Hilarious Prius v review from...WSJ(!)

"$25,000 to start"

Did I read that right?

 

I could see Toyota doing 25k to start, probably a stripped down version, though. I've always said that CUV/SUV were extremely over priced compared to cars. I enjoyed the article, as I feel he pretty much said it as it was. In a way, it followed a lot of what you hear about here. A fair and accurate assessment, I agree.

 

While I can understand complaining about acceleration, what is it with speed? How many times a week are people trying to drive more than 100 MPH? And how do I get them to do it far away from me? A Prius will happily do 80 MPH, and get high 40ish-MPG doing, what exactly are you complaining about?

 

reporters get to drive a lot of cars and they like to gun them, so when it doesnt work, they complain...

 

The author is Dan Neil, I imagine in the top 3 auto journalists of anybody who keeps a list. He is the guy who got the LA times in hot water with GM when he trashed one of their cars. I don't know for sure, but I think GM forced the Times to fire him, and he ended up at the WSJ.

 

So can I complain when a reporter gets the words wrong?

 

The top speed itself isn't an issue, given US speed limits.

I haven't read the review yet, but take a look at how the 3rd gen Prius stacks up against other cars in acceleration at Consumer Reports - Fuel economy vs. performance, Car Acceleration: Consumer Reports and Best & worst cars review, best & worst acceleration.

Sure, the Prius is more than enough around town and adequate on the highway, but there's a HUGE difference on the highway between it on my former 02 Maxima (w/255 hp) or my 04 350Z (287 hp). It can be important on highways (or roads) w/only 1 or 2 lanes in each direction of travel and having to pass much slower traffic (e.g. big rigs), esp. if you have to cross into the opposite side of the road to overtake. Some things I'm able to do in my Z I don't even bother w/on my Prius because I know it doesn't have enough power for that task.

Simply put, Prius acceleration is econobox class but at a price higher than econoboxes. One can get much better acceleration (at the expense of much worse fuel economy) for Prius pricing.

 

"If you can't acknowledge the genius of the Toyota Prius, you just don't like cars, engineering, or technology."
This is my favorite line.

 

I was going to fuss that my Prius is one of the quickest accelerating cars I have owned and has no trouble passing, but then I remembered:

1) I owned a Mazda 808 Mizer Station wagon, a Mazda GLC, a Ford Escort Station wagon and a Toyota Corolla All-Trac AWD station wagon, so of course the Prius seems like a power house.

2) In MS, I have 8 mile straightaways, so I can plan my passes easier than you can in Seattle.

3) Traction control may reduce passing power in the rain

I swear I have no trouble getting it to 95 to pass a string of harvesting equipment.

 

We saw a stock v in SI at a meet and droll and the car was pretty sweet just as a base backage. Bluetooth, b/c camera, mfd

 

There are some two lane roads w/speed limits of 55 mph around here w/no divider and no choice but to go into the opposing lane to pass.

For me, I'm thinking more along the lines of the drive between the Bay Area and LA. Highway 152 has a bunch of 2 lane segments w/slow big rigs and plenty of opposing traffic. There might be some on I-5, which also has a speed limit of at least 70 mph.

I can post some acceleration times when I have a chance. 1/4 mile time to me is a better measure esp. since I've taken my cars (not my Prius) drag racing before and have a good sense of 1/4 mile times for a given amount of power and weight along w/how much being beat by say 2 seconds is.

 

yep about all my commute is on narrow two lane 55 MPH roads.

[ame="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=sunnyside+ms&aq=&sll=33.68921,-90.307274&sspn=0.190824,0.363579&gl=us&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Sunnyside,+Leflore,+Mississippi&ll=33.69653,-90.309892&spn=0.023708,0.045447&z=15&layer=c&cbll=33.697216,-90.309897&panoid=JgWy08PAu4N8sFig4AyBJg&cbp=12,160.74,,0,0"]sunnyside ms - Google Maps[/ame]

Worse I was unable to find a place where passing was legal.

[ame="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=gilroy+ca&aq=&sll=33.697208,-90.309892&sspn=0.023851,0.045447&gl=us&g=sunnyside+ms&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Gilroy,+Santa+Clara,+California&ll=36.943491,-121.738675&spn=0.091647,0.181789&z=13&layer=c&cbll=36.943491,-121.738675&panoid=VXTvWbPFIpZ9bhZQCecNlw&cbp=12,45,,0,0"]gilroy ca - Google Maps[/ame]

50 to 80 is more the range I find myself using when passing. By then you can use all the HP the ICE can make. It is the second 1/8th mile in the 1/4 mile.

:focus:

It was a funny article, the Prius makes all the HP a man needs, but not all a guy wants.

 

You've got the wrong section of 152. You need to look at the part between 101 and I-5. There are definitely sections where passing is allowed. Finally found a section:
[ame="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=gilroy+ca&aq=&sll=33.697208,-90.309892&sspn=0.023851,0.045447&gl=us&g=sunnyside+ms&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Gilroy,+Santa+Clara,+California&layer=c&cbll=36.99655,-121.501234&panoid=o6-NoaugjKly7eA0oYsXNQ&cbp=11,308.77,,0,0.79&ll=36.995972,-121.500549&spn=0.404722,1.245575&z=10"]gilroy ca - Google Maps[/ame]

I do recall some (previously?) hairy sections on I-5 as well.

 

I used to read Dan Neil's stuff every week when I lived in LA until I moved in '09. He was a hybrid advocate/gas guzzler detractor back then. I'm actually surprised WSJ hired him.

 

I've never worried about taking my 2010 into an opposing lane to pass. The car has the same performance specs as my 1966 Mustang did brand new and I bet nobody would call the V-8 slow if you parked them next to each other and had them point out the slower car.

 

I guess I'm an old fart too. I keep hearing people talk about how slow the Prius is, but when I was a teenager I owned an early 90's Honda CRX Si which was never considered slow, and the Prius' acceleration is nearly identical to that up until around 60 MPH or so.

Since generally the two-lane roads where you'd have to pass have speed limits in the 35-55 MPH range, I wouldn't expect it to be problematic unless you're trying to pass some jerk in a V8 SUV/pickup who drives 10 MPH under the limit until you try to pass and then they speed up to screw with you. But that's not the majority of passing situations anyway. Sure, it might be a problem if you're a speeder and you're trying to pass someone "only" going 70 MPH in a 45 so you can keep going 85, but honestly how many Prius drivers buy a Prius and drive like that? (Yeah, I know you're out there, but it's not most of you.) It wouldn't be any worse than any other fuel-miser of a car, and I doubt it would be too much worse than my '03 Subaru Legacy wagon unless we're talking snow.

 

Did you post the pics? I must have missed it.

 

I see you have been to Maine. That seems to be the favorite sport along the coast roads.

In VA, they will do that in the LEFT lane on a 10 lane highway, and speed up when you try to get around them in the right lanes. If you make it past them, they will tailgate you in the left lane no matter how fast you go. That happened to me 3 or 4 times on 495 in VA in one trip (in a lowered V6 Solara SE, so I wasn't going slowly).

:suspicious:

 

I work for one of the west coast importers of Toyota installing all the accessories on the cars, including the Prius V. I drive this car everyday and can tell you with complete confidence that this is a great car. If you read a review about the power delivery being shallow, that is completely false. The car is not under powered by any stretch. The prius v has just as much useable power as any 4 cylinder car such as the corolla etc.