 50cal Posted on 07.30.2009
| Bmw 520d beats Toyota Prius in fuel economy test
AK47 (805), Posted on 07.30.2009 "There are a number of things I would like to point out but I am a little pressed for time." 50cal "I get that way too but this is important. Right?" AK47: "One, trucks use diesel engines because diesels have massive amounts of low end torque that no gas engine will ever have." 50cal: "Electric motors and steam engines also have massive amounts of torque at low speed. The real reason that large trucks, ships, locomotives, etc. use diesel as a fuel is that it is more economical than gasoline. A Prius uses gasoline, a diesel does not. I might add here that a locomotive is really a hybrid. It uses a large diesel engine to turn a generator or alternator to charge batteries which power electric motors which make it go. Why not a Prius with a bit more quality, better handling, less complication, and a diesel engine. Then I would be happy with it. OTW I would probably opt for a Jetta/Golf." AK47: "Two, check out the price of a Prius versus a BMW. And check the reliability also." 50cal: "No doubt, Toyota has good quality control but BMW must be doing something right, unless all the buyers are simply snobs. Besides if we go to the quality thing I suspect we can’t compare a $50,000 car with a $23,000 car and expect the same quality." AK47: "Three, (and you lost all credibility with this one) fair and square test? A test that didn’t include urban driving and was in all probability carried out by BMW itself." 50cal: "Nope, wrong again. It was the newspaper that instigated the test. I think they were just trying to prove a point and did a darned good job of it. A more fair test might have been a VW Jetta vs. the Prius on the same road trip since the two cost about the same and have similar quality. In fact the Jetta is actually lower cost. See the u-tube video. Besides, now I know you’re just trying to get my goat. You already knew about the urban segment as I’ve stated above." AK47: "And no, I wouldn’t take a snobby BMW or a Prius on a long haul. I’d find the biggest gas guzzler I could find and drive that." 50cal: "Now, now, AK. Don’t be waffling on me now. I thought you were for the green cars and not the guzzlers??" react... |