AutoblogGreen

Well, nice write up, but could you add a few paragraphs about:
- Handling, braking and acceleration?
- How did the touring package ride compare to the standard package?
- Braking, the touring package has rear disk brakes? was there much of a difference?

When will we get the PLUG?

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There is no write up about driving dynamics for a simple reason, it has none.

The mind set of the Pious fanatic is anything that has wheels and is satisfying is evil. And anybody that is contrary to their superiority can only be damned.

So it's cheap on gas, too bad the gullible people that live and vote in the United States wish to have politicians make their choices for them. That's why we have insane legislation like CAFE and idiots like Pelosi and Reid telling guys in the car business what to do. And of course we follow.

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I've driven the Prius a few times (my mother owns one). The rear visibility is horrendous, the mirrors are tiny, and it's very difficult to tell how far forward the front bumper extends. In short, it's really bad at maneuvering in a parking lot.

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All this negative commentary is very funny to me because own a Prius and love it. And it seem a lot of other people love them too

http://money.cnn.com/2006/03/01/Autos/carreviews/cr_satisfaction/index.htm

I mean it is the "'Most Satisfying [car]' to own" according to Consumer Reports but hey, what do they know about cars.

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Nicely written article, Alex. I haven't had the opportunity to drive one yet but now I feel I know what I could expect.

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"The mind set of the Pious fanatic is anything that has wheels and is satisfying is evil. And anybody that is contrary to their superiority can only be damned."

Wow, is that a stereotype or what?

I have a 993 Carrera 4, Miata, and Audi S4, and have previously had a bunch of "satisfying" cars, including a Ford GT, mid-engined Renault R5 Turbo, Lotus Elan, etc., and I think the Prius is also very remarkable and very interesting, just in a totally different way.

For my daily commute, I may replace my S4 with one.

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I dunno, I kinda like it, it's a giant gizmo.

I don't like the lack of storage space, though the hatchback formfactor does make the best use of what little it has.

Frankly, I'd like a diesel or diesel-hybrid Honda Ridgeline, using the under-bed storage for batteries, with a class III hitch for towing my bike when necessary.

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I think most prius haters haven't put the high school put down mentality behind them yet.

I have no intention of getting a Prius, but it is "the" hybrid for a few reasons:

It gets the best gas mileage.
It is quite a practical size and arrangement(hatchback).
It was the first time most people heard of a hybrid.

As someone already mentioned, it is a decent car, with the highest satisfaction numbers in the industry.

Whining that you don't like its looks (done for aerodynamics) or that you are going to get some as yet unreleased model that will be better in your mind sounds like little more than idle school boy put downs.

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Even the staunchest opponent of the Prius will eventually cave due to the rising cost of gas. I'm selling my 02' Jaguar X-Type to get an 08' Prius Touring with the #6 package. The price of gas will only go up, that should be abundantly clear. And if the supply gets strained, the Prius crowd will look a whole lot smarter. It probably won't look too geeky to be sitting in bumper to bumper traffic and not be using a drop of fuel (unless the main battery needs charging). Even the A/C runs on battery power. Don't beleive to detractors until you have a chance to just sit in one. Driving one will make you a "true believer", as the cult sayings go.

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Well to be honest that car is the least green car. the battery cost 25000 to replace and the chemicals in the battery are more harmful to the ground than if you just drove a normal car. Your better off just driving a econmical car like a VW OR MAZDA.

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