http://www.autoblog.com/entry/1234000360061203/

So... the Prius gets 31.9 MPG. Are they smoking something?

 

Yes, they got 26 MPG in the HCH test. I would have loved to have been a fly on the window for that test and see what idiotic thing they did to get that low number. To quote Napoleon Dynamite:

"I D I O T S !!!!"

 

The higher the EPA rating, the more bad driving can bring the figures down.

Hypothesis: If the EPA released the figures as liters consumed per 100 kilometers, the larger vehicles would undershoot the EPA estimates by the greatest margin.

Just the same, Consumer Reports should have mentioned something about responsible driving....

 

Glad I am not the only one who was asking the question what Consumer Reports was smoking... My friend showed me that crap and I showed him this web site and said these are real people not some test on how bad you can drive to get rancid MPG... I went 100 MPH once... and my MPG was less then 5... I wrote Toyota a letter because how dare they boast about gas when at those speeds my car was no better then a H2... LOL

 

My theory is that Consumer Reports, like most journalists, drive these cars to check out performance - accelleration, handling, etc. I'm sure they drive the wheels off each car they get a hold of. I cannot for the life of me figure out why none of them are smart enough to figure out that if you drive that way you're going to get terrible mileage in any car. Their own data should be screaming this point at them!!! "Let's see, every car we test gets lower than EPA. Hmmmmm. What could the problem be....Oh yes. The industry lies to consumers, and we're here to expose the awful truth. Yes, lets print that. Because it clearly could not be our fault."

 

Wow they are way off, no one in the database is getting that low for the Prius or the Civic.

Still if they got their way and the Prius was rated at 32 mpg it would cut down on the whining. Pretty much everybody would match or beat the new EPA rating so they would all be happier.

 

So when the CR grass-roots revolt causes EPA to change their ratings to CR-type "real world" test results, does that mean majority of hybrid owners get to claim hypermiler status?!

 

The EPA can't change their test that easily because that would affect the CAFE regulations too, so automakers will lobby for them to stay the same, as they have been.

 

I think they were paid off.
By who? I wonder who would benefit by keeping MPG reports low and hiding the capability of these cars?
(That was not a political statement, but a business statement)

I know for a fact that CR can be paid off....case in point:

Back in early 2003 my dad knew I was in the market for a new car and sent me a "review" on the Prius in CR.

It was 3-4 pages and appeared to be a real-to-life actual review, complete with those highlighted quotes and ads sprinkled along the way.
It was a beautifuly glowing review in general and even pointed out a few things on the car that may need improvement.

My dad missed the magnifying glass sentance located under a line at the end in an area easily overlooked and said "Paid Toyota Advertisement"

I wish I would have kept that advertisement "review".

 

I thought that CR did not take adds??? Are you sure it was not a different consumer rag?