You're just a little too thinned skinned.

I did find the car to be interesting. Of course when you look at what the guy did it's nothing special, just common sense.

It's a very, bare-bones vehicle. Throw in all the basic equipment of today's vehicle, and I'm sure the fuel economy would crash, big time. Only losing 200mpg after upgrades is probably quite a stretch.

Me, my bicycle and a can of refried black beans would certainly get better "gas" mileage than the Opel .

Take away the beans and it would be even better still!

Now where did I put my triple soy bean, double frappe, terabyted latte with a double twist?

How about a vehicle that got over 400 mpg in 1985?

Faster and Faster: Fuel-efficiency champ: The Craig Vetter Streamliner

Harry

I certainly hope not to offend anyone here, but I am so incredibly tired of being typecast as a tree-hugger.

while I am glad the prius apparently spews less garbage into the environment, that thought was nowhere in my mind when I decided to test drive and buy a prius. I bought a prius because I have a mostly flat, 60-mile-roundtrip commute, and I am really tired of hearing about record profits being set by oil companies using my hard-earned dollars.

sure, my car still uses gas, but it uses a hell of a lot less than a Hummer, Expedition, or any other 6000 pound behemoth being driven by soccer moms around here as a status symbol.

that being said, I also dont begrudge Hummer-drivers. I couldnt care less if they choose to spend half their paycheck at the pump, with the tiny exception that more Hummer-drivers means higher prices for everyone. but hey, they will suffer far more than I.

cheers

I like the "organic soy-double-decaf-fair-trade-carbon-neutral macchiato" line; however, my avatar attests to the fact that I drink leaded coffee.

I wouldn't be too upset with the tree hugger characterization. The car owner wasn't interested in the secrets of fuel economy -- just the economy. The car owner was unabashedly grubbing for the highest bidder.

Hi All,

Yet another Ignoramous....

I didn't care either till I realized what their habits were doing to world health, security, and the health of ecosystems (which support us and our economy 100%). Even after studying the subject I do not begrudge them until they tell me they don't care about these other aspects and it's their right to do whatever they please. Selfishness is a very undesirable trait.

Ya bloody tree hugger strider5. Bloody closet tree hugger.

Here is another high-mileage Opel: the Eco Speedster.

Vauxhalls 113mpg Eco Speedster



* 0-60 in 6 seconds

* 155 mph top speed

* 94 mpg (US)

lol. okay okay, you got me.

This one always touches a nerve with me (and it really bothers my nearly unflappable wife). What is it about our society/mentality that makes it a badge of honor to consume as much as we want AND to tell others that we really don't care if there is a consequence for it. Immature, selfish, egotistical and all the other wonderful traits that would characterize a 2 year old child.

Back on topic. It is a ridiculous story because there is no way that vehicle would be considered road worthy.

there is no doubt, several good ideas incorporated into the vehicle that has been buried by the oil companies since that is what they do... insuring our addiction to oil is not abated in anyway....

Man that reporter is a major douche bag. How about this, how many Opel cars are in production today? Why is the Prius getting all (any?) flack for the fuel efficiency? Why not Ford, GM, Chevy, for their lackluster ability to copy the design specs to make an efficient car? I swear sometimes I want to kick someone in the nuts when the Prius gets looked down upon because some obscure one-of that has better gas mileage is some how better for the world than a car which while it might get less mileage exists as a commercially
available product for ANYONE to own.

Over here in Europe, Opel is a very big name. Surprisingly, it is actually more or less the European arm of GM.

Unlike the USA market, however, GM here in Europe (Opel) really do care about fuel economy.

As far back as 2000, they introduced the Astra ECO4. It was a medium sized family car with the following features:

* 53 mpg (US) combined cycle

* 67 mpg (US) highway

* Low rolling resistance tyres

* Longer top gear ratios and underbody aerodynamics

* Aerodynamic coefficient 0.28

All for sale at about 30% less than the price of a Prius. To prove the real-world economy of the Opel ECO4, one pair of journalists drove the entire length of Britain at normal road speeds keeping with the traffic and achieved a whopping 75 mpg (US)!!

(Incidentally, another pair of jornalists did the same test in a 2004 Prius recently too.)

You just have to differentiate yourself from those Prius owners who do fit the description. It's unfortunate that a few extreme tree hugger types have managed to stigmatize the Prius in the US. In my humble opinion they deserve a little needling. When I shopped for a car, I just did the math, compared features and specs(yes, also including emissions), and drove a rental for a week. For my personal requirements and driving profile the Prius came out on top. And that right in the middle of dieseltopia. Only toward the end of my decision making process did I become aware of the stigma that the Prius has in the US, but by then it couldn't influence my decision much in face of the overwhelming amount of positive aspects of the Prius. But those extreme tree huggers have put a bit of a damper on the fun for the rest of us who act responsibly and put our money where our mouth is when it comes to the environment, but don't make a big fuss and denigrate everyone who doesn't drive a Prius.

That 376 mpg Opel is a one seater that got that mileage at 30 mph.
What would be the mpg per occupant of a Prius with four or five occupants at 30 mph? Somewhere around 250 mpg per occupant?
Considering that the Opel is a death trap even at only 30 mph, and that it probably produces about a hundred times higher emissions, the Prius doesn't look so bad in comparison.

I'm not impressed. My Xebra uses no gas at all. There are plenty of transportation options, represented right here on PC, that use no gas at all.

Clett,

Do you still use Imperial gallons when you figure mileage?

I have long maintained that the Prius was optimized for emissions, not for mileage, and I have yet to have anyone prove otherwise.
With only 76 HP, it should get much better mileage, as should my HCH.

Per,
No, I only use US gallons when I post on the US forums. The ECO4 managed 90 mpg (in UK or Imperial gallons) on the highway run, or 75 mpg in US gallons.
Clett