Prius: the world's most environmentally disastrous car

[Linford]

As if owning a Discovery wasn't silly enough.

Ah, a troll account...any chance that the mods might take a look at the IP address on this one please @Spinney ? . We are trying to have a semi serious conversation here about who might be more pious than everyone else

Spinney here... I have deleted the post by 'raised by puffins'. In future, please express concerns such as this via the report button - that way any moderator on line at the time can deal with it, and it also acts as a record for actions taken.

 

[Linford]

[QUOTE 2774265, member: 45"]http://www.autotrader.co.uk/search/used/cars/smart/postcode/b11bb/radius/1501/maximum-age/over_10_years_old/sort/default/onesearchad/used,nearlynew,new[/quote]

Ah yes, here is one with 123k on it

*Car now Sold* Smart FourTwo coupe 2000 X registration. Full service history and in very good condition. Drives very well and is a fun and economical drive. Mot'd November 2013 Tax March 2014. Only selling as need a bigger car. Quick sale required as new car on the way. Last MOT there were zero advisories. New engine at 85k and done by a smart car specialist. All paperwork and receipts included. First to see will buy, drive away bargain! Also includes central locking, electric windows, radio cassette, air bag., Manual, Coupe, Petrol, 123,000 miles, BLACK, 5+ owners, Full service history, Electric windows, Central locking, Alarm, Immobiliser, Driver's airbags. £999

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif...ld/page/1/make/smart/postcode/b11bb?logcode=p

I rest my case

 

[Linford]

[QUOTE 2774317, member: 9609"]I think "Disco" is a good name for them, is there a more naff word, and is there a more naff vehicle[/quote]

You need to dignify that one bud. If it is a runaround, then there are far more practical vehicles, however, if being used to drag a trailer, and double up as a car for a large family for people who would see the benefit of 4wd (on proper tyres), they are very very good.

It is all about context

 

[Linford]

[QUOTE 2774330, member: 45"]Our Focus is more comfortable than the new Discovery 4 HSE (£52k) that I hired at the beginning of the year.[/quote]

If your focus was already up to the job in the bad weather we had, you'd have not bothered hiring the Disco would you

 

[Linford]

[QUOTE 2774375, member: 9609"]They are undoubtedly good vehicles for towing and going off road, without doubt an incredibly capable vehicle - however for me the image has been destroyed by the type of person that is attracted to them, in the 'new' stage they are predominately bought as Chelsea tractors and or as some sort of pathetic status symbol - in the second hand market they seem to be the desire of the aggressive thug - either way the vehicle, like everything that has the land rover badge is totally and completely naff.

I feel sorry for those that truly need to own one, must be highly embarrassing[/quote]

When I went to pick up a scooter from London a couple of months ago, I was dismayed to see so many 4x4's blinged up with huge low profile rims and all sorts of tat stuck on them...they were more Lexus and Beemers though. The Disco is more of a workhorse though, far more agricultural. I was feeling contemptuous thoughts when I saw them if I'm honest

 

[XRHYSX]

The worst thing about driving a Prius is, when you get depressed about everyone calling you a faggot for driving one, you can't even go and gas yourself in the garage.

 

[Nigel-YZ1]

How economical is a Prius when it's thrashing down the M1 at 90+ mph? That's where I see most of them.

 

[Shut Up Legs]

P R I _ _

Fill in the blanks.

price pride prier prima prime primo primp prink print prior prise prism prius privy prize, ... err, did I miss any?

[Disclaimer: this post may contain trace amounts of cheating...]

 

[vernon]

price pride prier prima prime primo primp prink print prior prise prism prius privy prize, ... err, did I miss any?

[Disclaimer: this post may contain trace amounts of cheating...]

prial, prill, prion, pricy and prigs

 

[slowmotion]

[QUOTE 2774651, member: 1314"] View attachment 32725 [/quote]
What on Earth happened to the left side of that geezer's moustache?

 

[Smurfy]

What on Earth happened to the left side of that geezer's moustache?

I can see it (just). It's white/grey over white skin, rather than white/grey against a black background (like the right hand side).

 

[Smurfy]

[QUOTE 2774375, member: 9609"]They are undoubtedly good vehicles for towing and going off road, without doubt an incredibly capable vehicle - however for me the image has been destroyed by the type of person that is attracted to them, in the 'new' stage they are predominately bought as Chelsea tractors and or as some sort of pathetic status symbol - in the second hand market they seem to be the desire of the aggressive thug - either way the vehicle, like everything that has the land rover badge is totally and completely naff.

I feel sorry for those that truly need to own one, must be highly embarrassing[/quote]
I don't think many people drive a Disco as a Chelsea Tractor. It's mostly Range Rovers that get that kind of treatment, check out the website for Overfinch.

 

[Linford]

I don't think many people drive a Disco as a Chelsea Tractor. It's mostly Range Rovers that get that kind of treatment, check out the website for Overfinch.

The anti 4x4 brigade here who wear Superdry branded clothing can rejoice in the knowledge that the chairman of the parent company which owns the brand drives a brand new Range Rover (i've seen him in it a few times around the town)...so really their purchases are indirectly supporting Chelsea tractors ..it is a very nice car though

 

[slowmotion]

I can see it (just). It's white/grey over white skin, rather than white/grey against a black background (like the right hand side).

Hmmmmm...I'm not sure. I suspect a philosophical rival might have given him a stealthy squirt of this...

 

[MissTillyFlop]

Ok, here's the theory...(based, as are most of my theories, on nothing beyond instinct, prejudice, and a profound ignorance of the facts):

Most of a car's overall environmental impact is determined by its lifespan: the environmental damage involved in its manufacture and post-mortem means that longevity is key to its overall, total, environmental impact.

So, after ten years, your Prius battery dies. Are you going to spend more than the car's worth to replace it? No. So the car will become worthless overnight. Priuses, in short, will last only as long as their batteries: about a decade. Whereas most ordinary cars remain economically viable (and so will carry on being used) much longer than that.

So Priuses are, from an environmental point of view, a disaster.

Or are they?

There are projects taking shape at the moment to drive down the cost of the battery. Charging them at an affordable rate is going to be the issue.