Edward W. Thompson wrote:

Think they calim 122bhp now... but its only 78 of your real bhp though -
since the engine is the only source of power ultimately. The claimed
output can only be sustained until the batteries are low on juice. An
enthusiastic drive round some B roads ought to see to that ;-)


Not sure I understand your point/obsession with horsepower. The
horsepower required to maintain the vehicle at a constant 60 mph in
still conditions will be about, say 15 hp (maybe less but not more) so
78 hp available seems adequate.

There are two answers to that question: there is the semi serious, it
winds up Drivel so what the hell - it is fun to watch him clap his
little cymbals together.

However there is a real answer as well:

In short, It depends on the type of driving conditions and what is
around you.

For a nice constant speed on a flat motorway with no wind, yup 78bhp is
fine. But there are other situations you need to consider:

For short overtaking bursts, is is verging on the ponderous (the
official figures for the 0-60 is just under 12 secs for the new model -
not the 10 that Drivel mentions). Real life is probably worse than the
figures suggest, since the electric motor can generate massive torque -
but only at low speed (under 25 mph). That will tend to have the effect
of skewing the 0-60 time such that the latter half is less impressive
than the first half. 0-60 times are not a good benchmarks for useful
power in real driving (unless getting away first from the lights is your
"thing"), where the 30 to 50 time is far more important. So for the
purposes of getting safely past slower vehicles it does not look
promising. Many reviews have also made this observation and do not rate
it favourably against even a turbo diesel in this respect.

I would also observe that driving at a constant 60 is also not something
commonly done by most people. Motorways will typically be flowing at 80
- 90 if relatively clear. Dropping to 60 when traffic is heavy and more
"stop start" in nature.

That is before you look at driving is situations where you have head
winds, gradients, or want to tow (although I don't know if the latter is
an option with the prius). The former are obviously things to consider
in the UK!.

If you want decent aircon in the car, then that can (worst case) swallow
another 10 - 15hp. For those of us that would not entertain the idea of
buying a car without aircon, that is a big lump out of your available
power.

With respect to acceleration, sure that's important if you are going
to race the vehicle but what other true relevance does it have when

It is also important from the point of view if being able to have a
relaxing an un-stressfull drive. To know that you can safely overtake,
and safely match speeds on slip roads aids that. Having a more powerful
engine usually also means less intrusive engine noise and vibration as a
result of it having to work "hard" when it hits a gradient or headwind.

Cars that tend toward better performance will also need to be equally
well equipped in terms of handling and braking. So driven like for like
the better performing car will stop quicker, and be able to steer
evasively better if required in an emergency.

As someone else pointed out elsewhere the prius is also one of (if not
"the") the slowest £20K cars you can buy. Personally I would expect more
for the money.

considering the car is for transportation? If you regard it as some
sort of macho toy then that is another matter. I suggest vehicles such
as the Prius are not intended for the 'boy racer' market.

I personally don't view driving as "just transportation". Then again I
don't think of it as "macho" either. Personally I like my cars discrete
and unassuming. That does not mean that I want a dull car to drive. I
want one that rewards good driving and is enjoyable to drive, and that I
can enjoy the dynamic performance and handling when there is a suitable
road and opportunity.

Finally you need to look at the other vehicles around you. Twenty years
ago you could say that 78bhp was probably pretty good for most 18 - 2L
family cars. Fuel injected ones would top 100bhp, and special editions
and "tuned" cars would give you the 120 to 130s. There has been constant
demand for better performance since then. Fuel injection is mandatory
for other reasons, and drag factors have got lower. So a normal family
car with 100bhp+ is not uncommon.

--
Cheers,

John.

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