6/12/14 3:29 PM

With the rental car being a Prius, I am finding other cars/drivers aggressive to get around and or past the car. Like with a Van or big SUV they can not see past.

Thinking about it, many of the Pri-I which I encounter on the road do lag. ;)

6/14/14 4:25 AM

I've only ever been in one when I took a cab ride. I've noticed lately that quite a lot of the new taxicabs around here are Prius.

6/14/14 10:01 AM

Here too. Elaine took a cab about 1-1/2 miles the other day and it was $11.00. Still wondering about that one...

6/16/14 5:16 PM

I expect it's two-fold. Many Priuses are driven by timid, ever-so-environmentally correct drivers and they are driven slowly to eek out the best possible mileage.

Also, many of their drivers are vocally smug and pompous and greener-than-thou about their cars and the attitude annoys a lot of others. There is a reason they are referred to as Toyota Piouses.

6/17/14 6:12 AM

Given the implied green nature of a Prius owner, I'm often surprised by seeing them flying by me on the highway when I'm already 5 or 10 mph over the limit. Also, a lot of Prius owners like to surprise other cars with a brief hole shot at lights due to the torque available at 0 rpm with an electric motor.

6/17/14 7:25 AM

I've heard no smugness nor noticed unusual driving behavior from Prius owners (and I see Priuses all the time), but I've heard an incredible amount of smugness and disparagement from the anti-Prius legions (I don't own one).

6/17/14 8:12 AM

"...Also, a lot of Prius owners like to surprise other cars with a brief hole shot at lights due to the torque available at 0 rpm with an electric motor."

Sounds like the perfect "race" car for all of those cabbies.

6/17/14 9:28 AM

In New York City, it appears that about half the cab fleet is now hybrids of some kind. Priuses, but also Hondas, Ford Explorers and C-Maxes, and lots of others. Hybrids are at their most advantageous in that kind of driving.

My son has a C-Max, and I drove it into New York a few weeks ago. A hundred miles each way on highways from here in Connecticut (and I drove fast when I could, 70 or more a lot of the way), probably 20 miles driving around in Manhattan traffic, with 4 people in the car, and we averaged 40 mpg. It was impressive. Driving felt completely normal, once you get used to not hearing an engine idle while sitting still.

6/17/14 3:03 PM

With many Priuses exceeding 200K in miles, the NYC taxi experience has answered the outstanding question about long term reliability & durability of the added mechanical complexity. As for the added expense, without the benefit of doing the pencil & paper math, I wonder to what type of driver profile they become a feasible $ option to opt for a hybrid.

6/17/14 3:12 PM

I was reading the LithIon pack for a Prius was just under $4k installed. But it seems that a high percentage of owners, like in the mid-high 90s, will not do it in even long term ownership.

I remember posting here after seeing a lease on a newer Elec or Brid that required an additional $80.00 mo lease on the batteries.

I like the car to drive, which I did not expect. The gas part of the power plant goes better than I thought it might.

Elaine drove to a friend Dads house 900 miles when her friends dad's failing health looked like he was near the end, for moral support. Her friend had a Civic Brid, and I recall Elaine saying what a turd it felt like on many levels. Not heard her say a bad thing about the Prius now in 8-9 days...

6/17/14 4:32 PM

I think they lag by choice.

Spending way more time in Belt Parkway (NYC) traffic then I would like, my completely un-scientific observations are that Prius drivers do indeed lag in stop and go traffic. The result is other drivers are constantly and continually cutting into that empty space, nature abhorring a vacuum. That in turn means the cars behind the Prius are seemingly just going to get where they want to go a bit later and had best choose a different lane. I NEVER get behind a Prius in traffic as a result, too frustrating.

I surmise that hybrid drivers in general, tend to want to stretch the mileage as much as possible, so are not stomping on the pedal to keep up with traffic. They are cognizant of that big mileage number on the dash display.

My buddy owns a Fusion hybrid and has been generally disappointed with the mileage unless he's doing 62 in a 65 zone on the NJ Turnpike. Going that slow he fears getting rear ended by some crazy doing 90. Learning from his experience, I only briefly looked (in '13) at the C-Max, with internet buzz from owners stating what Ford has finally acknowledged, that the vehicle will never see the original and stated EPA 47 mpg, unless it's downhill in a tailwind. 38 is typical and is what Ford now states in their literature. That's fully 20% less then what they sold the unsuspecting (and un-educated) buyers a year ago. Consumer Reports said the same thing and if I had purchased a C-Max a year ago, I'd sign on to a class action lawsuit for the lost mileage and gas used, a victim of false advertising if there ever was one.

NY State (and other states) by law require Toyota (and other hybrid manufacturers) to warranty the battery pack to 150,000 miles

I also looked at the Prius V wagon, an otherwise nice and roomy vehicle. At $27,000 and with a loan, there was no way to recover the vehicle costs with long term savings on gas mileage, compared to a Subaru Forester at $4,000 -$5,000 less. You end up helping to subsidize the hybrid movement. P;us Prius's in general, suck in the snow.

6/17/14 6:13 PM

NM