Does the Prius still make sense when midsize-car Hybrids are getting almost 50mpg?(Accord Hybrid)

Interesting point to consider since the Honda is a larger car and offers a better ride as well. As the other responder noted, as long as Honda's claims are true in achieving 50mpg then Honda would be a better choice since it offers blind spot accident avoidance feature as well. However, if the 2014 or 2015 Prius offers 70mpg, lithium ion battery, all wheel drive, rear view and blind spot features then I would rather go with the Prius since Toyota is the leader in the hybrid industry.

 

Toyota's also a much larger company, and their dealer network is provided with far more tools to sell. My guess is that an Accord Hybrid will cost more out the door than a Camry Hybrid, regardless of sticker. Probably why I haven't owned a Honda, although I do like their cars.

The direct competition is amongst hybrid sedans. Camry, Accord, Fusion, and the rest of them. If they had the same type of dealer network and incentives, Honda would probably sell more Accord hybrids than Toyota Camry hybrids. But I doubt they will.

I've driven a new Accord ICE version, and I cannot deny it's a better car in just about every way to the Camry.

As for the Prius? There will be some crossover, but a different market IMO. I bought my V due to the space and cargo room. But a replacement for our 2007 Camry hybrid would be an altogether different decision-making process.

But as you say, Honda will have to prove their claims. Or, maybe they could just blame their drivers

 

I think you are correct that the cars can fool mpg test on epa. Thats one issue and if an automaker chooses to play with this they will end up getting a bad reputation.

I still stand by my opinion that the FH getting 42 actual mpg is pretty good. One thing toyota seems to have no problem with is mpg indicator showing mpg that is higher than actual mpg. It seems to me that they believe they can over state mpg by 1-3 mpg every tank and that makes lots of people think they are getting a little better mpg than they are. I don't think people would put up with it if it was 5-7 mpg but 1-3 seems ok. I believe it should state under and over if they are not able to make it accurate each time. I have never heard of anyone having a display on toyota hybrid that said they got less than calculated mpg at the pump. why does it always have to be over optimistic??? are they trying to fool us?

 

True, the indicator is always a little high. But I know for sure some brands read so high as to warrant never even looking. There were some lengthy articles about the Why of tip computer discrepancies with manual calculations. I'm not even convinced either one is wrong per se, but the one that really counts is the one your wallet feeds

So you think 42 "is pretty good"? They are rated 47 combined, period. And 42 is generally not the milage most get out of a FH, although I noticed some the past year have increased their mileage amounts since the tests came out showing a wide discrepancy. Most tests showed the CH getting the same or even better mileage than the FH. That would be pretty much the actual epa rating.

I don't understand how Ford gets away with it, but it certainly hasn't hurt their reputation nor their sales. Neither have the serious recalls on new models, nor their propensity for fires. But if "42 is pretty good" here on the Prius forum, I guess that's not going to change anytime soon.

I thought 42 was pretty good for a car rated at 42. All I'm saying is that by and large, I think Toyota's epa ratings are pretty darn realistic. I'm sure they could have tested my V the same way Ford does, so my "sticker" could have said 45, or even 47. From what I've seen, most real-world numbers on the CMAX are still lower than the downwardly revised spa ratings.

At any rate, no surprises yet from my Prius v. It pretty much does what it was supposed to do, and I really don't have to defend it. I also know that when we go looking for a sedan hybrid, there will probably be three primary contenders. By then, I'll be sure to know which of the three spa sticker ratings is to be trusted, and act accordingly. I don;t want to end up like an acquaintance of mine, who is constantly baffled by his inability to achieve anywhere near the 47 rating on his FH. I consistently get better mileage out of my v than he does, and my route has more uphill.

 

I think time will prove out that the Prius liftback is just about the optimal body shape and package for a hybrid. The proof will come with it being the top seller for many years to come. Accord Hybrid will be tasty to drive, but with its higher price and fairly small trunk, it'll sell like the Fusion and Camry Hybrid, maybe 3,000 per month in US or so, tops... while Prius and PiP combo is well over 10k / month or more...