Et tu, Clarkson? Top Gear names Toyota Prius its "City Car of the Year"

Discussion in 'Prius, Hybrid, EV and Alt-Fuel News' started by cwerdna, Dec 5, 2009.

  1. Offline

    cwerdna Senior Member

    Start a Conversation
    Member Since:
    Sep 4, 2005
    Posts:
    11,802
    Likes Received:
    1,718
    Location:
    SF Bay Area, CA
    Your Vehicle Year:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    cwerdna, Dec 5, 2009
    Like Reply Share #1
  3. Offline

    spinkao New Member

    Start a Conversation
    Member Since:
    Jul 27, 2009
    Posts:
    316
    Likes Received:
    69
    Location:
    Czech Republic, EU
    Your Vehicle Year:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    spinkao, Dec 5, 2009
    Like Reply Share #2
    1 people like this.
  5. Offline

    sandsw New Member

    Start a Conversation
    Member Since:
    Feb 24, 2007
    Posts:
    99
    Likes Received:
    37
    Location:
    Sydney Australia
    Your Vehicle Year:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    V
    Boy, what a turnaround...

    and here was me thinking that he was "owned" by the oil companies.
    sandsw, Dec 5, 2009
    Like Reply Share #3
  7. Offline

    Sacto1549 New Member

    Start a Conversation
    Member Since:
    Dec 7, 2008
    Posts:
    117
    Likes Received:
    14
    Location:
    Sacramento, CA USA
    Your Vehicle Year:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    I think Clarkson realizes that:

    1) The current Prius has more interior space than many cars sold in Europe.

    2) The Prius gets great fuel economy without breathing the poisonous exhaust you get from diesel-powered automobiles.

    #2 is something Europeans conveniently ignore in their claims about diesel cars sporting low CO2 emissions. They forget that diesel engines spew out more NOx gases and spew out unhealthy for lungs diesel particulates, both of which are not an issue with the Prius. :)
    Sacto1549, Dec 6, 2009
    Like Reply Share #4
    1 people like this.
  9. Offline

    Mjolinor New Member

    Start a Conversation
    Member Since:
    Oct 20, 2008
    Posts:
    229
    Likes Received:
    4
    Location:
    Greece
    Your Vehicle Year:
    2002 Prius
    Well I think that Top Gear is a good chat show and that's it. Jeremy Clarkson is an idiot and wouldn't know a good car if it ran over him.

    Their personal recommendations for cars are about as likely to influence my decisions as a cow farting.
    Mjolinor, Dec 6, 2009
    Like Reply Share #5
    1 people like this.
  11. Offline

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

    Start a Conversation
    Member Since:
    Aug 14, 2006
    Posts:
    18,295
    Likes Received:
    3,518
    Location:
    Sacramento, CA.
    Your Vehicle Year:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Plug-in Advanced
    F8L, Dec 6, 2009
    Like Reply Share #6
  13. Offline
    • Moderator

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North

    Start a Conversation
    Member Since:
    Oct 2, 2004
    Posts:
    27,762
    Likes Received:
    1,327
    Location:
    Canada
    Your Vehicle Year:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Don't forget the all important 0-60 time... which is always conveniently left out but everyone claims the Prius is slow (at 10 secs, it's slightly faster than a Fit w/ an auto, smart fortwo [both diesel and petrol], Jetta TDI, Civic Hybrid, even the 6-cylinder Chevy Epica [which is no longer in production])
    Tideland Prius, Dec 6, 2009
    Like Reply Share #7
  15. Offline

    Rybold globally warmed member

    Start a Conversation
    Member Since:
    May 14, 2008
    Posts:
    2,760
    Likes Received:
    317
    Location:
    Southern California
    Your Vehicle Year:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Everytime I've watched Top Gear on Youtube, they've been throwing 500hp cars around and oval in time trials. I'm completely confused by a Prius winning their award.
    I'm going to assume that there are TWENTY different categories that they have awards for. The "city car" must be the car that only drives in rush hour traffic and never has a chance to exhibit it's horsepower. If my perception of Top Gear is not correct, then please inform me of the correct description of Top Gear.

    Fast-forward to 3:33 and begin from there...

    Rybold, Dec 6, 2009
    Like Reply Share #8
  17. Online

    bwilson4web 03 and 10 Prius

    Start a Conversation
    Member Since:
    Nov 25, 2005
    Posts:
    9,881
    Likes Received:
    2,536
    Location:
    Huntsville AL with 2003 Prius
    Your Vehicle Year:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    What was their 2009 "City Car of the Year?"

    Bob Wilson
    bwilson4web, Dec 7, 2009
    Like Reply Share #9
  19. Offline

    patsparks An Aussie perspective

    Start a Conversation
    Member Since:
    Jul 12, 2007
    Posts:
    10,613
    Likes Received:
    497
    Location:
    Adelaide South Australia
    Your Vehicle Year:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    In which episode did they drive around an oval?
    I don't think the oval track is used much outside the USA except in dirt track speedway which comes out of the USA anyway.

    Several stories on Top Gear have a lot in them about some very slow cars actually. It is about entertainment, not really about cars.
    patsparks, Dec 7, 2009
    Like Reply Share #10
  21. Offline

    Mjolinor New Member

    Start a Conversation
    Member Since:
    Oct 20, 2008
    Posts:
    229
    Likes Received:
    4
    Location:
    Greece
    Your Vehicle Year:
    2002 Prius
    I thought it was Australian circa 1920s
    Mjolinor, Dec 7, 2009
    Like Reply Share #11
  23. Offline

    Rybold globally warmed member

    Start a Conversation
    Member Since:
    May 14, 2008
    Posts:
    2,760
    Likes Received:
    317
    Location:
    Southern California
    Your Vehicle Year:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    I didn't mean an oval like nascar. I just meant driving in an oval configuration (like in the Youtube video I posted above). Actually, I think it's more of a figure eight than an oval. My apologies - I suppose seeing the car flying around corners from one straight to another, over and over, was perceived as an oval to me.
    Rybold, Dec 8, 2009
    Like Reply Share #12
  25. Offline
    • Moderator

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North

    Start a Conversation
    Member Since:
    Oct 2, 2004
    Posts:
    27,762
    Likes Received:
    1,327
    Location:
    Canada
    Your Vehicle Year:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    That's their test track. It consists of 9 corners IIRC. Of course if they're not lapping their car, the entire runway is at their disposal.
    Tideland Prius, Dec 8, 2009
    Like Reply Share #13

Share This Page