I know you will hate this, but deal with it.

"Kate's Dirty Sister" (KDS)
12/18/2013 at 12:36 • Filed to: Rage

Toyota Prius is Consumer Reports' best new-car value

The Toyota Prius has earned top honors for the second year in a row in Consumer Reports' ranking of the best-value new cars. The product-testing organization said Wednesday that the Prius, which retails for $29,230, "has the right combination of performance, reliability and low estimated five-year ownership costs of 47 cents per mile."

DISCUSSION (33)

Joe_Limon > Kate's Dirty Sister
12/18/2013 at 12:40

Makes sense to me, CR is great at ranking appliance performance values.

offroadkarter > Kate's Dirty Sister
12/18/2013 at 12:41

Consumer Reports is a soggy load of horse shit

there I said it

. . > offroadkarter
12/18/2013 at 12:43

Consumer Reports is a soggy load of horse shit.

There, I repeated it.

All Motor Is Best Motor > Joe_Limon
12/18/2013 at 12:43

I know you probably meant that as an insult but in reality, it's very true, and probably a good thing for the -average consumer-. Most people who buy a car buy it as an appliance, sadly, so for them Consumer Reports is good.

Tom McParland > Kate's Dirty Sister
12/18/2013 at 12:43

"the right combination of performance ..."????

Kinja'd!!!

Kate's Dirty Sister > offroadkarter
12/18/2013 at 12:48

I knew that the combination of CR and Prius would lead to displeasure.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Tom McParland
12/18/2013 at 12:50

It's true. A Prius *does* edge out my 350,000 mile Benz turbodiesel on acceleration. I just had to accept it.

And by accept it, I mean the ALDA valve and I need to have a talk, and include that slackass the turbo.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Kate's Dirty Sister
12/18/2013 at 12:50

You'd think they'd be just a *tad* more dismissive of a cheap interior, durable or no.

offroadkarter > Kate's Dirty Sister
12/18/2013 at 12:52

Consumer Reports could tell people that getting HIV is great value for money, and the people who actually read the crap they write, would believe it.

Joe_Limon > All Motor Is Best Motor
12/18/2013 at 12:56

The jab was more so directed at the fact that they mentioned performance in their list of factors first.

Ilike_cougars > Kate's Dirty Sister
12/18/2013 at 12:57

Yes we must get more people to buy this turd, leaves more gas around for us car guys to drive the cars we want.. catch my drift?

Joe_Limon > offroadkarter
12/18/2013 at 12:58

Didn't you know that HIV is a great way to cure global warming? More HIV deaths=less impact we as a people have on the environment.

dinobot666 > Kate's Dirty Sister
12/18/2013 at 12:58

I think the Pruis is a fine car for what it is intended for.

Kate's Dirty Sister > offroadkarter
12/18/2013 at 13:00

Just because they aren't taking the enthusiastic/emotional values of cars into account means they want to kill people.

Prius TCO over 5 years is 47 cents per mile, and their metrics are probably good.

They're not telling you if it looks good or if it's fun to drive.

SkarTisu > Joe_Limon
12/18/2013 at 13:03

They had to mention it because Toyotas are so grounded to the ground.

Kate's Dirty Sister > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
12/18/2013 at 13:09

The Prius does the 0-60 in only one second shy of our beloved E30 325i, and takes one second less to 60 than our less beloved E36 318i with a manual

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Kate's Dirty Sister
12/18/2013 at 13:18

I was being facetious, but at the same time my head explodes when I see people flogging their Prius off the line or attempting to sustain 80+. "You do realize your car will rape its own mileage to the point the hybrid system is useless when you do that, right? Guys?"

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > Kate's Dirty Sister
12/18/2013 at 13:18

And if you but either of those instead, your 5 year cost of ownership will be lower than the Prius.

Kate's Dirty Sister > TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts.
12/18/2013 at 13:22

Let's not compare apples and dildos.

Best new car value

It's a "Porch-uh" > Kate's Dirty Sister
12/18/2013 at 13:37

Awesome. Then what happens in 8 years if the battery needs to be replaced?

The Prius is a stupid car, purchased by stupid people.

My younger brother called me up a few years ago to get my address to put me as a reference on a credit application. "Sweet! What are you getting?" "A Prius!" *click*

offroadkarter > Kate's Dirty Sister
12/18/2013 at 13:49

They're telling people to buy a 20,000 dollar golf cart that kills the environment

so in a way, yes, they want to kill people, by killing the world we live in

offroadkarter > Joe_Limon
12/18/2013 at 13:50

Is this backed by science?

Joe_Limon > offroadkarter
12/18/2013 at 14:11

Oh the best of sciences. Every article you have ever read about how humans are destroying the world backs my claims.

BrtStlnd > It's a "Porch-uh"
12/18/2013 at 14:20

This is an ignorant comment.

BrtStlnd > offroadkarter
12/18/2013 at 14:21

I've had a CR subscription for many years. The research they do for not only car ownership/new car purchases, but for all manner of consumer products has been invaluable.

timateo81 > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
12/18/2013 at 14:54

40mpg with cruise control set at 80mph isn't that bad

Kinja'd!!!

timateo81 > It's a "Porch-uh"
12/18/2013 at 14:58

The battery is warrantied to 10 years / 150,000 miles in states with California emission laws. All other states it's 8 years / 100,000 miles.

If for some reason your battery fails out of warranty, you have several reasonable options aside from OEM in the $1,500-$3,000 range.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > timateo81
12/18/2013 at 14:59

True, but with its weight being what it is, once you're past a certain threshold, anything but a constant speed will induce substantially higher losses because of how hard the drivetrain has to work to recover, regenerative braking or no. As seen in the (ludicrously extreme) case of a Prius flogged around a track.

It's a "Porch-uh" > timateo81
12/18/2013 at 15:24

Plus the gas engine to maintain.

Stupid thing.

timateo81 > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
12/18/2013 at 15:27

any car will suffer the same if you flog it.

I've owned a prius for 30,000 miles. Absolute worst tank of gas was 37.8 mpg. Averaging 46.6mpg over lifetime. I've been ticketed for 80 in a 65 while driving it, so I'm not the dude driving 55 in the right lane to squeeze extra mpgeeze.

It's a nice car, and it's really really difficult to get poor mileage out of it. They're insanely reliable (ask your local cab driver). Insurance is stupid cheap. Also, we don't get pulled over nearly as often anymore. So that's good.

Fits the dog, the car seat and our luggage with ease. Honestly, the only thing I don't like about it is the gigantic blind spot.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > timateo81
12/18/2013 at 15:45

My mention was actually that it suffers disproportionately, not that other cars don't suffer. Specifically, the example on Top Gear of flogging it around a track vs. a 3-series and seeing the mpg plummet so hard it caught up with the 3. I've seen that graph before, but I've been around drivers who more resembled the Top Gear paradigm than the solid and sane one, and it's to those I'm alluding. I admit to far more in the plus side of the column than most Jalops - I'm well aware of the reliability and practicality bonuses, I just don't like it much as a car.

It's simply not quite what I like, and has some aspects that are offputting. If I wanted a somewhat similar hatch offering (good mileage, hatch, small size, etc.) short of a practical second row, level of reliability, and *quite* so high mileage, I'd buy a 924 - hell, maybe even TDI-swap it. Cheaper for me to do than go Prius. If I was going for a mileage-only machine to commute, I'd go with the first gen Insight. If I needed four doors, etc. I'd be tempted to buy a slightly older Accord. For all its advantages, the interior, exterior, and visceral aesthetics of a Prius are a deal breaker to me - and those are highly taste-dependent! FWIW I dislike most modern Toyos, and have been driven to rage by a '97 Corolla - not the most lardily stale and offensive of the lot by a long shot.

As to those who hang in the right lane squeezing mpgeeze, them I don't mind. It's the ones who can't tell the difference between 60 and 80 well enough to pick one, and are clearly not making the most of a car which, let's face it, is supposed to be mostly owned for *one purpose*: efficiency.

timateo81 > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
12/18/2013 at 16:33

you are reasonable and I appreciate that. also, a point of clarification: i'm not trying to convince you this is the best car for you.

I was a skeptic for a time for all the same reasons. and you may be right - pushed to the limits the prius may not perform as efficiently as other cars. but after spending 18 months behind the wheel with an open mind, i'm not nearly as disappointed as I thought i would be.

It's hard to drive fast because when pushed it sounds like the nuts and bolts are flying off (metaphorically). the CVT is strange. it's so quiet but so loud at the same time. fuel economy is never quite what i hoped it would be. sometimes i find myself turning the a/c off in the summer and the heat down in the winter to squeeze some extra mpgeeze (for no other reason that to win at the game). and the blind spots - i say a prayer every time i back up.

I made a spreadsheet before I bought it. I figured if gas remained around $3.50/gal and I could average 44mpg or better over 200,000 miles (this is how long i keep my cars) I'd be break-even or $1,000 higher than if i bought a new Honda Fit, which was what we were shopping for. I figured it was worth a shot.

It's a "Porch-uh" > BrtStlnd
12/18/2013 at 17:33

I completely agree.

But I still challenge anybody to explain to me why a Prius is a good choice.

If you want to save the planet you should have bought a nice used Honda CRX HF. Great mileage, cheap, and you recycled a car instead of building a brand new one and the major environmental impact that comes with it (making the batteries alone is a big hit).

If you want to save money, see above. Buy a used car with decent em peg guhs (30+) and that's relatively inexpensive to maintain. Hell, there are even several new cars that get almost as good mileage, but without the added cost and complexity of two drivetrains.

Jetta or Golf diesel would be a much smarter choice. Bonus points for used.