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Car Tech: Super-green Toyota Prius parks itself
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Welcome to a brand-new video show dedicated to automotive technology! That's motors to me and you. We're aiming Car Tech at anyone who believes, like we do, that cars are the ultimate gadgets.
For our maiden voyage we've snagged one of the most advanced cars of recent times -- the Toyota Prius. It isn't particularly glamorous, but it is one of the most gadget-ridden cars we've ever driven. It has a hybrid petrol/electric propulsion system, built-in touchscreen with rear-facing camera, and it even parallel parks and steers by itself! Captain Picard would be proud.
Because it's a hybrid, it's supposedly kinder to the environment and is exempt from the London congestion charge. The model we've driven is the top-of-the-range Prius T Spirit, which features satellite navigation, voice-recognition technology and drive-by-wire acceleration.
It sounds fantastic, but does it merit the £17,777 price tag? Will it help save the polar bears? Does it drive like a milk float? Watch the video to see our definitive verdict and check back in a couple of weeks for more Car Tech. -Rory Reid
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Comments 35
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anonymous 12 November, 2007 19:41
Remove park assist option it is useless for anyone with normal motor skills.
This Prius gets the same gas mileage as Diesel Golf, that is probably true. The reason I like Prius is becasue it's infinitely more reliable than any modern Golf .
anonymous 13 November, 2007 10:00
True, the auto parking feature is useless if you're actually able to drive. And it probably takes too long to activate and execute with a long line of traffic waiting for you to get out of the way.
But imagine the kudos you get from your mates for having a car that parks itself?
anonymous 13 November, 2007 19:28
Rory awesome article. The toyota hybrid totally rock. But I think it is priced out of the common man price range. Compare to Ford et al
anonymous 13 November, 2007 19:32
Hey Rory, we had a good laugh here. Is Honda paying you for this? Actually the prius happens to be Toyota's most heralded car. My customers tell me they have been getting between 45 to 55 miles to the gallon. The other benefits celebrated are 1) the prius requires much less maintenance & 2) the resale or trade value is incredible high.Besides that a hybrid can be tuned for performance or gas mileage. We already know for which the prius was tuned. Nice work.
anonymous 13 November, 2007 19:38
Hey rory, great article if only it was not so biased. Shouldn't you at least compare it to similar cars in its category? okay so it can park itself, but take away that component and its just another overpriced hybrid. give me my SUV anytime
anonymous 13 November, 2007 19:43
Absolutely brillant. Is this going to become a regular feature of CNET? it would be a shame if it was not. I am looking forward to the next installment.
anonymous 14 November, 2007 15:48
Of course Honda isn't paying me :)
I don't think the video was biased at all. I did compare it to similar cars: The Volkswagen Golf offers similar fuel economy for less money. I could have compared it to other hybrids, yes, but i think most people want to know how this particular hybrid compares to 99.9% of 'normal' cars on the road.
anonymous 14 November, 2007 17:13
Hey Rory.pretty nice presentation on the prius. we look forward to more car tech.
great job!
anonymous 14 November, 2007 17:52
Hey Rory, Question. Whats your definition of a normal car? A Volkswagon Golf? Get real. Shows that you Brits are still one step behind your American counterparts when it comes to knowledge of GREAT RIDES. No wonder we kicked your ass and dumped your tea in the Charles river. You want to know a good hybrid? check out the Ford Escape. "That is the BIG DOG DADDY of Hybrids" and also a KICKASS ride. Hey but you are Brit so we ford lovers won't hold it against you.
anonymous 15 November, 2007 17:06
I'd say a Golf is a more "normal" car than a hybrid SUV -- certainly in the UK where I'm from. As for the comment that us Brits are one step behind our US counterparts: HA! British and European cars are consistently better than US cars. No question. Most of the US cars I've driven handle like newborn donkeys, and god forbid you ever try to go round a corner at speed. It actually pains me to say it because my favourite car is a Chevy Corvette.
Name any American car and I'll point you to a better European model. I've got to give it to the yanks though -- they make great SUVs. Shame they can't fit on our roads... I'd love to drive an enormous barn on wheels that only gets 2MPG. Keep that up. It's sensible, seriously.
I'm off to drink some tea, good day.
anonymous 15 November, 2007 19:11
Rory, I am a soccer mom and I own a SUV for safety and reliability. I will take our Barn on wheels over your European death traps or Toyotas cheap imports anytime. Check out our safety records or better yet test drive a SUV. You are prejudiced by your obvious ignorance. Ditch the tea its so overrated and last century. OOps I forgot you guys still think you have an Empire and still rule the world.
anonymous 16 November, 2007 19:26
Are all soccer moms failed lobotomy patients? Is that why they don't have real jobs?
anonymous 18 November, 2007 23:37
To soccer mom, the bad car sales man, hybrid escapee, get a grip mates. You have lost the plot. It is only a review, Its suppose to evoke intelligent discussion not bleeding patriotic rhetorics? Will some one from CNET please set the record straight Hybrids are not real cars they are prototype from the movie Back to the future.
They are not real are they?
anonymous 19 November, 2007 15:05
Voice of reason, of course it is not real. A car cannot park itself idiot. Even the car sales man did not admit it. If that was so he would be falling over himself to sell that option. If we cannot find a cure for cancer, with the most brilliant scientist in the world working on it. How would they invent the technology to design a cark that park it self.
anonymous 19 November, 2007 15:25
Guys, read the article again. Specifically the last five words of the second paragraph. Picard was captain of the Star ship enterprise. This was a movie. They were not really in outer space. This is a clue that Rory is just using gimmicks to add spice to his article.
anonymous 20 November, 2007 00:42
Rory, a new born donkey, barn on wheels I am laughing my*** off. You've really pissed the yanks off. Great review. Keep up the good work mate.
anonymous 4 December, 2007 02:54
£17777 for a T Spirit Prius? - I don't think so! £18500 minimum, even shopping around. RRP £20677.
anonymous 4 December, 2007 14:40
Americans in self-love fest shocker!
I can barely believe it!
Soccer mum's hilarious tea tipping comments would hammer home a little more if we cared about America. If truth be told I think about our fallen 'empire' once a......... oh no wait I dont give a crap.
Rory great article, the prius looks quite good in its styling if you ask me but then again I am a dad post midlife crisis :)
anonymous 4 December, 2007 19:03
Gimme a break! how dare you criticize Soccer moms. We are the backbone of the American car industry. Yes it is proven that our SUV's are the best thing to happen to the transport industry. Dont knock them until you have driven one. Rory Why dont you put your mouth where your review is? Go ahead and test drive one. Then deny that they are the best.
anonymous 4 December, 2007 19:21
It's a sad state of affairs when you Brits decide to snub american cars. Gawd dudes is this pay back for us tipping your tea
anonymous 6 December, 2007 10:12
Soccer mom 2: I have driven several SUVs. Apart from the ridiculously low gas mileage, expensive insurance, numerous blind spots, circus car handling, and the potential to roll over in corners and kill everyone, they're AMAZING! you're right!
anonymous 6 December, 2007 17:22
You need to check into review rehab dude, its the cheaply, unsafely unreliable foreign made SUVs that roll over not American SUVs own it.
anonymous 15 April, 2008 04:45
To all the Yanks, see the docu "Who killed Electric Car" made by your fellow yanks.. See for yourself where your Car (more like Trucks!!) industry has taken your country and the global environment.. and See how the Japanese overtook Americans in developing Hybrids, when probably your GM's were building world conquerers for US Rambo's..
Soccer mom, are you driving around in Iraq, that you need safety of an armoured vehicle?
suzan 8 July, 2008 11:46
Read the article again.Specifically the last five words of the second paragraph.Ricard was captain of the Star ship enterprise. This was a movie. They were not really in outer space. This is a clue that Rory is just using gimmicks to add spice to his article
anonymous 8 July, 2008 18:26
oh you people in europe with the small cars with already great fuel ecomony, can easily brush off Pruis as more expense car with no real advantage. Here in the US, Pruis beats the pant off just any other car with a few exceptions. It is the one number fuel effiency car and it does make sense. Also, diesel in the US is about 20% more expense the gasoline. So a diesel with the same fuel ecomony as the Prius is definitely not equal to the prius.
anonymous 8 July, 2008 22:45
I was going to buy one, now i have to wait. Sina Loghavi
anonymous 8 July, 2008 23:56
The future is the all electromagnetic, solar, wind power machine. Just use your imagination. As for the SUV's, nope, that's the backwards thinking that they are safe. Pathetic. It's just a little common sense, the bigger it is, the harder it will be to stop that monster. I'll take my little Japanese car (not a prius) over any Ford or SUV any day. It's not big, but about 30 dollars now fills my tank. It used to be 10! Yeah I know, it's still not cheap but I can't complain, So I'm not using a great amount of gas like your SUV's. and it's 20 years old. Oh yeah, I live in the states too. Great review though.
anonymous 9 July, 2008 09:38
This video is inaccurate. I own a Prius and it gets -consistently- 50 miles to the gallon (4.7 liters/100km), between stoplight or on the highway. The statement in this video that it gets the same mileage as conventional cars is just plain wrong. The comments about its unresponsiveness are equally wrong - it drives pretty just like a camry. Don't take anyone seriously who utters something like '...as I'm driving around saving the planet...'
Rory Reid 9 July, 2008 10:10
I think our definitions of 'normal' are different. Here in the UK, our 'conventional' cars are probably quite different to yours in the 'states' -- (I'm assuming that's where you live since you said 'highway'). Vehicles in the UK tend not to be as gas guzzling as the SUVs and large saloons that are so common and popular in the USA, hence the MPG difference between a Prius and OUR regular cars is smaller.
anonymous 9 July, 2008 14:23
Who on earth is that so-called reviewer? He appears to know diddly-squat about cars and even less about the Prius. To put the record right: body design is a subjective thing and to suggest the Prius was "designed by your dad" is simply silly - it has the shape because the aerodaynamics say that is the most efficient body shap for the car. Not use less petrol? Nonsense - I certainly use far less petrol than I did with my Saab 9.5 diesel - about 15mpg less in fact and as for acceleration - look at the official figures - certainly fast enough to leave stuff standing on the motorway when one needs to pull out and overtake - the boost the petrol engine gets by pulling in the electric motor when you push your foot down is considerable. Perhaps you should stop employing school-kids for this and get a serious car correspondent. Someone more interested in the facts than appearing 'cool'.
anonymous 9 July, 2008 22:07
hi, nice review except you failed to test the prius acceleration against let's say a Golf TDI 140 just to see that it is quite the same...
Also the golf is not in the same category than the prius, the Passat is.
anonymous 9 July, 2008 22:22
OK kids, time to get serious here. We are not on the Starship Enterprise, Capt Picard is retired, and here we are on Mother Earth. I am an owner of a Touring Prius (heh, heh) and agree with most of this review. My car does not have the auto parking feature so who knows? But what I do disagree with is the comment on acceleration. My US model will not snap your neck, but it will accelerate at a very good clip. It's noisy while doing so, but, hey, it wasn't made for racing. I cruise our interstates at between 129 and 145 kph and get 40 mpg whilst doing so. I'm a happy camper.
anonymous 9 July, 2008 22:59
First of all the person in the video doesn't understand that the reason the gas engine is kicking in so soon is because he has a heavy foot on the accelerator. if you slowly push it down the electric motor will do most of the work. Secondly, if you compare the prius to a class of cars you really should compare it to a bmw 3 series or mercedes c class, or even an audi a4. that is the segment it is going after. even if you compare it to a cheaper golf or something you are still getting better mpg, and far less emissions. But its features are meant to appeal to someone who wants luxury items without the price tag, AND better for the environment.
And the car isnt really that slow, you just have to know how to properly use both motors to give you the torque needed
anonymous 14 July, 2008 13:56
Hey everybody, evil American here...
I just stumbled across this video "review" and found it interesting. Consequently, I figured that I might check the comments list.
What I can't believe is that so many people (presumptively from the UK) have fallen prey to the obvious baiting being done by the person who is posing as an American, or perhaps multiple Americans, here. It's pretty clear that aren't made in sincerity outside of thier being conceived as a mere device to try and "stir the pot", if you will.
Settle down, chaps. Methinks you're being a bit hyperreactive here.
Considering gasoline prices, I'd have to say that the Hybrid is the car of the immediate future, and will function as a bridge to automobiles powered by other means.
anonymous 18 January, 2009 10:29
As with most testers you've missed the point of the Prius. You can drive through a town silently and without drowning the pedestrians in smoke. It is also one of the easiest cars I have driven in 60 years. It does not accelerate like a 2litre turbodiesel but then it is no slouch. If you want (not need) to drive quickly then buy a car to suit your purpose, as I have done THE PRIUS.