Posted on 07/08/2005 8:30:36 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
The early Prius was a terrible seller. Only with the new design did they start moving off the showroom floor.
My mother is dead.
My cars a hybrid born in 1965 it will run on leaded or unleaded where do i get my permit?
which is useless in the real world. You just point out yet another flaw of FMVSS 218. They are designed to pass a set series of tests which have no resemblance to the real world. For examle a WWII steal army helmet will pass the FMVSS 218 tests promulgated by NHTSA and yet they don't call it an a valid helmet for FMVSS218 purposes.
In the real world forward momentum is a real impact issue. To say otherwise only invites liability.
Thankfully there are numerous lawsuits with jackpot results against helmet makers which fund many lawyers summer homes.
IOW if you are RICH you get to buy da fancy car and pay for da fancy sticker.
So it is a rich person lane.
How do the CF democrats allow this. Oh wait Democrat politicians have insiders that give them their own sticker and then order the police to not give them tickets anyways.
Ah the first Animal Farm reference!!!
I am really enjoying my Prius. I drove a VW Passat (4 cyl. turbo) before this. The Prius is just as roomy inside (except the hatch is not nearly as big as the Passat's trunk). I am averaging just over 48 mpg since I bought my Prius in November. I have about 21K miles on it. The Passat got about 24 mpg, and used premium gas. The car is really cool and fun to drive. The touch screen monitor controls the stereo and climate control, as well as shows current gas mileage and other consumption information. The neatest thing about the car in everyday use is the smart key system. When the car is locked, it senses when you have the key near the car, and you don't have to use a key or press a button to unlock the doors, just grab the handle and it unlocks. Once in the car, leave the key in your pocket. The car "knows" you are there. Just push the power button and the car turns on. The car is very quiet. Once warmed up, it is completely silent at stop lights, and when driving slowly (up to about 35 mph for me). This can be fun in parking lots, where you can sneak up on people. There are lots of innovations in the Prius. A thermos-like container holds some of the warmed up coolant when you turn the car off, so the gas engine warms up faster when needed, and also provides immediate heat in the winter. The braking system recovers the energy lost during braking and uses it to charge the batteries, which also reduces wear on the brakes.
The only downside to the Prius is that you have to defend your conservative credentials because people think you are lib if you drive one. I am not big on bumper stickers, but I am thinking of putting a GOP or W sticker on the car somewhere, so people won't think I am a dem or greenie. I highly recommend the Prius.
You said: The design life of these batteries is in the 4-5 year range...
The Prius batteries are warranted for 8 years or 100K miles....
I am not ready to get a Prius, I don't even know what they look like, unless they are that boxy little car that I see occasionally. Thanks for you very thoughtful reply.
Panasonic's end of service criterion is degradation to 80% of rated capacity.
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