Motortrend this issue Prius comparo really P'd me off!

I just traded a 2005 Jetta TDI wagon in on my Gen3 Prius.

The article was pretty balanced on the differences between a Prius and a VW TDI. The 2005 TDI was even lower powered than a Prius and still more of a drivers car.

Overall I prefer the Prius, but to not say the VW has the advantages the article outlined is to deny reality.

The Prius should have been compared with the Jetta wagon, they are closer to the same size class.

 

It is Motor Trend. Yes, it is all about power and handling. Reliability isn't a concern. Fuel economy isn't a concern. Cargo capacity isn't a concern. Environmental friendliness is probably a demerit.

Not much point to the Letter to the Editor, other than to vent (which is not overrated!). MT, Car and Driver... they have a target reader, and we aren't members of that group.

 

Why get angry over this?

 

Have not seen this mag in years!! They sell ads!!
Can you get it online??


Motorweek TV did a comparo a while back!!

Enjoy,

MotorWeek | Power and Economy Drive

 

If they wanted to compare the handling, they could have at least used Prius V!

 

Still not close.

 

Why anyone would consider Motor Trend a real car magazine is beyond me. It is the worst imitation car mag on the market. They seem to be totally driven by ad revenue. Haven't read it since high school except when it is laying around my barber shop and everything else is mutilated beyond redemption.

 

Car mags don't really care about much beyond driveability during the review. This is why something like a VW will win; they don't care that it will be in the shop 6 months out of the year.

 

I wonder if they tested a Prius V, then would the impression be different?

Anyway, here are some tests from the past:
Fuel Sipper Smackdown 2: Which Car Gets the Best Fuel Economy?#

Hybrid: Reality - Article - RoadandTrack.com

And here is the "best" TDI version from VW: IL Track Tested: 2010 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Edition

It does not seem too spectacular....

 

I do like reading car mags, but i wish they would have a section that compared cars like, prius, or the jetta, or smaller cheaper cars in a real way. NOT TAKE THEM ON A TRACK AND COMPLAIN HOW THEY DON"T MATCH UP TO THE $60,000 sports car they just drove.

They rate them on 1. fun to drive 2. 0-60 time, 3. how many g's it does on a skidpad.

They really should rate these kind of cars on 1. features, room comfort 2. MPG, 3. safety braking distance.

 

...Not to mention how much cleaner the Prius is than any VW.

 

Consumers reports comes close to evaluating car like they were appliances.

 

Check my signature - we have a Prius IV and an Audi A3 TDI. My 18 year old son drives a '10 Jetta TDI. There are no losers in this group.

I enjoy taking care and driving all of them...I washed and waxed all three yesterday.

 

How long did that take you!??!!?? It took me 6 hours to do mine. I washed, clayed, polished, and 2 coats of wax. But then I again, I'm a bit obsessive. I was trying to clay off every bit of debris, as small as this dot . My Prius is white so it's easier to see them.

 

They have said so directly the V would have tested better. Two things they didn't like about the prius were the wheels/tires and steering. The V addresses both. The article seemed to even go into why the vw's mpg were worse than stated because of the fuel used.

I'm not even sure they do appliance reviews that well.

 

I've heard a lotta peopl rave about the v.w. but everything i've heard is that they just don't last. I always wonder if that's primarily because of the people that own them...

How many people go from 0 to 80 (except for the guy that passed me when in his oil burnig 2009 caddy). Come on....

I also like the results they indicated they got on the test run.

For those interested in the article.

2010 Toyota Prius III vs. 2010 Volkswagen Golf TDI DSG - Comparison - Motor Trend