Watch till the very end. <object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/SBPJTK1YBvs"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/SBPJTK1YBvs" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>
Not in the real world, it doesn't. http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2005/hybridwatch01.html They'd be better off paying considerably less for a Corolla that gets almost as good of gas mileage.
That article is absolutely not true. I get 52mpg in the winter and 49mpg in the summer. This is an average over the last year.
What kind of driving do you do? I have several friends that commute long distances, and they've never averaged any more than 45 mpg (calculated). A couple have swapped theirs for Volkswagen diesels.
Simple: Cadillac Deville. These days, however, I am starting to see more and more seniors driving around in 'smaller' sedans like Camrys. I know some like the Camry because it has a smoother ride that caters to the older crowd.
The Prius doesn't get the max mileage on long distance drives because there's not enough braking to charge the electrical part... you have to have the gas on motoring down the freeway. Stop and go traffic, commuting through lights and stop signs... that's when you get the top mpg.
My wife has a 2005 Volkswagen Jetta TDI (diesel). She gets about 41mpg, which is 10mpg less than I get. I can get as much as 65mpg in the city, 48 mpg on the highway, 44mpg while traveling a little over 70mph. I’m not sure why your friends didn’t get good gas mileage, as there are Prius owners that get better mpg than I do. It could be that they drive fast or live around hills. Hills are terrible on the Prius mpg. Luckily, we don’t have to worry about that in Houston.
I've wondered about that, living in Austin. We're intending to get something with 4 doors, probably a sedan, pretty soon, so I've been looking at the Prius. Not sure if it's large enough, and we need very comfortable seats up front (2 bad backs), but I've read a lot of good things about the car. I wouldn't mind contributing to the environmental movement by "making a statement" with a hybrid. We've been thinking about a one or two year old Lexus ES 330. One extreme to another, I guess! (but damned comfortable!)
I was in Austin last week on a work/vacation trip. There was no vacation because of all the rain (Grrrr). Anyway, the best I could do on gas mileage was 46mpg. It’s possible that I just don’t know how to drive the car around hills yet. To get the best gas mileage with a Prius you have to drive the car a little different. The seats on a Lexus are going to be a lot more comfortable.
I know that old folks LOVE huge cars (Cadillacs, Grand Marquis, etc), but in reality, these are the worst cars for them to have, since it just makes a bigger weapon for them in parking lots. My 84-year-old grandmother has a ford focus, and she loves it- her #1 compliment on it: it's easy to park.
