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Is the Prius is bad for the environment?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by orenf, Aug 9, 2007.

  1. orenf

    orenf New Member

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    I've come to realize that I've been duped. The Prius is far from being eco-friendly. Quite the opposite, I find that it is the least environmentally friendly car I've driven.

    Here's a list of the cars I had owned:

    - Fiat Uno
    - Renault Cleo
    - Hyundai Elantra
    - Ford Focus
    - Renault Twingo
    - Pontiac Sunfire

    One thing they all had in common - they sucked. Over the years, driving was something I had to do to get from point A to point B. I never enjoyed it, and, generally, went out of my way to avoid driving whenever possible (including 4 years of being car-less in Manhattan).

    Now I drive a Prius. It's FUN to drive. It's engaging. It provides feedback. It has more features than I've had before. It makes a statement. It's DIFFERENT.

    The result? I enjoy driving more than I ever did. I even volunteer to take my wife to IKEA every other week. IKEA!!!. And why travel short distances (less fuel efficient) - let's go on longer drives (take the scenic route...).

    My green car gets driven a lot more than any of my other cars did. And while I benefit from the fuel savings, I'm probably being LESS eco-friendly than before...

    Why-oh-why couldn't they (Toyota) have made the Prius a crappier car?
     
    #1 orenf, Aug 9, 2007
  2. Fibb222

    Fibb222 New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(orenf @ Aug 9 2007, 10:31 AM) [snapback]493075[/snapback]</div>
    I know exactly how you feel. I also have to battle the strong urge to go for longer drives because driving is such a blast and it would also help make my mileage numbers look better. Doh!
     
    #2 Fibb222, Aug 9, 2007
  3. doubleg2005

    doubleg2005 Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(orenf @ Aug 9 2007, 12:31 PM) [snapback]493075[/snapback]</div>
    despite your sneakiness and desire to dupe the rest of us, i think it's more than misleading to say that the Prius is the "least environmentally friendly car" because, frankly, it's your driving habits that are less eco-friendly... B)

    besides, you owned a hyundai... just owning one of those makes penguins in Antartica go out to buy sunglasses and sunscreen... :D
     
    #3 doubleg2005, Aug 9, 2007
  4. DGCL

    DGCL New Member

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    2007 Prius
    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(doubleg2005 @ Aug 9 2007, 10:40 AM) [snapback]493081[/snapback]</div>
    I loved my Elantra, it was fun to drive and sportier than the Prius. Also, it made the top 10 greenest vehicles list (above many hybrids). I had a SULEV version which had incredibly low emissions.
     
    #4 DGCL, Aug 9, 2007
  5. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Fibb222 @ Aug 9 2007, 10:39 AM) [snapback]493079[/snapback]</div>
    Ditto... haha but then my commute is long enough, I don't need to add too many kms (for the past 3 months, I've been adding ~700kms a week!! It used to be 250-300km/week.)
     
    #5 Tideland Prius, Aug 10, 2007
  6. TonyPSchaefer

    TonyPSchaefer Your Friendly Moderator
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    If it makes you feel better, here is a comparison of the Prius emissions versus other things we do.

    (it's a swf file and I can't post it inline so yo'll have to click it. And keep in mind that it's blurry because it's supposed to be smaller.
    http://www.chicagopriusgroup.com/images/Em...resentation.swf
     
    #6 TonyPSchaefer, Aug 10, 2007
  7. geodosch

    geodosch Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TonyPSchaefer @ Aug 10 2007, 09:09 AM) [snapback]493484[/snapback]</div>
    Thanks for a great link!
     
    #7 geodosch, Aug 10, 2007
  8. orenf

    orenf New Member

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    Great link!

    I feel better already :)

    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TonyPSchaefer @ Aug 10 2007, 08:09 AM) [snapback]493484[/snapback]</div>
     
    #8 orenf, Aug 10, 2007
  9. Fibb222

    Fibb222 New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tideland Prius @ Aug 9 2007, 09:44 PM) [snapback]493396[/snapback]</div>
    Ah ha, that's how you broke 4.0! Every time I improve you seem to stay that much ahead of me... heh!
     
    #9 Fibb222, Aug 10, 2007
  10. hyo silver

    hyo silver Awaaaaay

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    Hey, orenf, if you're feeling that guilty, I could loan you a bicycle for a week...
     
    #10 hyo silver, Aug 10, 2007
  11. jiepsie

    jiepsie New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(orenf @ Aug 9 2007, 07:31 PM) [snapback]493075[/snapback]</div>
    I'll make up for your extra miles. My Prius is a much more boring car to drive than most of my previous cars. Most European cars provide much better feedback and are more engaging. My Audi A3 was a lot of fun. The Prius is just a practical, safe and economical means of transport. Since owning a Prius, I use the train a lot more for my commutes, even when it takes just as long or a little longer. I'd rather read something in the train than drive.
     
    #11 jiepsie, Aug 10, 2007
  12. subarutoo

    subarutoo New Member

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    The way I understand it, is that the Prius puts out 1/9 the pollution of "normal" cars. Therefore, you'd have to drive the Prius 9 times to equal one trip in the other cars. You probably have several trips left before you are in the guilty zone. I bought mine just over a year and a half ago, and in that time, the Pri has gone 39,000 miles, and my trusty Impreza less than 5000. The Impreza used to be my daily 90 mile a day commuter. Now its a weekend fun car, and the Prius is my commuter.
     
    #12 subarutoo, Aug 10, 2007
  13. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Fibb222 @ Aug 10 2007, 09:44 AM) [snapback]493594[/snapback]</div>
    lol. Yeah Lougheed Highway (if you know that road) is a good place for P&G.. time it right and you'll have nobody behind you and you can glide to the red light.
     
    #13 Tideland Prius, Aug 10, 2007
  14. PriusTouring07

    PriusTouring07 New Member

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    haha, I hear ya! I haven't stopped driving since I bought it. I put over 3000 miles in less than a week..........
     
    #14 PriusTouring07, Aug 10, 2007
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