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E36 318i conv VS 04 Toyota Prius

2K views 11 replies 6 participants last post by  Torque 
#1 ·
Okay, my mom just sold her 318i 5 spd Convertible because it needed beyond our price range, just lots of little thigns that started to go that needed replacing(susp, tires..etc..) and so my dad ended up buying the new Prius, which I thought was lame cuz not only is it auto, but has no engine sound that is appealing at all. First off, its actually sorta a tid bit cool cuz it feels like your in a rocket ship because everything is electrical and thing makes like no noise at all, and its just cool. but what sucks is that is has something called a CVD or something(continually variable gearbox), so basically, it sounds like its always in one gear, so you dont hear any shifts or anything, when you step on it, the electrical power switches to the egnine power and just goes "VEEEEEEEEE" and never stops, its almost irritating, because you are like "okay...now IM at like 4k rpm's and its gonna shift soon right?" no.., it just keeps going, quite odd. its really something special and sucky at the samet ime. the AC is really good, lol. it has the driving concept of a golf cart. really, it does. I dont like driving it because I get the urge to just floor it everywhere, and jump it or something like that. and I dont really want to flip a 20k machine that my mom is suppose to use for work. although Id love to, Ill just wait...
 
#3 ·
I know, I hate it.
 
#5 ·
With lead acid batteries, usually under 50 miles depending on the electrical motor and such. You arn't supppose to fully dischange lead acid batteries since it damages them and lowers their total capacitance. NiCad, or NiMh would be better since you can fully discharge, but much more expensive and kind of hard to find.
 
#6 ·
its impossible to sue the entire battery on the car. you can get about 600 miles to the tank, and when you brake, it actually charges the battery when brakes. there are tons of things that help out hte battery. uses battery in slow traffic and some crusie control, otherwise its the engine adn battery.
 
#8 ·
The new Prius was actually my top choice in the search for a new car, at first. Dying from gas costs, I needed a savior and the Prius seemed pretty cool; even its look wasn't bad (it was either that, or supplementing my Volvo with a Vespa). But when it was made known that the EPA gas-milage ratings given for it were overrated*, it made it a bit harder for me to give up on the great rear-wheel driving experience I became accustomed to in my '93 Volvo for some gas-saving technology that isn't fully developed yet. Eh, maybe in five years I'll go for a Civiv hybrid. For now, I think I'll be happy with a Bimmer.

Pshh, not even-- in five years, the Tango should finally be an option. The Tango was my dream much before the Prius, but before it goes into mass-production, it ain't really an option for those less than rich (aka.: ME). With a 0-60 time of under 4 secs; a Porsche's corner power; a Vespa's traffic-cutting & parking mobility; and a lower cost-per-mile than the current hybrids, I think I'll keep it on my radar, though, as it's the embodiement of all my goals in a car.

dutchbmw: If you meant what I though you meant, as opposed to what spiff325is meant, a fully electric car like the Tango I drooled about above, only achieves 80 miles-per-charge, and charges up to 80% in under 10 mins (completely full charge takes hours though). With high-tech batteries, the engineers behind the car think it could get 150 miles. We'll have to wait and see how it progresses.

*(the Prius is still one of the top cars for fuel efficiency, just not as good as the EPA numbers would make you think)
 
#9 ·
Hmm, Torque, since when was your sig pic motion-blurred? Am I going crazy? o_O

And, also, spiff325is: I'd be a little surprised if even BMW didn't change to CVT in the future. I read an article that made it seem like everyone might be seeing that in their cars down the line. Apparently, some Audis have it, too and some domestic co. (don't remember which) is pushing for customer awareness of it. Considering BMW's dedication to efficiency seen in it's Variable Valve Timing and whatnot, Continuosly Variable Transmission seems obvious. Of course, just as they keep manual around for its niche crowd now, I think manual will be around as an option for decades to come (non-CVT automatic just won't).
 
#10 ·
Ill take an E46 M3 please...

but damn dude, electric car doing 0-60 in under 4?
 
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