Comments on: Prius Takes Center Stage in Toyota Turnaround

By: Mick Hetzel

Mick Hetzel — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:54:18 +0000

It seems really stupid to me to pay that much for something (everyday transportation) that dosen’t even last for more then a few years without scrathes, dings, scrapes, road rash, maintance, etc….. Americans are stupid…. I do own several vehicles that I am very passionate about but for everyday transport I look at that vehicle as a tool…. like my Crafstman drill, Husky Compressor etc…

By: Meeker

Meeker — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 04:37:25 +0000

Hmm … I find it rather odd that Toyota decides to raise the price of the Prius in October and then … bam … a recall on floor mats.

So, they made a mistake and future Toyota buyers have to pay for them?

By: Hal Howell

Hal Howell — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 02:04:36 +0000

If the PHEV is going to be that expensive then I’ll just hang with my current ’07 Prius. The PHEV sounds great but what does the driver do when the battery needs to be changed? The rest of the car is okay but the battery doesn’t hold the charge it used to… Unless everyone becomes instant billionaires I don’t see people just rushing down to swap out their batteries when the price is in the $1,000′s. Nice idea but its a show stopper for most drivers and even for most Prius drivers!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 21:46:36 +0000

"“The Highlander hybrid and Camry hybrid do OK, but calling it ‘Synergy Drive' never resonated with consumers,” said Fla.-based dealer Earl Stewart, who attended the meeting. “But they can make hay on the Prius name. It's a magic name. If somebody says ‘I drive a Prius,' everybody knows what he means,” Steward told Automotive News."

Because consumers have virtually no restriction to information. Call it what you want, consumer will not embrace it more because it's called a Prius if it's a gas guzzler. The "magic" is backed by solid reasons. I'll predict the prius name will be forever ruined if toyota is stupid enough to call highlander hybrid a prius highlander.

By: Giant

Giant — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 01:49:59 +0000

Still fussing over the $48K number. If Hymotion can install their system for about $10K on a $25K Prius, why does Toyota need another $13K for the same thing? Clearly I must be missing something.

I wonder if the $48K pricetag is like a trial balloon to see how people will react. Here's my reaction - DUH! It's out of the park. Expect to sell 23 of them a year.

By: Giant

Giant — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 01:39:40 +0000

$48,000 for a PHEV? I am sorry, but that is far too expensive. Maybe $32K-$35K.

By: Lost Prius to wife

Lost Prius to wife — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 19:21:00 +0000

Good lucky to Toyota. It looks like the competitive waters are about to get very choppy for them. Of course, all this competition is great news for all of us who want a hybrid or EV selection at an affordable price.