**** Consumer Warning **** - The Flip Side of the Perfect Prius

[Rich Parsons]

An article that referrences who for the Prius it is just a "wild Ride" but for other companies it is "Death Trap"

http://jalopnik.com/5230917/toyota-...d-adventure-of-sudden-unintended-acceleration


The Bias of Press?

Or the perception of the brand name?

 

[Carol]

"Death Traps" are gas guzzlers driven by a conservatives that love their SUVs.

"Unexpected Adventures" are hybrids driven by liberal greenies that feel better about themselves for driving a Prius

 

[Big Don]

As shown by the pics in this thread, the Prius, is kinda homely.
I'd call it fugly, but, it isn't a Scion...
Besides, they spread SMUG

 

[Steve]

And SMUG can be very dangerous in large quantities.

Personally, if gas prices go up, I'm going to buy a late model Metro. You can get 45+mpg, it's easy to work on, and can be picked up for under $3k in very good condition.

 

[Rich Parsons]

And SMUG can be very dangerous in large quantities.

Personally, if gas prices go up, I'm going to buy a late model Metro. You can get 45+mpg, it's easy to work on, and can be picked up for under $3k in very good condition.

There is a guy at work that gets 60 mpg. He has done lots of aerodynamic work on his vehicle and it looks ugly and is not meant to go down dirt or rough roads anymore, but for his short commutes it works great.

I had a friend who had one and loved it for just the commute, but it sucked for any other reason why people have vehicles. He also staid to non expressways as he always felt so small against the big trucks.

 

[Steve]

There is a guy at work that gets 60 mpg. He has done lots of aerodynamic work on his vehicle and it looks ugly and is not meant to go down dirt or rough roads anymore, but for his short commutes it works great.

I had a friend who had one and loved it for just the commute, but it sucked for any other reason why people have vehicles. He also staid to non expressways as he always felt so small against the big trucks.

There are actually forums and lists of modifications you can make. Check this out: http://metroxfi.com/2008/05/geo-metro-modification-list-for-mileage/

I wouldn't worry about the safety stuff too much. I drove aircooled VWs most of my adult life. My theory is that people who feel safe take risks they wouldn't otherwise take. I have a well documented prejudice against women who drive SUVs and anyone who drives a Volvo!

The most effective safety feature of any car is an alert and defensive driver.

 

[Carol]

I have a well documented prejudice against women who drive SUVs

Hey!

 

[Rich Parsons]

There are actually forums and lists of modifications you can make. Check this out: http://metroxfi.com/2008/05/geo-metro-modification-list-for-mileage/

I wouldn't worry about the safety stuff too much. I drove aircooled VWs most of my adult life. My theory is that people who feel safe take risks they wouldn't otherwise take. I have a well documented prejudice against women who drive SUVs and anyone who drives a Volvo!

The most effective safety feature of any car is an alert and defensive driver.

You mean the Deer I dodged this morning in my low riding Firebird had nothing to do with a safe car but with me paying attention seeing it come to the edge and "think" about running across, as I was engaging the cluth and brake and hitting the horn as well.

Yes the Horn made it look at my vehicle and then run back into the woods.

Paying attention is best defense.

But that being said, the larger the vehicle with the larger crumple zone, and more safety features do give better odds of surviving in the case of an accident.

The issue is that people who were not paying attention be they male or female get into the accidents more often then those paying attention and avoid the event and have a near accident.

 

[Steve]

Hey!

There are exceptions, I'm sure!

 

[Steve]

You mean the Deer I dodged this morning in my low riding Firebird had nothing to do with a safe car but with me paying attention seeing it come to the edge and "think" about running across, as I was engaging the cluth and brake and hitting the horn as well.

Yes the Horn made it look at my vehicle and then run back into the woods.

Paying attention is best defense.

But that being said, the larger the vehicle with the larger crumple zone, and more safety features do give better odds of surviving in the case of an accident.

The issue is that people who were not paying attention be they male or female get into the accidents more often then those paying attention and avoid the event and have a near accident.

Physics do play a part, and there is a definite need by some to drive larger vehicles. I think that most people who drive SUVs or Pickups do so for status and not for any real need.

As an aside, a few years back, I looked at the impact/crash photos for the different cars when my wife was looking at buying a mini cooper. I was surprised to see the difference between an impact in the cooper and in the larger SUV/Pickups. In the trucks, the dummies routinely lost their legs and suffered what would be lethal blows to the head. In the cooper, the dummies would have "walked away."

 

[Carol]

There are exceptions, I'm sure!

S'ok. I have a prejudice towards anyone that can't safely/defensively drive what they own.

 

[shihansmurf]

There is a guy at work that gets 60 mpg. He has done lots of aerodynamic work on his vehicle and it looks ugly and is not meant to go down dirt or rough roads anymore, but for his short commutes it works .

Great thing about my bike....

should the gas prices go back up my mileage is great and I'll still look cool.

:ultracool

Man, I love motorcycles.
Mark

 

[Rich Parsons]

Great thing about my bike....

should the gas prices go back up my mileage is great and I'll still look cool.

:ultracool

Man, I love motorcycles.
Mark

While I have a vehicle for all occasions, I really do like my bike. Mine is a Road King, I know other flavors can be as cool, and as fun and economical.

 

[Rich Parsons]

From:
http://autos.yahoo.com/articles/aut...oyota-to-recall-38m-vehicles-over-floor-mats/

Toyota to recall 3.8M vehicles over floor mats

By Ken Thomas, Associated Press Writer, 9/29/09, 6:26 pm EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Toyota Motor Corp. said Tuesday it will recall 3.8 million vehicles in the United States, the company's largest-ever U.S. recall, to address problems with a removable floor mat that could cause accelerators to get stuck and lead to a crash. The recall will involve popular models such as the Toyota Camry, the top-selling passenger car in America, and the Toyota Prius, the best-selling gas-electric hybrid.

...

The recall will affect 2007-2010 model year Toyota Camry, 2005-2010 Toyota Avalon, 2004-2009 Toyota Prius, 2005-2010 Tacoma, 2007-2010 Toyota Tundra, 2007-2010 Lexus ES350 and 2006-2010 Lexus IS250 and IS350.

Toyota's previously largest U.S. recall was about 900,000 vehicles in 2005 to fix a steering issue. The company declined to say how many complaints it had received about the accelerator issue.

NHTSA said it had received reports of 102 incidents in which the accelerator may have become stuck on the Toyota vehicles involved.

...

 

[Rich Parsons]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_toyota_floor_mats

Toyota to replace 4M gas pedals that could jam

WASHINGTON – Toyota Motor Corp. said Wednesday it will replace accelerator pedals on about 4 million recalled vehicles in the United States because the pedals can get stuck in the floor mats.
As a temporary step, Toyota will have dealers shorten the length of the gas pedals beginning in January while the company develops replacement pedals for their vehicles, the Transportation Department and Toyota said. New pedals will be available beginning in April, and some vehicles will have brake override systems installed as a precaution.
...