Toyota Prius 2008

By René Gervais

Is it marketing or the environment?

As you know, the hybrids steal the show these days. We hope they’ll throw a balm on the environmental problems which, regrettably, are due in large part to the automobile. As expected, every good manufacturer will demonstrate ecological concern and actually, hybrid technologies is the chosen path. In fact, they seem to be the most promising available technology at this moment. Is it worth it? Is it really more economical or just some marketing hocus-pocus? I’ll try to answer that by tackling the icon of hybrids, the Toyota Prius.

Road-test likes:

• Impressive fuel consumption
• a lot of cargo space for a hybrid
• smooth ride
• the dashboard’s futuristic look
• cutting edge technology in the hybrid world
• the car’s endearing appearance
• interior comfort
• good visibility
• ranks among the cleanest anywhere

Road-test dislikes:

• vehicle lacks get up and go...not unexpected!
• a rather stiff price tag
• insipid handling

A few comparisons

I, somewhat, did some research and decided to compare the Prius vs. the Toyota Camry, two mid-size models. Starting with price, the four cylinder Camry with automatic transmission costs roughly $4,000 less than the Prius which starts at $29,500. The smart Prius buyer would like to know if his money will ever be recoverable: the answer lies in fuel consumption. Based on numbers from Natural Resources Canada, the Prius consumes an average of 4.1 litres per 100km, while the Camry numbers are nearly double at 8.15 litres per 100km which Resources Canada calculates that a rate of 20 000 km this makes $756 less coming out of the Prius driver’s pocket per year. If not for the government rebates, it would take five years to recuperate the difference. According to Transport Canada’s guide, however, the Prius owner is eligible for a $2,000 rebate, making your investment profitable in two and a half years. Knowing this and considering how long you wish to keep the vehicle, you can evaluate from a financial perspective whether it’s worth it or not. But with the price of gasoline constantly on the rise, the answer may be easy to find. Although this lends itself to debate, when it comes to polluting emissions, the choice becomes obvious; following our comparison base, the Camry spews twice the Co2- 3984kg annually. The Prius offers an immediate and substantial gain.

Let’s not forget the battery replacement factor in the Hybrid which costs about $3,000. Will you still be ahead? In my opinion, things will even out in the long run but as we showed earlier, the environment comes out the big winner and then, everyone wins. Detractors will say the hybrids are not the answer yet the Prius, could hasten real change.

If you stop and think, the Prius represents real savings for certain drivers. Since a vehicle often reflects the owner’s personality, those status seekers out there won’t hesitate to pay more than $50,000 for the privilege. No other relatively inexpensive vehicle can boast about being on Hollywood’s red carpet!