Haven't been on in a while, but got a new car.

BringIt said:

Congrats on the Mini! Love that car - could never justified it to get 1 tho...
The Prius is a mid-sized car that can get 25% better mpg than the Mini - I say that's a truly amazing feat; did I mention it uses regular unleaded gas and is cleaner in emissions too?
Still not impressed - well, the next time you need to transport more than 3 adults in your car, or when premium gas price goes over $5/gallon, you may just change your mind... (but yeah, you're right, it's truly ugly - I'd not get one myself)

Click to expand...

Thanks!

I got the Cooper S because I wanted a bit more speed at the sacrifice of mileage, and I DON'T want people in my back seat. Two particular friends of mine have been deadbeats in the past when it comes to gas money, so I need an excuse to not give them rides.

However, the Mini product line really does beat the Prius in every way, the Mini Cooper D gets better mileage, is faster, AND has cleaner emissions than the Prius. The Mini Cooper One gets also gets better mileage than the Prius, and the regular Mini Cooper gets about the same mileage as the Prius with a bigger engine. None of the Mini Cooper line are hybrids (although there is some rumbling over at BMW of making a Mini hybrid). The Volkswagon Polo TDI also beats the Prius in gas mileage, and ties with it in emissions; all for a cheaper price and with better build quality. Unfortunately, it is only offered in the UK (like the Cooper D and the Cooper One).

I understand people's desire to get great mileage, save money, and feel good about not damaging the environment, but the Prius isn't the car to do it in. Europe has been building small, fuel efficient cars for years now, and if we are serious about substance over image, those of us here in America should get on board. Toyota's hybrid system is just too heavy, too expensive, and too inefficient to create anything more than politically correct benefits. The real gas/money/environment savers are the small (often diesel) European hatchbacks and sedans that have been hiding for years on the back lots of American car dealers, unsold.

Um, none of the cars you mentioned are available in California, let along US... So you can't compare them. They're apples and oranges. (Plus, I highly doubt your claim that they are cheaper and cleaner. Diesels in Europe can't yet meet CA emission rules, and cars are EXTREMELY expensive in UK, I know cuz I'm in UK right now! And did I mention these cars are tiny sub-compacts vs a mid-sized Prius?)

Though I absolutely agree with you that the Prius is not the ultimate solution, but as it stands, the Prius is the most fuel efficient, cleanest all around vehicle available to the American consumers, period. So if one's goal is to have a vehicle that serves the needs of most families while providing the best mpg and lowest emissions, the Prius is the best choice. And at a low $20K, which is below the average new car transaction price these days (I think around $27K) it's really NOT expensive at all.
Again, I wouldn't buy one because like you, I value performance and style over a little savings in fuel and emissions. But that's beside the point. (I'd buy a stripped down Civic before I'd consider a Prius. It makes more sense from a value stand point.)

BringIt said:

Um, none of the cars you mentioned are available in California, let along US... So you can't compare them. They're apples and oranges. (Plus, I highly doubt your claim that they are cheaper and cleaner. Diesels in Europe can't yet meet CA emission rules, and cars are EXTREMELY expensive in UK, I know cuz I'm in UK right now! And did I mention these cars are tiny sub-compacts vs a mid-sized Prius?)

Though I absolutely agree with you that the Prius is not the ultimate solution, but as it stands, the Prius is the most fuel efficient, cleanest all around vehicle available to the American consumers, period. So if one's goal is to have a vehicle that serves the needs of most families while providing the best mpg and lowest emissions, the Prius is the best choice. And at a low $20K, which is below the average new car transaction price these days (I think around $27K) it's really NOT expensive at all.
Again, I wouldn't buy one because like you, I value performance and style over a little savings in fuel and emissions. But that's beside the point. (I'd buy a stripped down Civic before I'd consider a Prius. It makes more sense from a value stand point.)

Click to expand...

The Volkswagon Polo Blue Motion (Diesel) scores a 99 on the UK's CO2 emissions test, while the Prius scores 104, making the Polo cleaner than the Prius. The Mini Cooper D scores a 104, which is the same as the Prius. Both the Cooper D and Polo have better gas mileage than the Prius. All cars are ridiculously expensive in the UK because of their car taxes, but even given that, the Cooper D and Polo are cheaper than the Prius.

http://www.vcacarfueldata.org.uk/search/search.asp

You are correct, they don't offer the cars in California, but that's only because California doesn't really care anything about clean air. European diesels are not the dirty, polluting cars that their predecessors were, but are some of the cleanest, most efficient cars in the world. Our nut case, backward, socialist, big-brother government is stuck in the 1970's, and refuses to approve the extremely clean diesel cars Europe is producing these days, because it's more important for California to put on a show about caring for the environment than actually implementing real policies to make the air cleaner.

Ultimately, it's not that Prius is all that bad, it just isn't very good, and it's not worth the religious worship that a lot of people give it as "savior of the planet". There are better things out there, but we here in the United States fail to see them because we are blinded by the Prius.