CNN declares 2008 Prius most fuel efficient car in US - (DUH)

This is total brain damage. Must have been a slow news day.

 

Wasn't it just last year that Edmunds said the Prius only got 33mpg? CNN was warning people away from Hybrids because the fuel efficiency wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Now it's OK. Does this new love affair have anything to do with rising fuel costs?! Or did they find a test-driver who doesn't have a lead foot?

 

ICE cars can't come close to the Prius in city driving. Mainly because the power shuts off at traffic lights and stopped traffic.

It shows how much gas is wasted by all those stop signs, traffic lights, etc., which local governments (like mine) are forever adding--unnecessarily--in many cases.

In France, there are few traffic lights. they use "roundabouts" or traffic circles to keep the traffic moving at intersections.
Very clever, the French.

 

What did they do? Drive down every street in the city 5 times?

 

The CNN writer said: "I don't tink I got no dain bramage."

Tom

 

I've seen this before. I still don't understand how they got such poor gas mileage on the "back roads". Under those conditions (50-65 mph, no stops), I always get 55-60 mpg. They got 46 mpg?

52 mpg in the city sounds right. I don't know about driving 75 mph on the highway because I've never done it.

They also demonstrate a complete lack of understanding about how the Prius actually works...

Everybody still thinks you want to drive under electric power as much as possible to get the best gas mileage. Maybe that's why they get strange testing results. Oh well.

Tim