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Prius a gas guzzler compared to BMW 520d

It would only make sense for me to buy a diesel powered car if it gets better fuel economy than the gasoline version by a large enough margin to offset the price premium for both the fuel and for the diesel engine option.

The other problem is that gas BMW 5's require premium fuel, which makes the diesel BMW 5 look like a much better proposition. If you're looking at BMW's, that is.
 
From the article in the OP.

Model BMW 520d SE
Fuel cost £54.19 (diesel)
Model Toyota Prius T Spirit
Fuel cost £54.64 (petrol)
 
Well, an interesting question is what car would I pick of these two? The much nicer, more expensive BMW, which has to be filled with diesel (less pleasant than filling a car with gas) or the Prius, which gets you sort of an incrowd prestige factor and is definitely an okay car (provided you don't have long Colorado hills to go up, and do mostly city driving). Of course with the BMW, you could stick up your nose at the "incrowd of Prius owners" who thought they were so great, and have a bit of fun explaining to them how your 520d was actually just as good or superior...

I lean strongly toward the BMW. But it's quite interesting the entire interplay of factors that go into a car purchase decision. Quite complicated, really.
 
For far less money than the BMW you could convert your Prius to all electric for the first 40 miles, upgrade your batteries, add a solar panel, and replace your batteries twice. And add solar panels to your house. And not have to buy gas at all unless you drive over 40 miles a day.

And you would still have money left over to buy gas if you needed it.

Or you could buy two used Toyotas, and still upgrade to all electric and add a solar panel. :D
 
Yes, you wouldn't have the prestige of driving a beemer, but still, when gas hits $5 a gallon, and Diesel is at $6, which would you rather have?
 
LTC8K6 said:
How did the Prius seriously lose? Why is it a gas guzzler in this test. It got nearly the same fuel economy as the diesel. Given the test done, that's excellent for the Prius.

Diesel is still too expensive in the US. Even if we accept that review as is, the Prius wins hands down here due to the price of diesel fuel being some 30-40% higher.
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Diesel is more expensive but it is not a dollar more.
 
robinson said:
Wow. Convert English price for Prius to dollars
Base price $35,699!!! I had no idea.
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Yeah, we get shafted on new cars over here. The dealer network (aka the "stealer" network) stitch the competition up heavily. Various EU laws have been introduced to reduce this effect, with some limited success (it is actually better than it was five years ago believe it or not!)

The funniest example was the old MG F. Built in a factory in the middle of the UK, dealer prices were £18000. Ship it half way around the world to Japan, and it cost £13000. Bet you didn't know it cost minus £5000 to ship a car half way around the world :eye-poppi
 
I get 48 MPG on a trip from*Elgin IL to K'zoo MI that is almost all at 65-70 mph in a 2002 Prius. And that is with two overweight adults and two dogs and a trunk full of stuff...

Next trollish assertion, please?
 
And please, no comments about why the Oil and Gas industries hate them, that much is obvious.
 
Diesel is more expensive but it is not a dollar more.
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Yes, it's only 90 cents more here, my bad...

Why do so many people hate the hybrid?
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It doesn't make any sense to buy one? It doesn't get the fuel economy promised? It seems like a feelgood thing rather than actually doing any good for the wallet or the environment?

Supposedly the new prius will be a plug in hybrid, which should tip the scales more in it's favor.

Of course, you still have to consider whether it makes sense for you to buy it considering your own situation.

If it costs more for a diesel and more for a hybrid, will you recoup those costs?
Do you care?

I only drive about 10 miles a day, usually. Just about any alternative vehicle will work for me most of the time.
 
(See attached image) This was for a round trip from the far, far NW Chicago Suburbs to K'zoo, MI, driven entirely at the posted speed limits, about half 55 mph and about half (after MP 38 in Indiana) at 70 mph.

Vehicle is a 2002 model Prius with 74,000 miles on it. (And which has never given me a service problem.)

Payload was two large adults and two dogs.

Conditions were dry pavement, 32-43 degree air. (2002 Prius does best at around 55 degrees, before the AC needs to be on, newer models have better low temperature performance.)

So, I think this demolishes the argument that the BMW in any way matches the Prius in highway fuel economy.
 

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From the op link....referencing the BMW

But you can’t argue with the end result. Approaching Switzerland I felt confident of beating Jason. The computer was telling me that, for the journey as a whole, I had averaged more than 50mpg. The test had taken us along just over 200 miles of autoroute, about 200 miles of B roads, including winding ascents and descents in Switzerland, and 100 miles of urban driving.
 
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An anecdotal story about one test drive, and some "skeptics" are ready to fall over themselves to agree, that one anecdotal story about a BMW getting better gas mileage (even thought it was diesel, which is not the same) "proves" a Prius is a "gas guzzler".
 
I like the regenerative braking BMW is using. Just adding that sweet technological advance to the current gas guzzling SUVs and trucks would save one heck of a lot of gas.
 
robinson said:
An anecdotal story about one test drive, and some "skeptics" are ready to fall over themselves to agree....
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I can't vouch for the truth or accuracy of the story linked to in the OP, but thought it was interesting enough to be worth a discussion thread.
 
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