Talk about timing-Motorweek Driver's Choice - Prius Best Car of the Year

The fix to improve the feel is available already. They made a good call.

 

LOL!

I like the photo on the front page of the sun shining through the parting dark clouds. Toyota and the Prius Faithful (I'm a nebulous outsider) have taken a beating lately...The photo exactly captures what this announcement feels like...

 

Pretty decent. Pat Goss (his "shop talk" segment) is excellent. Filmed right in Maryland (just North of B-More). Pat Goss is a car guy's, car mechanic. Pat will show you everything from how to re-build a carberator (not that they makes these anymore), to simple stuff like the proper way to rotate your tires. I use to live in Boston, and always listened to "Click and Clack, the Tappet Brothers"...Pat Goss is in that same era of car guys. If you know what i mean?

What's funny is, I always felt this show was pro-Detroit? Definitley pro-BMW.

As far as not experiencing any problems, and in particular, the brake issue - well, I had my car for over two months (longer than MW's test period) and I never felt the phenomena. Only when I became aware, did I actively seek out the experience. But even now, when i push harder on the brake peddle (than I use to), I feel nothing out of the ordinary.

 

I just called my wife and let her know there is
a little good news about our Prius.

I think it made her day, after all the negativity
about the brakes and the Toyota problems
in general.

alfon

 

...and so do I. That's never been my issue. Even the braking phenomena does not bother me (at all). How Toyota handled the media and customer complaints, spanning years, is my one main issue.

 

Motor Week certainly 'Nailed It'. The Prius is the best car you can buy for a whole range of issues. Quality, Performance, Styling, Fuel Economy, Safety, Advanced Technology, Environmentally the "GREENest" car you can buy, low emissions, practical, comfortable seats 5, numerous configurations available, and no actual close competitor.

 

File this under misery loves company...

I read this morning where Honda is in the middle of a massive recall (over 900,000 cars affected), concerning the deployment of their air bags (another critical saftey component). So it looks like Toyota is not alone,,,

 

When I have to "defend" (justify) having bought a Prius... to a few jingoistic co-workers... I try to relate it to reducing the US debt owed to foreign countries. Many Americans could care less about reducing emissions into the air, or how green the car is...but if you tell them that if there were more cars (like the Prius) that got 50+ mpg's, it would save billions of $$ in imported oil, and further help to lower our import debt to foreign countries, many folks can identify with that. Surprising as this may sound, there are still a lot of folks that don't know the US is a major IMPORTER of oil, and not an exporter. Every barrel of oil we import, just adds to our national debt.

The other side of the coin is, or until US manufacturers get their act together and make high mileage vehicles, we're still stuck with buying imported vehicles....so that negates things a bit.

 

Wonderful news. Good to know that what is generally considered to be unbiased organization can reach that conclusion (an assessment of value that we already knew) and give that award. Probably won't get that much play in the news, unfortunately.

 

I could be wrong, but Motor Week is funded by public donations/funding and grants from the Federal Government...while rags like Motor Trend are primarily funded by car advertising, ie, car companies.

Why most people don't see, or know much about MW is because it's on PBS, and most Americans can't be bothered with anything educational.

 

That kind of blows that whole conspiracy thing, if the show is somewhat funded by the government. If there is/was some conspiracy, they wouldn't want to give the car an award, would they?

 

Those that were yelling conspiracy the loudest seem to have been ignoring most of the facts (as could be told by their posting history).

 

Motor trend confirms it,
Even in recall we're still #1

 

And you quoted this, in bold, why? Clearly the MotorWeek testers did not perceive a problem with the brakes and they stand by the award. Perhaps they were well acquainted with the Gen II and already knew how the brakes worked in the 'regen to friction' speed on bad road surfaces. And they obviously didn't shove a floor mat under the accelerator pedal to see if that would cause a problem.

 

So Hockeydad what a difference a day makes huh? Since yesterday you were in the "Brake Fix didn't work" thread announcing how Toyota had lost you, and even talking about selling your Prius. I told you the winds would change. So now that you feel the breeze, just so you're not misunderstood, back on The Prius bandwagon or not? Just curious...

 

I just read a swipe against Toyota in a sports column--no less. The mediots spare no prisoners when they get going. Facts be damned. You have to give some credit to Motorweek. Wonder where Consumer Reports comes out on this.

If it saves some jobs in the auto industry and makes the Prius cheaper and more available for when we need another car, I guess I can't complain.

It's like the stock market. When irrational fears drop the market, that's the time to swoop in and buy. How investors get rich.

 

I don't know about credit to Motorweek. I heard they had the trophy engraved 3 weeks ago and just couldn't afford to have it redone.

 

To those anti-conspiracy types: don't underestimate what politicians can do in Washington. It's that National Highway Safety Administration group that's responsible for waving the red flags against Toyota, I believe. You don't know where they are coming from. My guess is Obama et al would like to kickstart the American Car industry. That could well be a factor in how they are spinning this.