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Comments
If it does not beat the other Prius mileage by a good amount it will fail. Look at the flop the Camry Hybrid is. Barely beats out the 4 banger out on the highway. And costs about $6k more.
I was gonna say...
They let my kid loose on it and he glued all his graph paper to the exterior, instead of using it to do his homework.
I agree it should be significantly more fuel efficient. The Prius V loses, what, 20% or so? This needs to gain 20% or so.
Lemme look...
51/48 or 50 combined for the Prius.
44/40 or 42 mpg combined for the Volume edition. So it gives up 8mpg, or 16%.
I know you get diminishing returns, but they should aim for 58mpg, and if they can get 56mpg or so combined I would say that's a success.
If it's 52mpg combined, why even bother?
IMHO, it's not the mileage that dooms the Camry Hybrid - it's the styling. People want others to see how green they are. What's the point of smugness if you can't show the world??
It's the same reason the Accord Hybrid didn't sell.
Hybrid gets 31/35, 33 combined.
So you're still picking up 2 mpg on the highway. And +7mpg overall.
However...real world mileage improves a lot, people average 24.3mpg in the regular Camry and 35.9mpg in the hybrid. That's a very meaningful +11.6mpg.
Also, that $6000 includes some extra equipment. My college roommate's wife bought one and I remember it had nicer seats and a nicely padded dash. It seems well upscale from a generic base model.
Hybrids are meant to improve city driving, though. If you do mostly highway driving get a diesel.
Conversely, if you sit in bumper to bumper traffic, diesels lose because you get 0mpg when it's idling (which is 50% of the time here in DC). I'd like to see an auto-stop diesel, that would be sweet...
Sporty Variant Expected to Debut with Manual Transmission Option
Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/future/future_vehicles/1105_toyota_prius_sports_coupe_- in_pipeline/index.html#ixzz1OEIf8RhZ
Batteries are heavy.
Sports coupes should be light.
At least you can make the center of gravity low, but the CR-Z tried to be both fun and efficient and failed at both.
Good luck.
Well, if it comes in at a much cheaper price point than the Prius, it could still make sense. For example, a Yaris is rated 29/35, 31 combined with the automatic, and 29/36, 32 combined with the stick.
I remember the Honda Insight getting some favorable reviews, because even though its fuel economy wasn't so hot compared to the best of the best, it was also a lot cheaper, so it was a good choice for people on more of a budget.
Still, when you consider how popular the Prius is, compared to the Insight, I guess the market has spoken. I guess most people who want a hybrid want the most economical car they can get, and are willing to pay for it.
About this time last year, I found a used '09 Altima at the Nissan dealer's used car lot when we took my buddy's Xterra in for servicing. It was a pearly white color and had leather and a sunroof, and really nicely equipped in general. I think they wanted something like $22K for it. I was kinda tempted! Sure, it doesn't get the fuel economy that a Prius does...but it doesn't look like one, either! :shades:
I'd like to see KERS applied to sporty cars as opposed to gas-electic hybrids. I'm guessing they'll be able to get half the efficiency without giving up any of the fun.
Sort of like comparing a Yaris to a Corolla, it's not much cheaper so most people just get the latter.
To be honest I think the Insight failed not because of the price, but because it didn't win the MPG battle. Look - a lower price hasn't made much of a dent in sales.
In Europe some would argue the Type R is, and the Si is close.
Prius sales in the U.S. fell in May their lowest levels in more than five years
That when gas prices were hovering around $4, too.
They need this badly - Prius V and Prius C will only add to the need for batteries.
The market is saturated. It is a niche vehicle for the most part. Not everyone thinks they are cool.
Buyers waiting to see the next version
Dealers gouging on existing stock. Still several hundred available in So CA.
Many other options that get close to the Prius mileage for a lot less money.
The real reason sales dropped that drastically is prices are higher. You located stock - but we observed full MSRP or even higher pricing.
Consumers won't pay that unless a product is new and hot, and the Prius is neither.
It's tricky to strike a balance - Toyota doesn't want to run out of cars to sell, but then again I think they overdid it in May. Incentives are back for June, I saw low finance rates being advertised, but it only applied to a few American made models.
Thing is, they're not nearly as nice as before.
I'd be looking at a TDI Golf instead, they haven't spoiled that one.
I'd like to see VW add stop-start tech and sell it here. That would steal a bunch of Prius sales to city dwellers.
Same dealer, for apples to apples.
Jetta wagon TDI DSG is $26,006, and they have 8 in stock.
Prius is $29k, full MSRP, and they only have 1 in stock.
That's insanity. $3k higher and they're selling out? Sheesh, buy a 100k mile warranty on the VW if you're worried about reliability. You'd still have $2 grand left.
Crazy.
Shoppers Scramble for Toyota Prius as Gas Stays Pricey
"Some analysts had suggested that everyone who wanted a fuel-sipping car probably bought one already, but the market seems to be saying otherwise."
I guess loaded Priuses go up there, but $29k to start is painful.
Fitzmall's web site is usually lags a bit so I bet that last Prius sold and they're out. Other dealers will trade but not if a product is profitable and popular, and usually they want another popular model in exchange.
Earthquake Shakes Toyota Profits By $1.6 Billion (AutoObserver)
Unfortunately, many dealers have the same stupid short term focus as corporate America and Wall Street. Vehicles are getting closer to each other and there are usually lots of dealers out there. Ford claims they can now lower hybrid costs, so that may put a bit of pressure on Toyota's bottom line. But Toyota has become another GM, geared to margins and volume. As their quality differential fades, their pricing power does too. My current Camry is nowhere close to my previous ones and I no longer feel any particular affinity toward them. I think Toyota really stepped on their crank and it is hurting them, but I also think they will come back and continue to be a factor in the market.
Japan's Demand for Prius Wagon Far Exceeds Supply (AutoObserver)
I wonder if the government of Japan will re-introduce those hybrid incentives since so many vehicles were damaged or destroyed during the tsunami? I believe they expired recently.
52k is a lot of pre-orders. It's about what the entire MINI brands sells in a good year, and that's 4 models (Coupe, Convertible, Countryman, and Clubman) in all powertrain variations (base, S, JCW) combined.
We are talking about one model variant, with one powertrain. An expensive one at that.
Soooooo much better than the outgoing interior.
Reminds me a little of the Fiat 500 inside.
Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A.'s inventory has plummeted by nearly 50 percent since March 1, falling to 198,900 vehicles on June 1, from 384,200 on March 1
Read more: http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110613/RETAIL01/306139864/1- 424#ixzz1PSO23L3h
Interesting - Honda's makes the same mileage as the small Fit.
Toyota shortened gearing so it can get out of its own way, but gave up a few MPG.
I actually think the hybrid market may prefer Honda's strategy. Maybe they will steal a few sales away.
US production at full steam by September, but Japan only by December at the earliest.
I like when he says the 8 things cost him $60.
I saw one of the new Fiat 500s last Saturday close-up and personal, and the build quality really looked great. If Fiat can establish a more robust dealer network, IMO it should be a good selling car...
Toyota Prius Could Become Company's Best-Seller
Toyota Sees Full Production by Fall (In North America, per the WSJ).
http://www.freep.com/article/20110622/BUSINESS01/106220351/Prius-line-could-Toyo- ta-s-top-seller