Toyota Pirus MT car if the year

SnakeEyeSS · November 24, 2003

just saw it on their site. They have lost all credibility.

k1500chevy97 · November 24, 2003

MCourson · November 24, 2003

Motor Trend.

pacodiablo · November 25, 2003

Oh boy. The ideas behind a hybrid vehicle are good ones. Even if someone was in no way shape or form an enviornmentalist, nobody wants to ruin the environment. Hybrids are an option for those who want to do all they can for the environment, but naming one of the current hybrids car of the year? Give me a break. Yes, the Prius is environmentally friendly, but it is ugly, small, comes from a dealer that thinks they rule the world (EVERY Toyota dealer is like this), and it will severely dent your wallet compared to other small cars. I guess MT quit testing things such as comfort and value? The first Prius was at least somewhat normal, but the new one is UGLY. I'm sorry, but no matter how good it makes MT feel consiously, it is not a good car of the year. Name a hybrid car (or truck) of the year when someone introduces a hybrid that is practical for the masses, fairly inexpensive, good looking, yet still holds true to its hybrid values by retaining the high level of efficiency that hybrids have been known and created for.

Honestly, I don't think hybrids have much of a future. They are very complicated, expensive and at least now, not very practical. I think that clean burning small diesels with features such as direct injection that increase efficiency and power will be the engines that prevent an energy crisis. Even gas engines have room to improve, we are not done developing those. We have gotten gobs of power out of them, we just need to find a way to retain that power and still get good gas mileage. Hybrids are a short term solution to a long term problem and full gas/diesel engines will catch up and hybrid technology will be obsolete.

lrymal · November 25, 2003

The techno-geek in me wants the hybrids to succeed and be practical. But realistically, the disels are becoming so refined, I'm think they'll outdo the hybrids on economy. The newer German vehicles are a good example.

My only concern is strictly global-political, though. If there is ever a Middle Eastern war and a problem in Nigeria, then we could have our imported oil cut off as it was in 1973. Most of y'all were probably born after that, but it was a real MESS.

CMNTMXR81 · November 28, 2003

Toyota was the top manufacturer to pay off MT this year, that's all!

Greg · November 28, 2003

Toyota was the top manufacturer to pay off MT this year, that's all!

Yep, I remember when Automobile Magazine first came out and David E. Davis or one of his staff cited first hand knowledge about how the MT car of the year was picked based on which automaker put together the most lucrative advertising and promotion package for MT.

CMNTMXR81 · November 28, 2003

Exactly! I went and actually tried looking that up last night to post but got sidetracked into other things.

SnakeEyeSS · November 28, 2003

well David E. Davis is one of the MT editor's now, you know. They brought him in when they were looking for a new editor to head things up untill they found one. But he appearently never left

GM GIMP · November 29, 2003

My only concern is strictly global-political, though. If there is ever a Middle Eastern war and a problem in Nigeria, then we could have our imported oil cut off as it was in 1973. Most of y'all were probably born after that, but it was a real MESS.

AMEN!