.

[Sausagebiscuit]

Supporting the local dealer? You take your car to Japan to have it fixed?

Anyway, if the American cars actually looked decent and not like junk then yeah maybe. Times have changed and no one wants a boxy sqaure car that isn't pleasing to the eye anymore. Ford is getting there but it is still ugly and cheap looking. The new focus isn't too bad looking.

They have alot of work to do to turn around their negative 'fleet/rental' image that many Americans have. At least American made trucks look decent. By the way, I currently own a Dodge Ram 1500, and it's nice and doesn't look as bad as say a Honda Ridgeline :P

Looks mean alot, sometimes more than build quality or other things. Even if people aren't rich they want to feel like it with a car that looks nice on the outside.

[mogley2005]

The problem with this argument is you assume that just because it has an American logo on it, it is American. The parts of the big three car manufacturers are typically made overseas. There are even plants in Mexico etc to reduce costs. The steel is typically made overseas. Even some "American" companies aren't even at all in America. I believe Saturn is manufactured overseas as an example. Keep in mind also that American car companies have had ample opportunity to build better products and they didn't. When Toyota and Honda first entered the market they made UGLY cars that were small and affordable. American car companies in their arrogance completely ignored that niche market and look at where they are.

[stevenalice]

Buying lesser quality cars simply because they're American is no different then welfare. It creates a cycle of dependency and inferiority. The only way to keep the American economy vibrant and competitive is to apply the tough love of meritocracy. We need more American companies like Google, Microsoft and Intel that dominate their markets because they out compete everyone else in the world.

[ittesi259]

I'll buy an American car when they put out something that can compete with a foreign car.....and I'm talking fuel efficiency specifically....does your Dodge even get 30mpg? Toyota Camry's and Nissan Altima's do.

[artistjoh]

If the local manufacturer has spent years looking down its arrogant nose at other manufacturers who have been investing in newer technology while it clung to Hummers and such inefficient vehicles then it has not invested in future sales. Unfortunately previous Administrations have not led by refusing to require manufacturers to innovate in terms of efficiency. So shortsighted greed has sold future car sales down the river and you are now paying the price.

There is one bright spot in all this. Tesla has taken large steps in creating innovative cars that are even more advanced than the Prius and is American. Sadly they are at an early stage of getting established and their current car offering is too expensive for most. On the other hand, someone passionately wanting to buy American as you do could benefit future American jobs and profits by supporting Tesla.

Buying gas guzzlers doesn't really help all that much because it encourages the local manufacturers to make and sell cars that are bad for the planet due to their lesser fuel efficiency and increasingly there will be less and less people willing to do that. American manufacturers desperately need to embrace a green future for their self preservation as much as for future profits.

[wolivere]

Your correct the dodge caliber is one of the few Chrysler Vehicles assembled in the US. Most of the Dodge products are assembled in Mexico and Canada. *Being I am from Canada I don't mind that*

But then you need to remember a lot of those foreign companies are actually local companies. They pay tax, pay wages and contribute to the local economies. And, pay a fee back to head office. So most of these Foreign cars are designed and built in the good old US of A. The companies pay Local Workers, pay local tax's and support the local economy.

Now the US has not owned itself for what about 100 years now? I do understand what you are saying though, but I think you should look more to off shoring as a major loss for US and Canada. And again this is most likely going to change a lot with peek oil, and the shrinking of a global economy to a local economy.

I will give you a simple example. My father use to be a Manager at a very large local brewery *Labatts* in my home town we had 4 major Breweries. And although these breweries were national companies they also brewed specific local brands. These companies also were very busy in the local economy and local social net. The workers where well paid and typically had jobs for life.

In the 80's and 90's as fuel got real cheap, they as many other companies did, decided to go with mega breweries. So instead of having 20+ across the country each they had 1 or 2 each. The premise was to save money and keep prices down.

So each one of these companies did this, did we as the end user see a price drop? Nope, but suddenly these brands where not in your face every day. You never saw them at the local sports clubs, simple things like fishing derby sponsorship vanished. The local communities hurt.

And, suddenly brand loyalty vanished, sales dropped and new *foreign* competitors showed up in the market. And as trucking and fuel prices went up so did the good old beer price.

We can repeat the above example with almost every industry from the 70's forward, and find the same thing. If your home town happens to be a mega factory then your lucky as they promote your local economy.

But I believe we will see the reversal soon, and see alot of these monsters shut down and return to there roots.

[PineappleUnderTheSea]

Well here is the American car situation, from my experience of buying a new car last year: I took a look at the hybrids, and nothing american was in my price range. That left the Prius, but it didn't have enough acceleration for my taste, so I looked at a small car, something a bit sporty. Well, there is absolutely no american car that fit the bill. The Cobalt is underwhelming, lots of body lean. The Caliber is no better, and sits too high, as if Chrysler wanted to make it into a SUV. The Focus is outdated. But the Mazda 3, the Civic, the Impreza, all are leaps above the ill-tuned american offerings, they are quick and sporty and handle much better. So if you're going to blame anyone, don't blame the american people, blame the management at the Big 3, they watered down their small cars to the point where you're almost forced to buy overseas. And they let the hybrid craze pass them by. They are now paying dearly for their lack of vision, at the expense of the assembly workers at the Big 3.

[hockeymass]

@ittesi259

My Focus does.

[gerrrg]

I can imagine that the solar roof for the air conditioning would be a great feature if you wanted to keep your pets in the car on road trips...no more worries about over heated pets, as the car is kept cool even when you're not in the car.

[dinkeldorf]

Hockeymass -The NA Focus you're driving is a CW170 based vehicle who's platform essentially dates back to 1998. The Euro Focus, Volvos C30/S40/V50, and the last two Mazda 3s share the C1 platform. Drive them and you'll know the difference immediately.

[someuniquename]

Struggling to get 50 round town? I get closer to 60, with the previous (not plug-in) Prius. Took a while to 'learn' how to drive so as to do that, though. Probably too many factors contribute to that, but one 'tip' that comes to mind is judicious use of EV mode (which in my model, is good up to 30mph rather than 20mph). The Prius computer doesn't know what kind of road is coming, so you might as well put it into EV near the top of a hill and run on electric, since once you're at the top you can get high mpg going down the hill and recharge the battery. But don't use EV mode so much that you end up doing low-speed stuff on petrol, as that'll get really low mpg.

[monkeyfun14]

That seems like a major hassle way of driving which is a major turn off in driving.

[MyRightEye]

Kymco People 50, engine upgrade to 70cc, 210lb rider, Huge case on the back, 72MPH.

[d4nowar]

I get low-to-mid 40's highway/mid 30's city in my '97 civic. And I do LOTS of highway driving.
Car was cheap, parts are abundant, and no batteries in a landfill when they're done. Huzzah!

And yes, accelerating slowly and coasting often is good for mileage in _any_ car, not just a Prius. Worth noting that a cop can pull you over for not having the car in gear though.

[scaught78]

I have an '06 Prius. I said screw trying to get 50 MPG. I do about 75 MPH every day on Rte 495 north of Boston and always end up averaging about 46 MPG. I'll take that.

[SenorFrog]

Bingo!

[eriky4]

God, why do they have to make these car's look so ugly!

[chili_picante]

Because that body design is more aerodynamic. Personally, I like the design, maybe because it's different.

[man_w_balls]

+1
this comment is Win

[Shaun822]

I like the look of the Fusion hybrid but it isn't nearly as aerodynamic as the Prius or the Insight. However, I'm not going to kill myself trying to get to the 50 MPG mark.

[garypaquette]

Where's the thing - I have had 3 VW Jetta TDI and the latest BlueTech clean diesel still gets close to 50mpg at 75mph and no batteries to fiddle with.
Lots of power, clean and very little maintenance required.
Most of the rest of the world figured this out a while ago - here we are just starting.
Even BMW, Audi and Mercedes now offer high MPG clean burning diesel versus hybrids.

[JonB.]

You forgot to mention that VW has a Clean Burn diesel that's not imported into the US, and has for a few years, which gets 75 mpg.

Interesting that no one wants to think about the unbelievable environmental and ecological damage that is done just acquiring the raw materials to manufacture the batteries, etc. that goes into making these hybrids.

[SenorFrog]

I'd buy a VW Jetta TDI but I've heard much to the opposite about the maintenance required.

[Spanwite]

After your comment, a funny VW commercial came in m mind.
From the TDI vs. Prius sound, vs. torque, and mpg = fun in front of 2 neighbors house.
They always get some funny commercials together.

I just heard the Diesel fuel quality compare to Europa is not as good.

[helpthemout]

Great!
Please dont view this as a personal attack. Freedom means we have the right to choose without recourse. You made your choice without regard to ROI and chose a foreign manufacture, you have that right. You also gained a little trunk space and the peace of mind associated with the nameplate.
I would have choosen the Ford even with the trunk space issue. Why? I too have the right to choose!
Like you ROI isn't much of a factor, I make plenty of money. I would have chosen the Ford because of the peace of mind associated with the name plate and a general concern about the American Automotive Industry. I worry about my childern and want them to enjoy the financial freedom that I enjoy as an American. I believe our automotive industry needs the support of Americans more now than ever.
So I want to thank you for your blog. You have helped me decide which hybird I'm going to purchase. If the Ford was good enough for an opinion leader, trunk space aside, its the car I want! The real ROI for me is the future of the Ford & GM.
Please be mindful that I only took the time to write this response so your readers could hear my opinion.
Scott Hadley,

[bigmc6000]

I do have to ask - what was the point of putting this into the article "by a teenager in an SUV." Let's just be honest here - adding that little bit is aiding in the stereotype and it's a bit of a low blow. We were all teenage drivers at some point and we've all been inexperienced at doing something. Calling out teenagers (and SUV drivers apparently) is low class. It's just as bad as saying "by some white girl" or "by some black guy" but I guess you probably wouldn't have put that because it's not PC - give the teenagers and SUV drivers a break - your car wasn't totally because the driver was a teenager or what he/she was driving an SUV - your car got totaled because the other driver made a mistake - something middle-age corolla drivers might actually be accused of doing from time to time as well...

(Just as an FYI I've been done with my teens for quite a while now so it's not some self serving point)

[ThatIsWhatSheSaid]

Agreed. It was unnecessary self-indulgence to include in the article. Though bear in mind, it is described as a blog, and, therefore, all trivial anecdotes about personal affairs are welcome.

[tipoo_]

Damn, us teenagers should NOT be given SUV's. Seriously.

[Shaun822]

There was one study, I don't know how accurate, that says the bigger the car the more likely a teenager is to drive carelessly because of the "well I won't feel it" factor. I know that the only accident I was in as a teenager was caused by the middle aged man in the SUV. And, ironically enough the only one my girlfriend was in was caused by the old lady in the prius.

[Ruester]

What about the new VW Jetta - it reportedly gets 60 mpg? (record breaker)

[Sausagebiscuit]

It's also not fugly like the Prius.

[bwilson4web]

It does poorly in the city. The only way a Jetta TDI gets 60 MPG is:

1) must be a manual transmission
2) must be on the highway

Otherwise, it is a fine car although without the space as a 2010 Prius. In fact, it is not even in the same EPA class of vehicle. Compared to a Honda Insight, I would take a Jetta. But I would rather have a real sports car AND my 2010 Prius.

Use the Prius for your job and ordinary things in life. Use the sports car (or motorcycle or light airplane) for weekend fun. With the Prius you can afford the gas for the sports vehicle, which then doesn't have to suffer any compromises.

Bob Wilson

[Renegade Knight]

Too bad they don't have a Jetta TDI hybrid. That would get some MPG.

[owlafaye]

Thats the VW Jetta DIESEL...excellent car and the highest mileage car sold in America...worth every penny. Comes in 2 door, 4 door and station wagon. Automatic is just as efficient as manual transmission. Well thought out...of course, they had Europe to test it on for many a year. America has its head up its butt when it comes to emissions laws.