Comments on: 2007 Toyota Prius Touring Edition

By: dave

dave — Sat, 02 Sep 2006 15:33:19 +0000

I just bought a 2006 toyota prius and I also have a new ford freestyle and I’am happy to say that I drive the prius much more than the freestyle for the gas mileage.
Prius gets me 54 mpg in town.
Ford freestyle 18 mpg in town.
So the prius is driven more for just screwing around town and the freestyle is my going to dinner and pulling my boat and fishing car. DAVE

By: my current obsession: the prius at My Life, My Pace

my current obsession: the prius at My Life, My Pace — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 22:34:11 +0000

[...] But then there’s the issue of actually getting one. The tax break on the Prius is set to be reduced by 50% starting October 1st. That means I have to have the car in my possession by September 30th to qualify. And this tax break is by no means a small sum of money. So we’re trying to hunt down an 06 with the package that we want and we actually found two in acceptable colors today in our area. But we don’t want to pay full MSRP, which is what they want. Even more bothersome is the fact that the 2007 model is coming out soon (but not in time to meet the tax break deadline). It’s not much different from the 2006 model and I wouldn’t care except for the fact that they’re offering a Touring edition, which is supposed to be sportier, which is awfully tempting. It just might give me what I need to not feel like I switched over to driving a granny car. So the ultimate question is: get a 2006 Prius and the big tax break or wait for the 2007 Touring edition and get half the tax break? Gah. I can’t decide. Don’t even get me started on the carpool access thing. These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages. [...]

By: Aaron

Aaron — Mon, 21 Aug 2006 14:22:42 +0000

This back and forth is so much more stupid than any of the cars brought up in the argument.
I’m just going to voice my opinion.
The Toyota Prius is a car which has a definte selling point in the marketplace, because it is fuel-efficient, and range convenience, low emissions and saving money on gas all make it a worthwhile car to buy, and even if none of those items individually make up for the extra cost, combined, they do.
However…putting a touring package on an efficiency oriented car makes absolutely no sense.

I do want to say that I agree with the above comments regarding Toyota and sports cars…they’ve completely dropped out of that market as of ‘05, and considering the quality of some of their offerings in that department (AW11 and SW20 MR2, Supras, pre 1986 and Alltrac Celicas, AE86), that is a serious mistake on their part.

By: Rolf

Rolf — Mon, 21 Aug 2006 13:07:03 +0000

Amazing to watch how Toyota has managed to raise emotions with their hybrid technology.

Congratulations to the engineers at Toyota, clearly on their way to one day replace the traditional gas engine
when affordable hydrocarbon/mineral oil will run out. Watch them closely…

Love or hate the Prius. If you want a car that puts a smile on your face with exciting state of the art technology to get you comfortably from ‘A’ to ‘B’ without fuss or worry have a closer look.

All you still have to do is the steering…

The Toyota technology will prove to be the ‘one that comes before’. Isn’t that what ‘Prius’ stands for?

By: Craig

Craig — Sun, 20 Aug 2006 16:01:57 +0000

And yes, I did forget to check for errors in my post before clicking “Submit” :p

By: Craig

Craig — Sun, 20 Aug 2006 15:32:56 +0000

1952 MG TD – Perhaps so but since there is such a boon of rear drive cars today (finally) I don’t feel I should have to settle on what has become available first. Personally, I’d like a small turbocharged sportscar. Japanese companies have ususally made these in the past. Chrysler’s hemi engines are indeed very nice but I am not personally attracted to driving a 6.1 liter car around town. That has more to do with my own style and preference than the need to stick to one manufacturer.

I suppose the other side of the coin is that I find it easy to criticize Toyota for dropping the ball. The only cars they sell are high resale “efficiency” economy cars, big SUVs and trucks and then their trendy, very expensive but ultimately boring Lexuses. Those just aren’t the only two product segments they can sell to, yet all they do is advertise hybrid cars that are either pure luxury cruisers or inexpensive economy vehicles with extremely cheap suspensions.

By: Michele

Michele — Sun, 20 Aug 2006 02:04:52 +0000

I own a 2005 Prius and I have found that although it doesn’t get as good of gas mileage as they claim, it does get about 50mpg on average in the city. It is comfortable,and great to drive.I think it is a nice looking car, although the wheels aren’t great looking, so I changed them.All you guys that own the SUV’s and other gas guzzlers, I laugh at you as I pass by the gas station.

By: 2006300C

2006300C — Sat, 19 Aug 2006 06:17:59 +0000

Sean, if you are not a car enthusiast than why the hell are you on this website? Go back to moveon.org please. Oh everyone knows that GM has messed up but people with long memories, who judge something based upon what happened decades ago are the same people that perpetuate wars in the Middle East and Northern Ireland. If MODERN GM product is up to standard or superior I, along with even headed, intelligent customers shall purchase their product, and some current and all future product looks to be very good. A zeta roadmaster may take the place of my 300C one day.

By: Tom H

Tom H — Sat, 19 Aug 2006 05:36:09 +0000

Carpooling doesn’t work for most.
Who are you kidding?
As we in S California know, everyone gets to work from every direction. Even when I drove 20 miles to work I was never able to find anyone to carpool with. I did save $150+ each month toward car payments, though (at $1.50 a gallon, too).

Compared to driving a Prius from Anaheim to LA (50+ mpg on 40mph freeways) at $3.05 a gallon I can get there and home on a gallon and a half. Nobody at work lived on my route so I could not pick anyone up. The train didn’t run even close to my route and the bus took 3 hours to get there, arriving at work one hour late. Then the trip home, also. The car was the best and cheapest choice. 450 miles on 10 gallons a week. KOOL

By: Tom H

Tom H — Sat, 19 Aug 2006 05:12:52 +0000

I love the car.
With 110,000 miles on the ‘classic’(2001) version and I am very happy. Still, I don’t like the banana look of the new one but it is much larger. Brakes are still at 70% with a 300K expectation. Oil is still see thru at 7500 mile changes.

I replaced the 20K (45 psi) life tires with Firestone 70K tires, stiffer, better handling and the car is much more fun to drive. Wore them out and bought another set. I fill them to 40 psi to wear evenly. Other tires are even better I hear.

They say not to change the tires, but the original tires are not for handling, just for high mileage. I gave up (2) MPG to get better handling and this is very much worth it to me.

At 14 miles to work I go three ways for 42 miles a gallon. In town driving (hills) all the way but I get 60+ to work and 38 home. Who cares about other factors.

By: Troyota

Troyota — Sat, 19 Aug 2006 04:31:22 +0000

HEY PIABLO! The Prius is already out of date and just wait until GM and Ford com out with some real hybrid technology? Are you KIDDING? Just so you know, the 2007 Camry is Toyota’s FOURTH GENERATION of hybrid technology since the Prius was introduced in 2000. Your pal Ford has hybrid technology in the Escape/Mariner…THAT IT IS LICENSING parts of FROM TOYOTA!!! You think Ford cam up with that?!? Toyota/Lexus has control of SIXTY (6-0) PERCENT of the hybrid market, and is selling hybrids at a record pace (over 60,000 in the U.S. alone JUST in the first six months of the year!). Get your facts straight! Toyota and Lexus are leading the world in the development of hybrid and hydrogen fuel cell technology, as well as safety. AND, they are doing it while passing your beloved Ford as the #2 automaker in the world, setting sales records EVERY month, and posting record profits!

By: Sean

Sean — Sat, 19 Aug 2006 03:50:40 +0000

It bothers me to know that you car enthusiasts are just so stupid. So unforgivably idiotic and plagueing to society. It pains me to know that people, incapable of writing a coherent thought, or proving their point without name calling, were able to get their license. I don’t know how a collective group, so stupid, so self-absorbed, so inane, can get a multi-ton vehicle and pilot it next to the iniated and intelligent.

So stop ****ting up the roads, and please stop ****ting up a good website with your idiotic banter.

By: Paul D.

Paul D. — Sat, 19 Aug 2006 01:16:12 +0000

All of Anonymous’s points were spot on. Save for the Corvette, GM cars are forgettable.

And Toyota does have a lot of SUV’s but I gaurantee, if Toyota never made even one successful SUV, you GM fans would be ranting about Toyota’s inability to build a full size SUV. But now that they have succeeded, they threaten the very thread that is holding GM and the rest of Detroit together. It is their own damn fault they dismissed the car market to go after the higher profit SUV’s and trucks. That’s what happens when you let greed and arrogance get the best of you. And right now it has gotten the best and the absolute worst of them.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 19 Aug 2006 01:02:34 +0000

For the record tim, that response that you are referring to was some other “anonymous” or somebody who forgot to put their name in. Not me.

Guess I am not the only one who isn’t looking throught the rose colored glasses as the GM fanbois

By: tim

tim — Sat, 19 Aug 2006 00:00:19 +0000

anonymous, your an idiot. when I earlier was stating that the Asians do not care about America’s reliance on foriegn oil, because if they did, they would not offer these built for the states only vehicle’s I mentioned. Yes , of course the dometics have there share of SUV’s and pickup’s , how else did the Asian auto makers get the idea to copy these vehicles? It’s funny how you often bash domestic buyers as being all rednecks, what then is someone like you who feels it’s O.K. to run into the ground American manufacturung? If GM were wiped off the map as you put it, the automotive industry worldwide and the economy of any type of business affiliated with doestic automalers.
Perhaps you hate America and dispise American workers.
Your the kind of little boy that gets his ass kicked alot.
My point earlier was that Toyota boast about how “green” they are but continue to build gas guzzlers for our market only.
Your community college degree is showing.

By: tim

tim — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 23:59:23 +0000

anonymous, your an idiot. when I earlier was stating that the Asians do not care about America’s reliance on foriegn oil, because if they did, they would not offer these built for the states only vehicle’s I mentioned. Yes , of course the dometics have there share of SUV’s and pickup’s , how else did the Asian auto makers get the idea to copy these vehicles? It’s funny how you often bash domestic buyers as being all rednecks, what then is someone like you who feels it’s O.K. to run into the ground American manufacturung? If GM were wiped off the map as you put it, the automotive industry worldwide and the economy of any type of business affiliated with doestic automalers.
Perhaps you hate America and dispise American workers.
Your the lind of little boy that gets his ass kicked alot.
My point earlier was that Toyota boast about how “green” they are but continue to build gas guzzlers for our market only.
Your community college degree is showing.

By: Kickin

Kickin — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 22:12:44 +0000

Kappa cars are cheap, chintzy, Frankenstein’d together roadsters built to a cheap price point. Piece-parts cars, the goddamn gearbox comes out of a Colorado pickup truck… Clumsy, notchy and about as refined as the shifter on my rid-on lawn mower.

The Epsilon and Zeta will enter with a splash and then will be milked along for 2 decades just like the ancient the S10/GMC pickups and the W-bodies for example. By the next decade, they will be ONCE AGAIN behind the competition, each one being rebagded a million times, probably go through about 10 name changes for each model and carry heavy rebates just to move the metal.

Sorry, the trend is there, GM effort is like a fat dude jumping into a pool. Woosh, BIG SPLASH then everything just settles down to a ripple until the next fat dude falls in the pool 20 years later. That “FAT DUDE” I am referring to is GM managment btw. The only reason you are seeing ANY efferts is because the buying public has a candle so far up GM’s asses, they needed to do something, ANYTHING just to avoid the axe.

By: David Snitchnhinger

David Snitchnhinger — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 21:07:02 +0000

Can’t say I care much about the Prius (either way) but:

“European-tuned suspension”

Hell yeah.

By: 1952 MG TD

1952 MG TD — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 18:14:08 +0000

riiiiight…. kappa, zeta, epsilon are all junk…

/sarc

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 17:38:56 +0000

Almost every vehicle except the half baked crap that Gm builds. Remember they are an SUV and truck company that happens to build a car here and there… Too bad the Corvette is the only one that shows any signs of life.

But they could give two ****s since they make the most money off of you buy selling you one of the dozens of gas guzzling SUV’s that they specialize (But don’t dominate) in. It’s all about the mighty $ and GM knows how to pinch every last one of them out of you. Whether it be technology, gadetology, or safety (See Horrible Aveo ratings for that one) GM will always lag behind for the sake of the mighty dollar.

By: 1952 MG TD

1952 MG TD — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 17:23:40 +0000

Craig, You make very valid points. My only issue would be your insistance on Japanese. It is impossible these days to purchase a *bad* car. Every manufacturer has reached a point where *almost* every vehicle offered is a good choice. Maybe not the best, but by no means bad. European or american manufacturers may be able to offer you what you are seeking.

By: Craig

Craig — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 16:52:42 +0000

Renton –

Completely agree with you. This is a Toyota Prius topic but damn, it makes me angry. Why on earth, with modern traction control, and such improved manufacturing capabilities can’t Toyota make even a 150HP RWD Corrolla AE86 successor? Gen V Supra Turbo?

I REALLY do not think it is too much to ask a car company that has built these things in the past to build a newer, safer version of them for me so I don’t have to look into 20 year old used cars to get what I want.

My money is what Toyota wants. I have been waiting six years for ANY of these Japanese car companies to produce one of their sportscars again. Sure, I’d like a fuel efficient commuter too but honestly I’ve been waiting for my driver’s car and that’ll be the first thing I purchase.

Here’s another one: Give me a diesel Corrolla or small wagon, Toyota. AWD would be smart to have standard. That’s an inexpensive small car I’d buy after you sell me a proper sportscar.

By: Steve-O

Steve-O — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 16:05:44 +0000

Wait a minute, Bobzooki… Are you trying to say that Mark Field’s hair isn’t cool??

By: 1952 MG TD

1952 MG TD — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 15:35:24 +0000

don’t you have 3?

By: Bobzooki

Bobzooki — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 15:33:12 +0000

Driving an SUV is like being a smoker or having a mullet: you are the only person who thinks you are being cool

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 14:58:08 +0000

The Japenese really don’t care about America’s reliance on foriegn oil. If they did we would’nt have the Seqouia, Tundra, Titan, Armada, Pathfiner, 4-Runner, Ridgeline, Land Crusier, Lexus and Ifiniti gas V-8′S.

Or GM with 12 GMT-900 SUV’s, 4 GMT-360’s, Two full lines of pickups, and Hummer, the brand DEVOTED to consuming as much gas as possible

By: Piablo

Piablo — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 14:53:47 +0000

If you want to save fuel, car pool. Make a change to your lifestyle. When I drive my Xterra to work, I get 20mpg, actual. Say I pick up 4 others on my way to work who drive vehicles that get 20mpg. I now essentially am driving an equivelent vehicle that gets 100mpg. That is better than any Prius or hybrid. How about this for Prius owners…. if you pick up 3 other people who drive a Prius, and we agree it gets 40mpg, then you will be essentially getting 160mpg. That’s saving gas. If we all did this, we all could work together and save that 4.5% of oil! LMAO!

By: Piablo

Piablo — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 14:36:03 +0000

LMAO! I love it when these articles come up.

i love the comments on here about the guys who live on a hill. I am glad your prius works out for you on the hill you live on. But if you were so environmentally concious, MOVE OFF THE FRICKIN HILL!! Drive your Prius all you want. I really don’t care what you drive. Just don’t tell ME what I can drive. Especially when I don’t live on some gas guzzling steep hill. But there in lays the essence of a liberal. “Don’t do as I do, do as I say.”

Basically, the Prius may be technologically advanced, but so what. It still doesn’t address any real problem. The gas milage is not as great as many believe. And it still runs on GAS. The Prius is already out of date and will be even more so when some real hybrid technology comes out of GM and Ford. There are alot of misconceptions about a barrel of oil and where it goes. Approximately 65% is used for plastics. If you really want to make a difference, stop buying plastic. Of the 35% left for fuel, only 18% is actually refined for gasoline. So if we were to somehow cut our use of gasoline by 25%, we would only be saving approximately 4.5% of a barrel of oil. You will NEVER rid our dependance on foreign oil by switching to ANY type of vehicle.

By: 1c3d0g

1c3d0g — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 14:08:19 +0000

Pfft…safe. Ha!

By: True

True — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 13:53:33 +0000

The torsion beam with stabilizer bar rear suspension is of an adequate/proven design that affords packaging efficiencies for storage of the battery packs needed for the hybrid powertrain. Are there “better” suspension designs, certainly – but few that are low-cost and provide the same packaging advantages as the torsion beam suspension. This is not a defense of Toyota, rather a simple explanation of why this particular suspension design makes sense for this particular car.
“tim” is correct, “the car for the non-car guy/girl”

By: British_rover

British_rover — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 13:47:27 +0000

The Prius never did anything for me way to complex for what advantages it offers.

By: tim

tim — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 13:34:58 +0000

the car for the non-car guy. The Japenese really don’t care about America’s reliance on foriegn oil. If they did we would’nt have the Seqouia, Tundra, Titan, Armada, Pathfiner, 4-Runner, Ridgeline, Land Crusier, Lexus and Ifiniti gas V-8′S.

By: gilby7

gilby7 — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 13:09:55 +0000

This car and all other vehicles that get good mileage allow the gas-guzzling meatballs of the world to drive their suv’s. A “car” isn’t all about speed, obviously. It’s also about transportation, not all “car fanatics” have to drive a hairy-knuckled Chevy or Ford to be true “car guys”. I bought a used 2002 Saturn SL-1 4-door, 5-speed for a winter car so I didn’t have to drive my ALMS TT in the salt/snow. I’m getting 42 mpg with the Saturn, so consequently I’m driving the TT less than I did previously because of the cost of gas. That doesn’t mean that I don’t live and breath cars. I get every car magazine and watch every car show on TV (to my wife’s dismay), but I still want to get good mileage too. If I wanted a redneck-mobile I’d get my old Dodge Ramcharger back which got 6 mpg. I’m cringing, waiting for the follow-up comments on this.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 13:01:47 +0000

At least its safe. Not like the Chevy Aveo which is roughly the same size

By: 1c3d0g

1c3d0g — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 12:45:52 +0000

It’s ugly alright. No need to say more, since it’s a Toy Ota.