Consumer Reports Names Toyota Prius Best New-Car Value, Unseating Honda Fit

Well, I suppose some will still find fault with CR.

 

Whats strange is if you look on Edmunds for 2012, it isnt even in the list. Thats weird. I had found a list the other day, of course, cant find it now, that listed about 15 or so best car values of 2013, Fusion topped it, Camry was in a tie at 3rd with a few others, and the Prius was way down the list. I wish I could find that one. I found it rather surprising the order they were in, always thought the Prius to be at or near the top all the time due to its extremely good Economy ratings.

 

They didn't include the "Consumer Reports does not recommend the Prius c" in the report?

Someone at CR must be walking around wearing a black eye. <grins>

I remember it was 2006 when CR did a 'value analysis' and had to issue a retraction because someone forgot to include the tax credit. Since then, the Prius 'value' reports have been fair.

Sad to say, no one can do anything about the CR test team's abysmal mileage reports and biased 'evaluation' score. Still, we can be thankful they haven't fallen totally to the anti-hybrid jihad.

Bob Wilson

 

I'm sure no one on this blog is surprised. We've always known this to be true but now we're being validated by an outside source.

 

Aww man, can't we have some Schadenfreude at CRs expense. <grins>

Bob Wilson

 

The only thing that comes across a little odd about Consumer Reports evaluation is that in the wake of Consumer Reports scathing hatred of The Prius C, The Prius Four is being put in the "Best Value Small Hatchback"....which I would argue isn't the proper category for what Toyota will tell you is a mid-size vehicle.

The Prius c is Toyota's "Small Hybrid Hatchback"....or the Yaris, which Consumer reports also hates, is Toyota's Small Hatchback.

I do think The Standard Prius is a great value, but I wouldn't put it in the Small Hatchback category. It's a mid-sized hatchback which is a pretty limited category.

I suppose this is a way Consumer Reports can distract from their hatred of The Prius C...but it is the Prius C that more correctly fits the definition of small hatchback.

 

I think of a true mid-size vehicle as a Camry or Accord which can legitimately carry 5 adults in terms of space and load capacity. The Prius liftback is not fit to carry 5 adults (3 crammed in back) nor 900 lbs. of their body weight.

Prius liftback is something of a 'tweener', arguably a little bit bigger than a Toyota Matrix compact (small) hatchback, but nowhere near the interior room of an Accord sedan. Prius v is much closer to a midsize sedan, but still narrower than Camry or Accord.

 

Hey, it's TOYOTA that likes to tell you The Prius is classified a Mid-Sized vehicle.

It may be a true "Tweener" but neither IMO is it a "small hatchback". I think small hatchbacks are sub-compacts, that would include Honda Fits, Yaris, Prius c....and others. The standard Prius is clearly outside of that size range.

Unless you want to put the standard Prius in the Sub-Compact genre, then IMO it's not correctly classified as a "small hatchback".

 

Nice Bob.

 

????

Uh...I think you are ALL missing my point. In my original post my whole point is I think consumer reports has miss classified The Prius as a small hatchback.

Toyota sells it defined as a mid-size, it's classified as a mid-size vehicle, it is not a "Small Hatchback".

I do think it's fair however to "perhaps" call The Prius a "tweener" if the parameters you are applying are limited to size. It's on the small size for a Mid-Size vehicle....but too large IMO to be compared (as consumer reports is doing) to sub-compacts.

I'll let you guys argue or marvel over the Prius's seating and towing capabilities....my root point is that Consumer Reports has classified The Prius as a "Small Hatchback" and with the existence of subcompacts a LOT of small subcompact Hatchbacks, I think it's a miss classification.

In a manner I think consumer reports is just saying what they said in their review of The Prius c.....they think the standard Prius is a better deal.

I might even agree with them on that point. BUT....if you are attaching awards or even penalty, you have to make sure you are comparing Oranges to Oranges and Apples to Apples as much as possible.

Whatever you think the standard Prius IS....it is NOT as subcompact.

 

Well Damn Bob, never would have even considered towing that trailer with any car other than our Grand Marquis! LOL, makes me curious how well my 2010 FFH will pull the enclosed trailer I am getting next year for my RC planes.

 

Bob,

Nice aircraft!

DBCassidy

 

Back on topic, great news to hear about the Prius

DBCassidy

 

I'm going to guess Consumer Reports has started to get more Prius friendly simply to forstall any more of the millions of priuschat flamers that continually threaten to revoke their Consumer Reports subscriptions

SGH-I717R ? 2

 

Not a threat. Canceling our subscription won't have any effect until the subscription expires. Then they will get a note similar to the following:

I wrote this letter when we got our annual solicitation for an additional contribution but I didn't send it. Our current subscription ends in 2013 and after one more edit, this is the letter we will send.

Consumer Reports auto reviews are fatally flawed:

• car score - the formula is not documented but statistical analysis shows it is biased to ignore MPG and give excessive merit for acceleration, driver comfort, and cabin noise.
• vehicle safety - followers, they have shown no independence or the ability to do credible risk analysis on their own.

As for their 'online' service, I would rather use our local public library than allow automatic deduction of fees from a credit card . . . unless I know the card is going to expire or be canceled.

Bob Wilson

 

I can't say enough about my Prius. Just an absolute pleasure to own.

 

Before I purchased my 2010 Prius ( over the 2010 Honda Insight, 2010 Elantra Touring, and the 2010 Honda Fit ), I reviewed the CR statistical data on the reliability-repairs for the Prius as well as other vehicles. Firstly - I like to say - I do appreciate CR's data collection and statistical work with respect to vehicle repairs and reliability. While I did read CR new car reviews and I do consider the 2010 Honda Fit a great car - I disregarded CR fuel efficiency findings because their methodology for determining Fuel Efficiency was not a transparent process and it was not an open uniform standard which I could review. Despite the criticisms, I felt more comfortable with the EPA MPG rating system because it was an open standard which one can review - and it was and still is a uniform testing methodology. With respect to fuel efficiency, I was also influenced by the hypermiling reviews and reports provided by cleanmpg.com.

In general, a vehicle is an engineering compromise designed to support a need/lifestyle. Blindly deferring or delegating a vehicle selection based on a general criteria of any particular authority (e.g. CR, Top Gear, Motor Trend, etc) is not only inefficient but a very poor way to select a vehicle. After I finalized my vehicle selection criteria, I found I was not cursed with choice. In 2010, the Prius was the only car fits my criteria. If I had had to pick today - I would be in a pickle - I would be pondering whether to pick a Prius liftback or a Prius c or a Prius Plug-in or a Prius v.

I would like to add that despite what CR has said I think the Prius c is a great value for its class. By giving the the Prius c a bad review, CR has also helped lower the price of the Prius c at the local Toyota dealerships - making it even a better value - for those whose lifestyle and needs can be satisfied by the Prius c AND who are smart enough to know not to follow the CR rating system blindly.