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When
I decided to move up from my 14
mpg-in-the-city* Mother Ship to
something more economical— and greener—I wanted make
a radical change; from 14 mpg to 17 or 21 mpg or even 30 or 40
mpg would not suffice. (I think I needed to atone.) After investigating
a number of economy cars, with emphasis on owner satisfaction,
high reliability ratings, and the availability of a certain set
of luxury features, it became clear that the Toyota Prius was the best car
for my purposes by a wide margin. It is generally not possible
to go into a dealership in the Baltimore-Washington area and find
a new Prius that is not spoken for, but due to a fortuitous set
of circumstances, I was able to walk into CarMax in
Laurel, Maryland, find the model I wanted with the accessory
package I wanted, and buy it on the spot. It was the only new
Prius available within a wide area around my home at that time,
and there were a number of other buyers right behind me. CarMax
discounts the top-of-the-line Prius about $1,000 from list in
spite of it being in short supply. The trade-in offer for the
Mother Ship was as close to Kelly Blue Book private-party retail
as didn’t
matter, especially considering I was spared the ordeal of having
a line of curiosity seekers come to my home to test drive the
Mother Ship before announcing it was not what they were looking
for. Also on this page: the Blue Whale and
the ’92 Miata.
*Assuming one were foolish enough to use this very large vehicle
for city driving. I was, sometimes. |
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The Gray Goose — Because
it Looks to Me Like a Goose Egg on a Roller Skate—
and that’s because good fuel economy depends in part on good aerodynamics. |
Spec |
Prius |
Titan |
| Engine |
1.5 litre in-line 4, DOHC, four valves per cylinder, variable valve
timing; 76 SAE Net HP |
5.6 litre V8, DOHC, four valves per cylinder; 305 SAE
Net HP |
| Secondary Power |
Permanent Magnet Synchronous Electric Motor. Combined SAE Net HP
with electric and gasoline motors operating, 110. |
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| Transmission |
Automatic, Continuously Variable |
Automatic, 5-speed |
| Length |
175 in. |
224.2 in. |
| Width |
67.9 in. |
78.8 in. |
| Height |
58.1 in. |
76.6 in. |
| Wheelbase |
106.3 in. |
139.8 in. |
| Turning Circle |
34.1 ft. |
45.3 ft. |
| Curb Weight |
2890 lbs. |
5244 lbs. |
| Brakes |
Front disc, rear drum; Anti-lock; Vehicle Stability Control |
Four-wheel disc; Anti-lock; Vehicle Stability Control |
| 0-60 mph |
10 sec. |
7.5 sec. |
| EPA Mileage |
60 city, 51 highway |
14 city, 18 highway |
| Actual Mileage |
Too new to tell; will report at 5,000 mi. |
13 city, 16-19 highway, depending on load and tailgate up or down. |
| Tax Credit for Year of Purchase |
$3150 |
$0 |
Feature |
Prius |
Titan |
| Audio |
JBL Premium w. 6-CD changer, auxiliary input. |
Rockford-Fosgate Premium w. 6-CD changer, auxiliary input. |
| Auxiliary Audio |
iPod, XM Satellite Radio |
iPod, XM Satellite Radio |
| Seating |
Perforated Leather; Manual Control; Leather Steering Wheel; Remote
Mirror Control; Auto Dimming Rear View Mirror with HomeLink |
Leather; Power Control; Heated; Leather Steering
Wheel; Electrically adjustable brake pedal position; All adjustments
stored in two-driver memory; Auto Dimming Rear View Mirror with HomeLink |
| Passenger Capacity |
Four or five adults |
Four or five adults |
| Climate Control |
Automatic |
Manual Control |
| Navigation: |
Toyota Voice Activated GPS system. Touch Screen integrates
hybrid system performance monitor, audio and climate controls, bluetooth
cellular phone connection, and miscellaneous functions. |
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| Backup Camera |
Automatic, Color |
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| Wheels |
15" alloy, Equipped with Remote Pressure Monitoring |
18" alloy, Equipped with Remote Pressure Monitoring |
| Entry |
Keyless Entry and Keyeless Ignition with Smart Key in pocket or purse. |
Standard Remote, Standard Ignition Key |
| Lighting: |
HID Headlamps, Integrated Fog Lamps |
Integrated Fog Lamps |
