Deliberately wrong information

It really bugs me why some articles still deliberately misrepresent stuff. I would like to start this thread for people to post these blatant attempts to mis-inform people.

I will kick it off with this quote from a Las Vegas Sun article:

"The top gasoline-electric hybrid sedans for fuel mileage aren't Hondas or Toyotas. That honor goes to the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid and its sibling 2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid."

It is not until later in the article that they admit they are refferring to the Camry and Lexus and that these cars cannot compete with the likes of Prius and Insight.

In the same article:

"As hatchbacks, the Prius and Insight also don't provide a way to hide cargo away from prying eyes."

They obviously have discounted a completely opaque cargo blind in the Prius that is also very convenient to use.

Let's all dob these characters in to everyone.

I agree - these things irk me as well. Mis-information or spinning info.

BTW I would gladly 'dob' if I knew what the #$%@ that means.

The Prius isn't a sedan. SO yes the Fusion wins there. It's also why we didn't consider the fusion as a hatchback is a must.

To be fair, as mentioned the Prius isn't a sedan, so that statement was correct.

The second one is a bit more iffy, but you could argue that even with the tonneau cover, only about half the cargo area is hidden.

I'm sorry, but I have to ask. Is this the 1st time that the so-called "news media" has led you astray?

The most common example I run into now it the posted of OUTDATED facts.

People refer to older models, pretending the same applies to the newer too.
.

Sorry about the Australian coloquial slang. "DOB" roughly translates as "to tell on" or "to report to others".

No - I just got angry thismorning when I saw it.

Get angry over this?

YES, the PRIUS IS A SEDAN. It is a sedan with a hatchback, as opposed to a trunk.

Edmunds' definition of a sedan: "a car with a four-door body configuration and a conventional trunk or a sloping back with a hinged rear cargo hatch that opens upward."

Merriam-Webster's definition: "a 2- or 4-door automobile seating four or more persons and usually having a permanent top."

Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) differentiate between car types based on measurements. For instance, the SAE considers coupes to be cars with interior space behind the front seats of less than 33 cubic feet (.934 cubic m), while a sedans are cars with second row seating space equal to or greater than 33 cubic feet. At about 41.6 cubic feet of passenger space in the second row, it seems the 2010 Prius is a sedan.

EPA's definition -- I don't know. But EPA has placed the Prius into the "Family Sedan" category.

Even at wikicars.org, you'll find that hatchbacks or liftbacks will be considered sedans if they meet the SAE space measurements.

One of the confusing classifications of the Prius has been set out by JDPower who, after calling the Prius a four-door sedan, place it in the small car category (fitting with sub-compacts and compacts).

Motor Trend? Who knows? They have so many categories. They now have a Hybrid category so as far as I can tell the Prius isn't either a sedan or a hatchback.

Along these same lines, I'm sick and tired of reading news articles that compare the Prius to a stripped down Corolla to see which one will save you the most money. I've also seen the Prius compared head-to-head with a Chevrolet Aveo.

Bryan

Yes I agree with the general consensus. Many of these articles are misleading and I'm sure at least half of them are intentional. Prior to buying my prius, I had alot of misgivings about its drive, handling, space, etc. Wasn't until I test drove it myself that I realize alot of the articles can't be trusted. The prius is alot bigger than what many make it out to be, and I don't even think its officially considered a "compact", but that's commonly how it is portrayed.

The two items that top my list are:
1. Comparing the Prius' mileage to a diesel without accounting for the different properties of those fuels. Diesel is a heavier fuel that has a higher energy density. So obviously that helps a lot to get a better mileage. If fuels would be bought by the kg/lb the Prius would win in most, if not all cases.
2. Subtly suggesting that the Prius battery is an environmental disaster, that negates all the environmental benefits of a Prius. Of course it is only suggested, never proven. FUD tactics.

I don't think this should be an issue. We don't sell fuel by kg/lb so any comparison based on that would be meaningless.

It was just a thought experiment that how we measure the quantity of a substance can influence the perception of how one type of car compares to another.

And to add another observation to this diesel/petrol thingy: when it comes to ethanol, the difference in energy density widely acknowledged. Everybody knows that ethanol blends yield lower mileage. That is probably because you can put that in the same car as 100% petrol, which is of course not possible with diesel vs petrol.

Tell that to a pilot!