Toyota Prius

[videodoctor]

Just been looking at Toyota Pruis on the net with its electric/petrol engine.
It says it runs on batteries up to 28 mph.Does the petrol engine then kick in above 28 mph?

So in general around town if you never go over 28 mph then am i right in thinking that it uses no petrol?

Has anyone driven one? Are they quiet when running on batteries?
95% of my driving is around town so this looks quite promising.
Any negative things about it that you lads know(other than the looks)

[Vec-trance]

I had one as a work car for a year. They're actually not bad cars. The electric motor will run up to 28 mph as you said, unles you stick your boot in, and then both engines are working.

One design fault I found was when I picked it up from our central garage it hadn't been used for 4 months and the battery was dead. The battery for jump starting is in the boot (which has an electronic release). So you can't get in to jump it!!!! The mechanic had to strip the rear seats out to get into the boot to put the jump pack on.

Don't expect it to be as economical as it's thought to be though. I could never get mine above 57 mpg. A vw lupo diesel will trump that without careful driving.

It's a pretty comfortable car with all the controls close to hand, although the rear view is obscured by a strange cross bracing.

I'd have another as a company car but I wouldn't entertain shelling out my hard earned for it.

[Danwells72]

BMW will beat that mpg as well

[LeoB]

Top Gear did a test on one of these. They ragged it round their test track following in a new M3.

Prius - 17mpg
M3 - 19mpg

[Ste]

Not really a fair test, though. Being ragged round a test track isn't really operating like a hybrid, the petrol engine will be straining it's nuts off, and hence poor fuel economy.

NO hybrid car will be economical using the test cycle the TG did - it simply isn't possible.

Another case of TG doing something stupid to prove whatever point they want to prove. Unfortunately, people who don't understand the extreme limitations of the test get the wrong conclusion.

The BMW M3 will NOT be more economical when driven normally. This test was both pointless and a waste of fuel IMO.

[Ben H]

The two cars were not being ragged round the track but being driven at a steady consistent speed to compare every day driving.

[Ste]

Really. Steady consistant speed at near the max speed for the Prius? Not very 'every day' - who drives near max speed for extended times??

[Rebellion]

The Prius is designed to be at it's most economical in the very conditions where a normal engine (petrol or diesel) is at it's worst - stop/start driving in town. If that's the type of driving you have to endure, then it's well worth getting; if however, most of your driving is on the motorway then a diesel will be more economical.

[parapaul]

But FFS whatever you do, DON'T buy one because you think it's good for the environment....

Because they're really not.

Ditto the comments above about getting the same mpg and emissions from any small diesel engine. Really NOT a car I would ever choose, for so many reasons.

[AndrewTi]

I read a roadtest somewhere, A Prius and a BMW 520d were driven to Paris at the same time, the 520 turned out to be more economical.