Prius v. Hummer - and Prius knocks down the Humvee!

Hey all - attached are some great recent articles on the above. It talks sales figures, the cultural divide, and perhaps a shift in American thinking? We can only hope!

http://slate.msn.com/id/2096191

http://www.motoring.co.za/index.php?fSecti...rticleId=388748

There was also an article in last week's Businessweek about the rise of hybrid cars. It's called, "Gentlemen, Start Your Hybrids." But I can't get into the website! I just get the print version. Oh well, if you get it you know what I'm talking about.

Ironically, I just got through driving a Hummer around for four days. It was part of an elaborate 40th birthday gift for my partner. You can't imagine how ridiculous it looked having the Prius and the Hummer parked side by side in the driveway all weekend.

At least, now, objectively, I can comment on the 'ownership' of a Hummer and have personal experience to back it up. As far as off-road utility goes, sure the Hummer is great. The beast has eight pre-programmed off-road 4x4 modes of operation, hydraulic height adjustment, independent suspension and tires that look like they should be on top of a pole for a donut shop. Interior amenities are decent, but the vehicle is pure GM with the same GM-ish displays and knobs you find on a low end vehicle. No NAV system, which blows me away. They offer On-Star, but I don't want a live person to direct me, I want a monitor. That's just me. Headroom is very limited and I couldn't help feeling a bit claustrophobic despite the fact that the thing's so wide you can play football in it. There's a flip-up seat in the third row, but the thing still maxes out at 6 passengers which seems limiting for a beast that size. Interior noise is very low, which I expeccted after seeing about four sets of gaskets around each door. Outside, it sounds like a tank. Easy to drive, but no maneuverability whatsoever. Consider any U-turn to be a 10 point turn no matter what. Oh, and let's not forget that the Prius actually BEATS the Hummer in the 0 to 60 rating.

Oh yeah, it's a 32 gallon tank and the trip computer said I was averaging 10.9 mpg for the weekend. It took almost $60 to fill the tank. Would I ever own one, want one, or envy having one? Absolutely not. Not because of the exorbitant price they charge for those things, but because it simply doesn't make sense. Is this my opinion? Of course, derived from personal objective experience.

H2=excess use of limited natural resources :guns:

So I take it you guys didn't buy one then? That is so hilarious though - you know what they say about guys and the size of their cars. Oh, no need to confirm if that's true or not! :computer: Anyway, I figured as much. I STILL don't know why some people have that car in these little itty-bitty streets: WTF??!! How do you parallel park those things?

Before any emoticons end up firing my way, let's all remember that I own the Prius, water my lawn briefly at night, sort the recyclables and believe a good cross-breeze with open windows is better than A/C, OK? I'm a very clinical, objective person who firmly believes in one important cardinal rule:

You have to objectively subject yourself to the object to which you object.

I never hate anything sight unseen. I never pass judgement without hearing both sides. Besides, life is a balance. I make no excuses for the Hummer's existence, but considering the other 353 days of the year I'm doing my part to make up for those who aren't, I don't feel guilty about a 3-day gluttonous indulgence to round out my point of view.

As for parallel parking, it was hysterical. There were 6 of us (mind you, I at least made sure the vehicle had a maximum passenger load at all times!) and it took 3 valets to try to parallel park it in front of the downtown restaurant.

In all fairness, I'd love to have that driver's seat in the Prius. That seat was a lazy boy recliner on rails, including independent seat bottom and back heaters with power lumbar. And for those of you who tinker or are into power tools, it has a built-in air compressor...

No emoticon shots were aimed at you or your 3 day H2 experience personally, mboileau, just at the H2 and what it symbolizes and the message it conveys to the rest of the world.

I'm not pointing any fingers at anyone for owning one. However, the H2 is the ultimate poseur SUV.

It's little more than a tarted up Chevy Tahoe made to be "affordable" to the buying public. If I was to buy one, it would be the H1. THAT is the ultimate off road vehicle. However, at $100k plus per copy, you won't see me running up to my friendly neighbourhood Chevy/GMC/Pontaic/Oldsmobile(RIP)/Cadillac/Isuzu/Saab/Suzuki/Daewoo/Buick/Saturn/Hummer dealer to buy one.

lol... the neighborhood dealer with the two county long name...

For you math whizzes out there what would be the gas savings of going from H2 (11-13mpg) to Prius @ 50?

Well, just a simple ratio of 12mpg-H2 : 50mpg-Prius would give just over 4:1.

If you live in Cali ($2/gallon) and drive 20,000 miles a year, the prius would run you $800. The H2 would run just over $3300.

-m.

It's basically asymptotic to "1 / 0". :lol:

according to the article if one drove 40 miles a day, then they would save $2214 a year in gas

Hehe, it was a dig on the cookie cutter car concept that GM seems to be hopelessly lost in.

Here is Toyota's handy gas mileage calculator for comparing the Prius to other MPGs

http://www.toyota.com/vehicles/2004/prius/...t_sav_calc.html

Steve ~~~_/)_~~~

I just read a summary of the J.D. Powers initial quality study and what's the second highest complaint of H2 respondents after windnoise? POOR FUEL ECONOMY!

:roll: Go figure :roll:

Scott

It does make one wonder what they expected out of a vehicle designed with all of the aerodynamic characteristics of a house, built with no regards to the final weight of the vehicle, and then stuffed with the largest V8 engine in GM's production lineup. I couldn't get 30 mpg out of a Suzuki Samurai, which had similar design qualitites. Since these people bought it, they can live with the fuel mileage. I have no sympathy. :violin:

well the Hummer does beat the Prius in one catagory.

That is largest tax rebate.

Hummers can earn its owners up to $100,000 in tax credits while Prius' only earn a measly 1500.

that is Bush's latest attempt in making sure his grandchildren never have to work a day in their lives.

That tax rebates is supposed to be for businesses only. I cannot go out and buy one, and then file for that rebate.

a loophole that has already been acknowledged as very weak.

The $100,000 hummer tax deduction has ruffled a few feathers thou.

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/b...8hummers08.html

excerpt from another article

"Among the provisions of the tax package just approved by Congress is an increase in the deduction allowed for small-business equipment purchases, which rises from $25,000 to $100,000. That means real estate agents, lawyers, doctors -- anybody who files a Schedule C or corporate tax return -- can write off the entire cost of virtually any big sport-utility vehicle. The potential tax savings in the top bracket is $35,000."

http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/Taxes/P48468.asp

here is an article by a very smart man... an excerpt

The current federal income-tax deduction for buying a new technology, 50-mpg, pollution-free, gas-electric hybrid car is $2,000, which only 2 percent of the amount of the deduction for an SUV -- and that will go down to $1,500 next year! Gas-electric hybrids (such as the Toyota Prius, Motor Trend magazine's 2004 "Car of the Year") are the car of the future and should have a 100 percent federal tax-deduction for business use (pizza delivery, taxis) or personal use. The current tax laws in the energy bill actually encourage the purchase of the gargantuan, fuel-wasting Hummer H2, which get only 8-10 miles per gallon of gas.


http://starbulletin.com/2003/11/25/editori...commentary.html

all in all, it is plain to see that the government is maximizing profits for the oil companies and their shareholders.

some stats. experts say that a 10mpg increase in auto efficiency would eliminate the need to import foreign oil...(that is 2001 stats, best i could find). current average is 20.8 mpg... which is 19.2 mpg below what CAFE would have required in the year 2000.

obviously, not importing oil would have dramatically cut into Exxons 23.2 BILLION dollar profit margin for 2003. But Bush took care of all that the minute he got iinto office.

many people blame Gore for signing away CAFE in an agreement with US auto manufacturers back in 93 but even if he hadn't done so, Bush would have screwed every thing up any way.

Now in the Pacific Northwest, we have a local refinery that was caught in a lie. They claimed they werent getting enough crude to run at 100% so they had to tighten up supplies. That was an alledged lie. Now they are threatening to close.

analysts say that if the refinery closes gas prices will immediately shoot up to 2.50/gal with prices over $3 a gallon by next year in this area.

But its pretty easy for the oil companies to do whatever they want. After all, they have money, position, and the full backing of the US government to do whatever they want.