suv_guy_19 Posted January 11, 2008 Share Posted January 11, 2008 FT.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edstock Posted January 11, 2008 Share Posted January 11, 2008 Ya gotta love it. The article, unless I missed it somewhere, never gives the sales numbers of either vehicle. Lane-brain. How much does it cost to replace a Prius battery pack? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01FOCI Posted January 11, 2008 Share Posted January 11, 2008 Just more neo-hippie green BS.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Traveler Posted January 11, 2008 Share Posted January 11, 2008 I see electric/petroleum hybrid technology as a fad; a band-aid for a hurt felt in the wallet. From a customer point-of-view, its a knee-jerk reaction to those who protest the gas price surges we see every few months. Plus, its also driven by a possible vindication from those who feel they are thumbing their noses at the gas stations and oil companies. Once we begin to see more fuel efficient gasoline and diesel engines, the hybrid will take a back seat. People enter into these hybrid vehicle purchases with little understanding about the downsides of such technology and react only to their initial pain at the pump. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted January 11, 2008 Share Posted January 11, 2008 How much does it cost to replace a Prius battery pack? Nothing if it needs it in the first 8 years or 100,000 miles. Who is going to keep one of these things longer than that anyway? They'll all be recycled by then. And the battery packs have been very reliable so far. Not one to normally defend Toyota, but that argument is tired. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SVT_MAN Posted January 11, 2008 Share Posted January 11, 2008 Nothing if it needs it in the first 8 years or 100,000 miles. Who is going to keep one of these things longer than that anyway? They'll all be recycled by then. And the battery packs have been very reliable so far. Not one to normally defend Toyota, but that argument is tired. Yeah, Nick is right. As much as I disdain the Prius, it has been more reliable than their Camry from what I've heard ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chevys Posted January 11, 2008 Share Posted January 11, 2008 I cant understand why anybody would buy a prius myself. I know the tree huggers love them but it makes a lot more sense to buy a corolla. The fuel you save with the prius cant match what you save on the purchase price of the rolla until somewhere around 200K miles. My guess is that a rolla will last a lot longer without major repairs as well. I think even in the ecoboost video that they said hybrids needed 7 or so years to start paying you back. I dont see any of them making a major impact just yet. Now, the chevy volt if it ever makes it to market could really change the game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SVT_MAN Posted January 11, 2008 Share Posted January 11, 2008 (edited) Chevys: I think a hybrid is actually 14 years ... I'm not positive though. I remembered it as 14 years for the hybrid and 7 years for the diesel. Edited January 11, 2008 by SVT_MAN Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
92merc Posted January 11, 2008 Share Posted January 11, 2008 What a lame article. "The moon is moving faster than Jupiter!" Ok, I can write stupid articles. Price of gas is up, full SUV's aren't bought like they used to be. People want smaller, better mileage, and something just plain different than a truck these days. So Explorer sales are down. People are wanting to buy butt ugly POS without any regard to who makes them. So, Toyota Pruis sales are up! Especially amongst the bunny huggers... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catalepsy Posted January 11, 2008 Share Posted January 11, 2008 Who would have thought with high oil prices and a unstable war in the middle east that people bought smaller cars instead? I work in the publishing industry, and I hate journalists. All of them are the same...they start with a conclusion and work their way back. FT.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chevys Posted January 11, 2008 Share Posted January 11, 2008 Chevys: I think a hybrid is actually 14 years ... I'm not positive though. I remembered it as 14 years for the hybrid and 7 years for the diesel. You are correct. I got that bas ackwarks. I think they said like 11-12 years though in the video and thats a long time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donaldo Posted January 11, 2008 Share Posted January 11, 2008 I see electric/petroleum hybrid technology as a fad; a band-aid for a hurt felt in the wallet. From a customer point-of-view, its a knee-jerk reaction to those who protest the gas price surges we see every few months. Yes, the current generation of hybrids can be somewhat disappointing in terms of price/economy. However, the next generation (lithium-ion) plug-in hybrids will double the mileage of the current generation. 60mpg+ plug-in Escapes will make the current hybrids look like Model Ts, which they are in a sense. Also, technology that hybrids have (electric steering and A/C, CVTs, etc) are becoming more common in non-hybrids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timmm55 Posted January 11, 2008 Share Posted January 11, 2008 It's kind of a "duh" article....of course people are buying more fuel efficient cars/trucks. As noted the Explorer sales are down to 1/3 of it's 2000 sales of 445,000....145,000 or so now. The Prius doesn't seem to be aging well: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2007...rius_aging.html My neighbor traded his Dodge Magnum for a Prius....."I really liked that Magnum!" was all I said LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted January 11, 2008 Share Posted January 11, 2008 Let me guess, this tired cliché was used at least once in the article..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FordBuyer Posted January 11, 2008 Share Posted January 11, 2008 Ya gotta love it. The article, unless I missed it somewhere, never gives the sales numbers of either vehicle. Lane-brain. How much does it cost to replace a Prius battery pack? Uh, how big a boat or travel trailer can you pull with a Prius? Or can you go down logging roads with a Prius or through heavy snow? Can you carry seven passengers with a Prius? Does a Prius have three rows of seats with theater seating in back row? Talk about comparing apples and oranges. Why don't they compare sales figues of an F-450 with a Toyota Yaris instead. The "journalists" of today are something else. I really think you learn more just by reading this forum and not even paying attention to auto articles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edstock Posted January 11, 2008 Share Posted January 11, 2008 My neighbor traded his Dodge Magnum for a Prius....."I really liked that Magnum!" was all I said LOL. :hysterical: :hysterical: A Magnum for a Prius! I hope he told his shrink. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarShark Posted January 11, 2008 Share Posted January 11, 2008 Let me guess, this tired cliché was used at least once in the article..... Nope. Nor was this one. Just like the man in the article said, the Prius isn't the niche bauble for environmentalists anymore, just as the Explorer isn't the widespread success. Almost like a "Where are they now?" segment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P71_CrownVic Posted January 11, 2008 Share Posted January 11, 2008 Ya gotta love it. The article, unless I missed it somewhere, never gives the sales numbers of either vehicle. Lane-brain. How much does it cost to replace a Prius battery pack? I read 181,221 for 2007...that's a lot of "fashion accessories" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustang_sallad Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 i really don't understand why so many of you seem so personally offended by the advent of a new technology that uses less fuel. I didn't read the article, maybe it was written pretty obnoxiously, and I get just as annoyed at those people who think they're the shit cause they got a prius, but some of you really seem to take regen braking, electrical energy storage and engine cut off at idle as a blow to the ego. And yes, gas and diesel engines are advancing, the ecoboost line looks pretty impressive, but why should that mean those engines shouldn't be coupled with electric motors and batteries to improve energy use even more? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
694doorbird Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 (edited) Somebody must be liking those prius's. I'm seeing more and more of them here in the Tulsa area. however, they always seem to be driving about 5-10 miles under the speed limit. Give me the comfort of my '69 T-Bird or our '06 Charger any day. Edited January 12, 2008 by 694doorbird Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ford Jellymoulds Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 (edited) FT should have done a Toyota Prius comparison of sales to a Toyota Land Cruiser in Europe like this one (Just interested do the two faced hypocrites at Toyota still sell the Landcruiser in the States, or is climate change only occurring in countries that suits Toyota sales?)..... http://www.motorauthority.com/news/industr...t-land-cruiser/ Ford Explorer sales are holding up very well, and its doing better than the Toyota Land Cruiser is in Europe. Edited January 12, 2008 by Ford Jellymoulds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 Land Cruiser AND Sequoia are both still on the market here. The people who buy them are quite silly, IMO, none of the towing/hauling prowess of the Expy or Suburban, and gas mileage just as bad--what's the point? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarShark Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 (edited) FT should have done a Toyota Prius comparison of sales to a Toyota Land Cruiser in Europe like this one (Just interested do the two faced hypocrites at Toyota still sell the Landcruiser in the States, or is climate change only occurring in countries that suits Toyota sales?)In fact, they just brought out a new Land Cruiser and Lexus LX570 for 2008. The Land Cruiser Prado is the Lexus GX470 in America, but that was introduced in 2002 and who knows what the future is for it? I can't believe Toyota dropped the Land Cruiser nameplate in Europe. It's legendary the whole world over. It's almost as dumb as making the new Corolla the Auris. Looking at the whole article, however, really makes me worry about the future of cars, not only in Europe but America. It looks like the EU's "voluntary until we make it law" CO2 cap of 140g/km killed the LC, and is giving the RAV4 a decent flesh wound. I'm sure Toyota loves having to throttle back the compact CUVs sales to get the fleet average down. So much for the free market. Ford Explorer sales are holding up very well, and its doing better than the Toyota Land Cruiser is in Europe.I wouldn't say sales are holding up well at all. Not at 23.1% or 41,412 fewer sales year over year. The important issue for Ford is where those sales are going. If they're buying Escapes and Edges, that doesn't hurt so bad. Land Cruiser AND Sequoia are both still on the market here. The people who buy them are quite silly, IMO, none of the towing/hauling prowess of the Expy or Suburban, and gas mileage just as bad--what's the point?I think the majority of SUV buyers don't do much of either, so that's no problem for anyone except the marketing department, who can still say that the Land Cruiser is a well-respected name in off-road circles. Plus, they're both Toyotas, and that's enough for some people. Edited January 12, 2008 by CarShark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 I think the percentage that tow is inching upwards as buyers that don't need that utility buy something a little more efficient. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ford Jellymoulds Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 I can't believe Toyota dropped the Land Cruiser nameplate in Europe. It's legendary the whole world over. It's almost as dumb as making the new Corolla the Auris. Looking at the whole article, however, really makes me worry about the future of cars, not only in Europe but America. It looks like the EU's "voluntary until we make it law" CO2 cap of 140g/km killed the LC, and is giving the RAV4 a decent flesh wound. I'm sure Toyota loves having to throttle back the compact CUVs sales to get the fleet average down. So much for the free market. I Things seem to be getting smaller in the US, l noticed you will be getting a baby Hummer soon. http://www.motorauthority.com/news/concept...mer-hx-concept/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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