Prius debate rages: Part I

  Dan Neil has gotten a lot of e-mail about his story today on the Al Gore III Prius getting to 100 mph. Here are some highlights (more to come later):

Prius muscle car

Your article about Al Gore III hitting 105 mph in a Prius stirred my recollection. Let's put it this way: I recall someone in a 1973 Plymouth Duster, 318 c.i. v-8, two barrel and three speed on the floor, burning the speedo on an empty stretch of rural four-lane highway. This was many years ago. The speedo topped at 125 mph and it was probably optimistic. But the screaming rush of air past the Duster was awesome. Car was rock-solid. I've never driven a Prius. I'm waiting for the hemi version.

-- Jim

Going 105 in a Prius

I've had a hybrid since the original, the Insight. 2001. My son, 17 years at the time, got clocked going over 110 on the Grapevine. He wanted to see how fast it would go. The cops thought they were chasing a Porsche until they got closer and couldn't believe they were chasing a hybrid.

I have almost 100,000 miles and have not had one repair except for normal maintenance. Time to release the stereotype that this car, these cars, have no power.... Have to admit, it's an interesting angle, and a rather fun read. However, 105 in a Prius must certainly reduce its primary claim to fame -- saving gasoline. A Prius is not very stable at high speeds. I've watched too many drivers fighting for control of their cars when going even 75-80 or so. On a recent trip to the Bay Area, even my wife cautioned me as I began to pass one (on I-5). She said, "Be careful, looks like he could lose control." (Of course I'd been watching him for a couple of miles already.) And if there is any side wind, it really gets to be a test of will. The car has a very narrow wheel base, and sits up rather high (appears top-heavy). It gets caught in an overcorrecting -- is wobble the right word? More like a weave.

Of course with a driver who is stoned, possibly also on narcotics, the safety factor becomes a real issue. In fact, suddenly it is not simply a "personal" family matter. It's a public matter, a very public matter. In fact, it is now The people vs. Al Gore III. This is not the young man's brush with the law. Although not predominantly smeared for public consumption by the media in the past -- his prior acts of drug use and driving -- and driving at extremely high speeds (while under the influence), he's becoming quite the public nuisance. And a risk to public safety. I truly hope that other foolish young people don't get curious after reading your article today and decide to give their family Prius a test ride at 105 -- perhaps they'll shoot for 110? Let's hope that if they do try, they'll at least leave the drugs in the medicine cabinet.

-- Gary

Trouble getting around

I had a virtually new Prius assigned to me about a year ago. I probably put close to 12K on the odometer during that particular job season. While I found it challenging to drive (it's either in go mode or brake/charging mode, depending on how you are modulating the accelerator), it can get real tiresome on a long trip that doesn't include the interstate. I come to my point: I thought the one I had was going to come apart at 85 mph!!!!!!!!!!!! I just can't believe the Gore boy had his over 100. I just don't believe it! How much is Toyota paying to get this hype out?????????????????????????????

-- Doug

Prius 500

You got me to envision the All-Prius Indy 500... "Gentlemen...START YOUR ENGINES!!!... bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz"

-- Tom

Pious, I mean Prius

The fact that a Toyota Pious ... er, Prius ... will do 100mph is no revelation. My 10-year-old VW GTI will do 130. I have nothing against the Prius. If people want to pay $25,000 for a $15,000 Corolla with a few extra batteries, God bless them! It's their holier-than-thou attitude, and the fact that they clog the commuter lanes and roads driving at a leisurely pace, eyes glued to their computer mpg readout, that I can't stand. All I can say is the end is near for their smugness. It's called a diesel.

-- Michael

Get some Insight

I read with interest your article this morning on the Prius and Al Gore's speeding episode. In your article you state that the Prius has the cachet of being the most fuel-efficient auto on the road today. If you meant to say autos currently in production I would agree with you. I own a Honda Insight and routinely get 65 to 75 miles per gallon at highway speeds and slow-and-go traffic in Los Angeles. I believe this is far better than the Prius. Honda discontinued manufacture of the Insight last year. I am not sure why. I enjoyed the article. Thank you.

-- Timothy

Costs too much

Thanks for the reply and the further education on how the Prius operates. I looked at buying a Prius about a year ago in Houston. Unfortunately, I would have had to get on a 30-day waiting list and none of the dealers would negotiate on the price. I looked at three different Toyota dealers and only one had a Prius on the lot. It was priced at $34,000 because the dealer had loaded it with expensive options.

-- Mike

Comments

[Ben]

I'm 17 and have gotten my mom's '04 Prius up to 108 on the highway just to see how fast it would go and I felt much more in control of it than I do in my dads Ford SUV going over 100. After I hit 108 though the engine all of a sudden stopped revving and I was afraid I broke it, but later I found out it has a speed limiter on it. I think that just about any car will hit 100, just some will take more time than others, going from 80 mph up to 100 it took me (just a wild guess) 30 seconds.

[Jorge Vazquez]

Each day, I drive my 2001 Insight to work doing 80. No problem and it handles very well.

[Jason Hoppe]

DITTO!

The fact that a Toyota Pious ... er, Prius ... will do 100mph is no revelation. My 10-year-old VW GTI will do 130. I have nothing against the Prius. If people want to pay $25,000 for a $15,000 Corolla with a few extra batteries, God bless them! It's their holier-than-thou attitude, and the fact that they clog the commuter lanes and roads driving at a leisurely pace, eyes glued to their computer mpg readout, that I can't stand. All I can say is the end is near for their smugness. It's called a diesel.

-- Michael

[Ron Fischer]

The price of Toyota's popularity: fools drive their cars too...

I leased the GM EV-1, Ford Th!nk City and now a Toyota Prius. They were all great cars each in their own way. While the Prius is surely the most practical, the GM EV was the most efficient, smoothest and fastest accelerating. I'm cheering for GM to get its "EV mojo" back with the Volt serial hybrid. Hopefully they'll build and sell it this time.

Our family's taken the Prius on several long distance trips. The handling has NEVER felt squirrely or wobbly. Perhaps the other commentators haven't checked their tire pressure lately?

[George Lester]

Timothy: I have 58K on my 2000 Insight; just routine maintainence and one set of tire so far. I understand the Insight was intended to get experience for Honda with the hybrid system at low 'exposure' in case of problems, with plan to later use the same basic system on the much larger sales volume Civic Hybrid. I don't think they ever planned to sell more than 5,000/yr in the US, and I doubt they sold more than 20,000 total between 2000 and 2006.

Some of you guys with a bad case of 'hybrid envy' might consider that every gallon of gas you burn that you could have saved with a hybrid or other low fuel consumption vehicle helps keep bin Laden and his pals in RPGs and IEDs through his pipelines from Saudi and Iran.

"Insightful, and proud of it."

[Phil]

Geeze Dan, are you playing into this much? In the '70s I routinely drove 65 hp MGs and 71 hp Triumphs over 100 mph, even on an up grade, at will. This car's shape is informed by decades of new understanding about aerodynamics, computer modeled and honed before production.However, whether anyone should drive a Prius at triple digit speeds is doubtful. The car is plain unstable. Its skinny, hard tires are anemic on grip and the whole system is numb to the driver. You get a fraction of dynamic input through your heels, butt, back and fingers that a vintage British sports car gave its pilot, so most drivers have no idea when the humpy Toyo is about to lose its composure. I've seen a couple Priuses shiny side down on the freeway on a perfectly clear day with dry roads and moderate traffic (i.e. high speed not possible). I've seen Priuses wavering in sweepers and crosswinds. I've seen a few dead and crumpled for simply being unable to stop.

What this story does reveal is that AG3 is as much a poseur on carbon release as his old man is. Private jets, feeding energy to a 15,000 s.f. home, driving a Prius into inefficiency at 100 mph -- it's all the same insincere thing. Load up Little Al on his ADD dose and try to keep his attention while you explain the environmental wisdom of a big engine loafing at lightspeed, not to mention the particulate pollution averted when the driver has a whip able to avoid being splintered into airborne dust by superior maneuverability. Perhaps you have connections to arrange Little Al a deal on a 6 speed Corvette.

[Tom A.]

Amen, Michael! You can' t run a hybrid on vegetable oil!

[Fallonus]

I don't know about going 105--I've had my Prius up to about 80, and it's stable and smooth. But I have to say I look at every Prius I see (in Central and Northern Ca. that's quite a few), and I've never seen one with a dent. (except my own.) It's not the cars that are wimpy, it's the drivers that are sane (other than AGIII, of course.)