Hybrid goodness

[den]

I wandered down to the Toyota dealer and picked up some Prius literature. They got a Prius in on Saturday as a demo vehicle, so I nicked down there this morning to check it out and maybe do a test drive. They sold the car on Saturday to the first bloke to test-drive it.

The engine is a 4cyl 1.5ltr giving 57Kw@5000rpm (76.5HP), and the electric motor gives another 50Kw (67HP)+ 400NM of torque. It means you can drag off a Porsche for 15 metres. 0-100kph in 11 seconds isn't too bad.

According to the stats the petrol/electric system has the same performance as the larger 4Cylinder cars, but also gets 1000km on a 45litre tank. Which is nice. I'd heard a rumour that Toyota are so pleased with the hybrid system, they're thinking of adding it as an option to their whole range of cars.

I'd love the "I-Tech" pack: internal Bluetooth, satellite navigation, stability control, and a very cool "smart key." The smart key means you only have to carry the key. The car unlocks when you get 1.metre from it (or locks as you exceed 1m from it) and you only need press the start button to turn the motor on. No keyholes for arseholes to break. The I-Tech pack adds nearly $10k to the price, bringing it up to AU$48k.



But I'd also like a Monaro.

Comments

[makovette.livejournal.com]

But I'd also like a Monaro.

I knew your bloke gene wouldn't let you go too far astray ;-)

Prius is a nice, if pricey for what you get vehicle. It's a fine driver/commuter car. Some US states offer tax rebates for buying one too, which helps.

You are *totally* dependent on the dealer for maintenance however. I dunno what a change out of the battery pack will run you when the time comes, but it's likely to be "a lot". This will hurt resale value significantly I think, but other than those economics, it's a fine product that is doing well here Stateside.

CYa!
Mako

[http://users.livejournal.com/killjoy_/]

Heh, heard about a lot of Honda Insights showing up for sale when their batteries were in need of replacement... something like 5k for that, IIRC, though the batteries are a much larger volume in those things.

Really though, seems like it'd be enough power to get out of it's own way, and of course, the economy. The I-Tech thing sounds really neat, but I don't know how trusting I am of such things.

[level-head.livejournal.com]

A long time friend bought a Prius a few months ago. He's been fairly happy with it, but noted that the fuel mileage is only about 60% of that advertised.

That matches my experience with a Honda CR/V as well.

===|==============/ Level Head