Well, it's not really negative. It's just a bit one sided.
Comparing the Prius with a Corolla :roll:

Besides, using the reasoning in the article, why ever would one buy any other car than the cheapest car available? Why are they different cars on the market? What a silly journalist. :wink:

EDIT:
Besides here in the Netherlands the Prius has some huge tax advantages, making it even cheaper than a rather luxureous Corolla Verso (by EUR 100 or so). When the tax advantage is not used the Prius is some EUR 7600 more expensive and then it's indeed hard to 'beat' the price by just fuel cost savings. But I'm not sure if I'd choose a Corolla Verso over a Prius even with such a price difference. Maybe an Avensis would be tempting...

Are the European and US "Corolla" actually the same car?

It's not obviously the case given the pictures I've seen, and I know Toyota's US range is generally very different.

Even if they were similar, the US one is a saloon, rather than a hatchback. Toyota GB's site indicates that a saloon is theoretically available in Britain, but I've never seen one.

No the Euro and American Corolla are different.
I like the fact that they used a Corolla with manual transmission, no air conditioning, and no anti-lock brakes for the price compare. The Corolla Ultima would be the class/range that is equal to the prius and it is priced at just over $30K. So that makes the Prius about $7k more than the traditional car. If the Aussies have any sort of tax break then there is the difference.

Lol. Some "reporters" just have to try and make a name for themselves by peeing in the pool

They fail to see the gas milage as a plus over buying an old-fashioned car. I still absolutely LOVE having the most advanced vehicle on the road. Everyone else might as well be driving stone-age cars from the Flintstones 8)

The fact of the matter is that if the Prius wasn't available, I would've paid the same price to buy a car that had about the same feature set, but no hybrid technology. So I spent the same money on the hybrid and got everything I wanted and more!

Dave

The Australian Corolla is the same as the European one. The Merkins get a different one for their peculiar taste in cars it seems.

Oddly, Australia gets the Camry saloon as well as the MPV version of the Avensis. (The Camry was dropped in Europe a few years back because no-one bought it; it was replaced by the Avensis saloon).

Actually, the way I remember it, rather than burning dino based gasoline, Fred Flinstone also used an alternative energy source, Foot Power 8) I guess that the braking helped deal with the calluses. :lol: :lol:

The anti-hybrid argument doesn't wash

I have read a number of articles that try make the basic point that the fuel savings that can be achieved in a hybrid is not sufficient to offset the extra cost of the hybrid components, and thus buying a hybrid is a bad decision. The downfall of this argument is, how many people buy any NEW car based on the fact that they think it will provide them with the lowest possible transporation cost? The answer is...virtually no one.

If all people cared about was net cost over the life of the vehicle, the roads would be clogged with Geo Metros, VW diesels, Honda Civics, and a few Hybrids.

In fact, very few people buy a particular car because they believe it represents the cheapest possible form of tranportation. Therefore, reviewing cars from the perspective that the only reason for choosing car A over car B is total life cycle cost is ludicrous. The reasons for choosing a particular car are many, and they all need to be taken into consideration. Reasons to buy a Hybrid might include:
-very low life cycle cost (maybe not the absolute lowest, but darn close)
-very low emmisions/environemntal impact
-very low fuel consumption for the size/weight of the vehicle
-high tech, unique features. In the case of the Prius, the interior layout and high tech features truly separate the car from a Carolla or Camry. It may not be every bodies cup of tea, but it is truly a unique car
-high build quality
-good safety rating
-you like the way the drivetrain functions, the CVT, the electric/ICE interface.

I'm tired of reading the same old financially based gripes about Hybrid technology. What other cars get reviewed on that basis? Have you ever seen a car review that said for instance "the BMW 5 series, while outstanding vehicles in every sense, should not be considered for purchase by anyone because a Toyota Camry gets better gas mileage and costs less." :lol:

If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, certainly comparative value is in the mind of the comparer.

When I first saw the '04 Prius I saw a (much desired, rare) five-door hatchback with mid-size roominess and comfort, with basic features equal to the high trim-line models of most mid-size sedans/saloons. Ignoring the posh accessary gadget packages, and opting for just the rear wiper and mats got me a price close to the US$20K price typical of a well-equipped mid-size conventional car. The advanced technology, green-ness, shiftless transmission, roadside assistance and federal tax deduction were icing on the cake.

My index for comparison was my present Camry LE, not a compact Corolla.

What we have here is an ambitious journalist who has attracted a great deal of attention by publishing a misleading article sure to arouse protest.

What a difference a year makes

About a year and a half ago after I had my '03 Prius about 6 months, I was listening to the radio when this 'expert' in the auto industry said that the Hybrid was just a 'stop gap' update to tie us over until the real technology was ready -- namely fuel cell cars! This guy went on and on how no one really was taking this (read Hybrid) seriously and the car manufacturers were really spending their time on the real technology.

Well it is a year later and this same guy is NOW saying that Hybrids are here to stay! (DUH!) Matter of fact he sounded as if he 'bugged' my house! I know I will not see a commercial version of a Fuel Cell car in my life time because of the infrastructure it would take to do it, even if you could afford $150K for the car. I realise there are a few of them in California but they have to stay within 75 miles of the place they get their fuel! Somehow I don't see hydrogen refueling stations popping up all over the country in the next 5 years. Besides, people have a 'tuff' time filling up with gasoline . . . can you imagine the problems filling up with 'liquid Hydrogen'!

One final note I bought the Prius for ONE main reason to help the USA get off the foreign oil nipple the fact that it is eco- friendly is nice but I want us free of foreign oil.

A tax break in Australia? ....yeah right!
John W. Howard is pushing coal technology here as the energy source of the future... and no I'm not joking. Forget tax breaks or any sort of financial incentive for hybrid technology, what we do have is lower import tax on FOUR-WHEEL DRIVES! :roll:

Well, at least we have an election this year too...

Coal eh? Beautiful! Cuz apparently, the U.S. is the "Saudi Arabia of coal. Coal is what we got." -Leo McGarry. Someone should tell Howard that he's going the wrong way on the ladder of fossilized fuels.