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Old 03-27-2012, 12:19 PM
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xcel xcel is offline
PZEV, there's nothing like it :)
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Vehicles: Accord, Ranger, and anything else ;)
Location: Northern Illinois
Posts: 43,022
Re: CleanMPG Previews the 2012 Toyota Prius c

Hi Phil:

For a Preview drive I cannot because I do not have steady state speeds, an optimal route to achieve them on or the time to perform them. At a Preview press launch, if you get 3-hours behind the wheel while sharing with another journalist, you are lucky. In addition, the routes we are provided at a launch are scripted so you have little or no leeway for a good route.

Fortunately at some of the Toyota launches, they sometimes allow me a few hours late in the afternoon after all the other journalists have called it a day. Afterwards, I can knock out a quick measured fill drive as I did with the Prius hatch, v and the c. I learn more on these non-scripted measured drives than on the scripted routes but if the manufacturers allowed all of us to “do our own thing” first thing in the morning, half the journalists would not have vehicles to drive and the other half would be lost meandering their way around whatever city the launch is being held in. Me included

If you look at our reviews, I usually include a table of 50, 55, 60, 65 and 70 mph steady state speeds with the conditions in which they were achieved.

When we get a Prius c in for a full week review hopefully sometime this summer, we can get those steady state numbers knocked out.

Remember the 50% loss in FE by driving to another’s whims cost you both time and $'s at the pump so make your time count.

I hope that helps and it is great to see you back at CleanMPG!

Wayne
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