Toyota's hybrid vehicle sales pass 5 million

I would buy Toyota's hybrid car instantly if it had better looking designs...

They are a con.

We've had the Toyota Aqua Hybrid for 3 weeks, use it almost every day, and have filled the tank just once. Last time I looked it was down about half. Averaging 17.5 kilometers per liter, city driving.

Definitely no con, and we like the appearance fine. Our previous car was also a Toyota. It was 18 years old and never went to the shop except for regular maintenance and once to get an aircon recharge. Then some guy clobbered us from behind, or we'd still be driving it!

I live close to Toyota city where Priuses are made and those cars are everywhere around here. Although a fan of Toyota, I have to be honest and say that I'm rooting for other hybrids (Honda, Nissan, etc.) to become popular as well. Can you imagine if everyone drove Priuses? How boring.

Toyota owned the boring market with Corona and Corollas. That was their bread and butter. Looks like they kept the boring market with the Prius. Safe move, but it won't jiggle anyone's eggs.

nandakandamandaApr. 18, 2013 - 12:22PM JST

Safe move, but it won't jiggle anyone's eggs.

Yeah, but it was a smart move. Smart = profitable.

They are a con.

It's not a con, as far as I'm concerned. I bought a Toyota Camry Hybrid in 2007. Still driving it. No problems. Excellent gas mileage. When my wife's 1999 Honda Accord quits, I'lm going to get her a new hybrid. ;-)

They are heavy and cumbersome with technology that would have been understood almost a century ago designed supposedly to increase mileage but which in fact is little better than a good diesel car. They have had taxpayer handouts galore in both Japan and the US because they are promoted as being "green". But they destroy just as much of the Earth to create them - maybe even more because of their batteries - and just as much to get rid of them at the end of their lives. They are a greenwash con often for people who wanna believe they are green or wanna show off some bogus green credentials. Good on Toyota for fooling the public, though it is not hard, but never believe a company that is gunning for 10 million units a year - including gas-guzzlers and sports cars - has any concern whatsoever for the environment.

Toyota Pious - oops, I meant Prius - drivers get lampooned a fair bit, which I reckon is harsh. The newer ones coming out look great - especially the Lexus variant in black, and are super-smooth. Nissan LEAF is good too, much zippier, but cant manage inter-city round-trips without a recharge.

So moonraker, because a company is successful means it doesn't care about the environment?