Buying a Yaris is more economical in long run vs.Prius/Insight

[DevilGirl]

Originally Posted by Hershey

in 2 > 4 years hybrids should less than $17,000 as more automakers jump on the bandwagon and need to be more competitive . Would be nice to have a 2 door TACOMA with a hybrid engine that has a choice between a 1.5 ltr. , 1.8 ltr. or the 2.4 ltr. combo . We'd likely pick the 1.8 ltr. hybrid .

That sounds like a very under-powered truck to me... Then again, I think of trucks as trucks that are actually used, other than for just 4WD...

[BailOut]

Originally Posted by DevilGirl

That sounds like a very under-powered truck to me... Then again, I think of trucks as trucks that are actually used, other than for just 4WD...

I understand what you're getting at, but I think you're a bit misguided on power requirements.

Back in the day when we had a boat it weighed just shy of 5,000 pounds when loaded with fuel and trailered. I used to pull it - in the mountains - with a 10 year old Tacoma with a 3.6L V6 and 5MT. With that setup 2nd gear at 5k RPM produces 190hp and will pull its maximum rated load up a steep hill at 50 MPH and never even run hot. It also got double the MPG of a Chevy Tahoe with a 5.7L V8 auto that could only do 38 MPH up the mountain with the boat.

Yet horsepower is where the auto manufacturers have generally focused at for several decades, and have marketed it to a simply ridiculous point. Folks now seem to believe that it takes 300whp to get groceries, or 400whp to pick up the kids from soccer practice. Power requirements have become so skewed as to be virtually meaningless nowadays.