4th generation coming 2015!

Great, thanks for the link.

I'm glad the overall body size is not changing much. A lot of vehicles over the recent years have been getting bigger and bigger.
The Corollas and Civics are starting to look like Camrys and Accords. I personally do not like a big car.
When I was shopping for cars before I bought my first Prius the only two cars I liked was the BMW 1 series and the Prius.
I think the sticker was 34k for the BMW and I didn't want to spend that much on a car so I went more practical and got the Prius.
Glad I did. I like my Prius a lot.

 

Now that's what I'm talkin about!

 

This is a photoshop job based on the interview with the Toyota engineer that the next Prius hood would be lower and there would be a break from hood to windshield line.

Don't worry peoples, 4th gen (thankfully) won't look much like the photo above.

 

Cycledrum, Really its a photo shop job? Wow, suprising that Motor Trend didn't credited that artist conception, somewhere. It also surprises my Motor Trend allowed their name on that graphic. For those interested, below is the source/link for your surfing pleasure.

Again, I don't have any more inside information on the 2015 Prius or the 2115 Prius. I subscribe to Motor trend and thought this was interesting information. I prefer a hatchback style as opposed to the standard 4 door style. So my hope is that the Motortrend or artist conception, if you will, is spot on. It's encouraging that Toyota might actually "stick with a winner" design and not fall into the never ending attempt to introduce, yet another cookie cutter 4 door,(barf) look alike.

By Peter Lyon | Illustrations By Holiday Auto Magazine | November 05, 2012 |25

Read more:
Radical New Toyota Prius in the Pipeline - Motor Trend

 

It seems like a tire like this is in the future of the next Gen Prius.

"Bridgestone Announces Development of “Large & Narrow Concept Tire”
Brandon Daly - CleanMPG - Mar 9, 2013
Making step toward the past to function over style.

Bridgestone announced the successful development of its new "Large & Narrow" concept tire. This new tire is narrower and features a larger diameter than conventional tires. It was created as a new environmental technology to enable tires to help realize a sustainable society. Tire size, as shown, is 155/55R19.

The Large & Narrow concept tire technology helps vehicles achieve improved fuel efficiency, thereby contributing to reductions in CO2 emissions. Moreover, the air pressure within these tires is higher than conventional tires (imagine that!), and the design includes new tread pattern and compounds designed specifically for use in these tires. The new brand of innovative technology employed in the Large & Narrow concept tire enables it to realize significantly lower levels of rolling resistance and substantially higher levels of wet grip performance.

Bridgestone is advancing development of this technology with plans to quickly put it into practical use. Possible applications include the new technology to be incorporated into Bridgestone's ECOPIA line of fuel-efficient tires. This new tire technology may be introduced as original equipment on next-generation automobiles or other vehicles, as well."

http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46917

 

That totally makes sense in light of Toyota's comments and the need to get to 60 mpg on the next generation Prius.

Prius AWD PIP with 20 mile EV range (per the Toyota interview) with 50 mpg hybrid mode (assuming the weight of the rear traction motors has some mpg cost vs. 60 mpg normal) will be a killer car for me. I would get 100 mpg in my normal, long commute (100 miles a day) and have the AWD for my ski trips West.

Was hoping Ford would compete with Fusion Plug in but looks like they blew it with the lower than EPA mileage on the cars. Plus side is Ford has two years to fix it based on the late 2015 availability of the new Prius.

 

Well, thanks for the heads up. It sounds like I'll just have to lower my expectations.

 

All that did for me is to reinforce my lack if trust and sneaky tactics to push the edge of truth.... Guess they didn't pay someone off enough.... Or at least couldn't pay everyone off....
Did they really think they could get away with it?

Snake oil salesmen have it harder since Internet forces accountability.

If you look at the charts... American made is still substandard even though they pay to hype up their products....

The past best depicts the future....
Until they get and maintain a good track record, or get new blood, no reason to think they are any different.....

The package looks temping, but I'm not willing to pay for curtain # 3 without knowing first.

Toyota promises one thing and when you open the package, you find more... Most American made sadly does the opposite.

Alan.. Sent with Tapatalk 2

 

No benefit to Ford if it doesn't meet the EPA test standards/sticker MPG ratings. That goes viral these days and other manufacturers will use it against them.

More a blunder than a conspiracy, they ran it for the EPA test but never did real world testing.

The previous Escape Hybrid met its EPA numbers and, like the Prius, a good driver could better them.

 

You may be right, just seems like every time I consider giving them a chance, this stuff comes out.

Alan.. Sent with Tapatalk 2

 

This maybe a test drive or a video ad, it does not help when the ad says: 47/47/47mpg, and a couple of screen shots later showed 28.8mpg for 161 miles and then 27.9 mpg for 165 miles. 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid - YouTube

 

Just giving them the benefit of a doubt, those are always crazy wrong when at a dealer cause lots of short runs, punching it to the floor for test runs.. Usually never fully warmed up neither.

Alan.. Sent with Tapatalk 2

 

Can we finally, finally get a Prius where reviewers don't usually comment on it being not so much fun to drive, or too noisy inside, things sacrificed at the altar of fuel efficiency?

I don't mind seeing rankings like this USNews ..

Best Hybrid Cars Rankings | U.S. News Best Cars

1) Fusion hybrid
2) Camry hybrid
3) Sonata & Prius v hybrid (tied)
4) Volt & Prius liftback (tied)
5) C-Max
6) Prius c
7) CR-Z
...

I drove a new Camry hybrid and it handily outclasses Prius liftback on the road.

 

Which they gave the Camry all the cool monitoring feedback the prius gets.. I feel like it's a tech downgrade.

Alan.. Sent with Tapatalk 2

 

Camry Hybrid doesn't get quite the gas mileage of Prius, but it is a better car to drive: quieter, more powerful, more load capacity, better handling, blends in better. Prius interior tries awfully hard to be different, but I don't think any other car mfr. is copying it, so it's not trend setting.

Camry hybrid gets 200 HP, more than others in its class. Prius is short changed at 134 HP, less than others and it weighs 200 lbs more. Bad combo.

The best selling cars blend into the streetscape. Prius liftback has been stuck around 10 to 12k monthly sales which is good, but nowhere near the big dogs up around 25k a month - Accord, Camry, Fusion, Civic.

Question is, do we want Prius to be best selling car in US, or just the best selling hybrid?

 

Well its the #1 selling car in California so that's pretty mainstream. Isn't part of the reason that the Prius will not have massive sales nation wide due to the driving conditions in the cold weather states. People in the snow don't want to drive a Prius.

 

But they will drive a Camry, Accord, Altima, etc? My sister and family near Boulder CO drive a regular 2WD Camry. They don't take Camry skiing, but it's their daily driver.

Vast majority of family sedans are 2WD, they sell all over the country. Accords, Camry, Fusion, etc, etc ... all 2WD. Sounds like the problem might be ground clearance?

 

I live in Colorado, more than a mile above sea level, and drive my 04 fully loaded with my family of four and all our stuff in the snow and into the mountains more than two miles above sea level all the time without issue. We prefer it to our 250HP 4 wheel drive SUV.

 

Isn't 4WD preferred in snow / mountains? My sister and husband take their 4WD Tacoma up skiing and leave the Camry at home.