Will the Prius Kick the Volt's Ass?

1988montecarloss:

This IS a car enthusiast website. It happens to have some car enthusiasts who are looking at the bigger picture, not ignorantly clinging to the way things are right now and seeing or wanting to see anything more.

I sure as hell hope not!

Seriously, If i’ve got the money to drop over 40k on a vehicle then spending money on gas isn’t going to break me. But thats just me.

All I can say is that GM Better step up and step up fast because they really don’t have much in the way of Hybrid cars.

That Prius is pretty wild look’in.

I want a true electric vehicle–one that is not dependent on gasoline at all. I don’t want to have to swing by the gas station to fuel my commuter. I don’t want a hybrid.

That’s why I was excited about the Volt. They originally said it would go 30+ miles before needing so much as a drop of Petrol. Even better when they said the Volt would be marketed around the 30K price point. (Sure that’s spendy… but not having to put gas in it every week is worth something after all.) Now they say the range will be less than expected and the sale price will be significantly higher than originally declared… all I can say is Boooooo!!!

44-50K for unproven technology from a company that has a less-than-stellar reputation for building reliable cars is not only a bitter pill to swallow, its also a very large pill… one that most people will not even consider putting in their mouths. I hope that the cited artcle from TTAC is wrong and that GM plans on offering the Volt at a more competitive price. Even in the high 30K’s it is too expensive for most people to consider purchasing especially when you know there are going to be many issues as real world condition take their toll on the new technology.

Oh well, whatever. Time will tell what really comes of it. I guess the best course of action is to just hope like hell GM gets it right but not bet any money on it.

i thought this was a car enthusiast website not a treehugger website?

This sounds like an Edmunds question. The Volt isnt out yet. No one knows anything about the new Prius other than what it looks like and The American public will buy anything that says Hybrid in the name.
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My old Pontiac was a Hybrid in 1985. It burned Oil and Gas!
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I wont drive any of these cars. Hyrbrid technology isnt feasable unlees you like waisting money on things other than gas. Im all for forwarding progress on more efficient gas engines. Smaller displacement in mild turbos and less weight.
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Can anyone tell me why Saturns plastic body panels werent used in other GM products ?

If they are planning a 55mpg Prius, then I guess it’s about time hybrids got better mileage than 80s econo boxes, which I might add are NOT hybrid and some of them are even carbureted. But I’m still not sold on their complexity. I’m not sold on GMs choice of battery for the Volt either, but an electric car would definitely have fewer breakdowns. I’m all for that.

I’ve mentioned before that by using nano titanate batteries instead of Li-Ion, the Volt will be a better performer. I guess they chose the lithium cause they wear out and are cheap. Gimme another reason…

Personally,
I really don’t care either way…
GM has shown that they have the
ability to run themselves into the ground…
I think they will.
Stewart

TTAC (The Truth About Cars) is one of the most biased sources I’ve ever seen. I don’t believe much of anything they write.

What the hell, why can’t the US car manufacturers get their shit together. Soon enough, every jackass on the road is going to be rolling around in these Toyotas. Don’t get me wrong, I think these cars are great since we have an obvious environmental probelm. Plus they sound reliable and affordable. But I think we are losing our American car culture big time. Sleek American cars with soul has been our past time for decades, and with all these foreign car companies winning over consumers, I predict a very bleak and boring future with no American cars (not to mention a weakened economy because of this). Talk about a big loss of our culture.
Support your country people, buy American, period.

I don’t know. It’s speculation and all in that matchup.
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Maybe GM just dosen’t have what it takes to drive advancement of new technology and be a leader? Maybe they just don’t have what it takes. There’s evidence that supports that view i.e.: incessent whining about CAFE standards, dropping the EV1 and running away from it like a 17-year old groom…
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We need to have market LEADERS. Unfortunately their headquarters aren’t gonna be on U.S. soil I guess.