Is the Prius (55 MPG) really good for the enviroment?

Question

If Toyota really cared about the environment they would make fewer Tundras 14-18 MPG and Land Cruisers 13-17 MPG?

Answer 1

yes the Prius is really good for the environment because of the hybrid design.

Toyota is a business. The first thing they care about is making money. Just like any other business.

Answer 2

Yes, they will put a lot of advertisements on TV, movie theaters, internet, to convince you to buy certain vehicles they make. They even ask the movie producers to use their vehicles in the movies. It Brad Pitt (pick your favorite stars) drive certain model, don't you think you would look as cool when you have one?

However, consumers still play a big role on what types of vehicles the car manufacturers produce. It won't happen overnight but it we consciously choose more fuel efficient (gas, diesel, hybrid), eventually they will make the change. It all go back to the demand and supply issue. They can't keep making things consumers don't want.

People need different vehicles. Prius won't meet everyone's need. Some people would still need bigger trucks, SUVs. The key is "need" not "want". If all of us ask ourselves "do we really need a Tundra?" and answer it honestly before we buy one. It will already help the environment. The car manufacturers, moreover, should develop SUV and trucks with better fuel efficiency. Better fuel efficiency should put on higher priority than fitting DVD players, etc. in the car.

Answer 3

Manufacturers make whatever people will buy.

It's why there are laws (which are way overdue for a change in the US) about gas mileage standards for cars.

Answer 4

Everything gets bad mpg over 55.  Everything should go diesel.  Look into it, it's really come along way.

Answer 5

They sell what people buy. They have to make the cars that people demand or they would go out of business and there wouldn't be a Prius at all. There are also a lot of people who buy Tundras because they actually NEED a pickup truck for farming, hauling, construction, etc.

Btw, the real fuel economy of the Prius is 48 city, 45 hwy according to http://www.fueleconomy.gov

Answer 6

Me neighbor has a Prius and she does not get anywhere near 55 mpg.

I have a large family. We need a much larger car than a Prius.

Answer 7

Sure, the Prius is the greenest car on the planet:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070727/sc_n...

The fact that Toyota makes cars that aren't environmentally friendly doesn't make the Prius any worse.  Toyota and the other car companies will make whatever cars people demand.    If people stop buying the Tundra and Land Cruiser, Toyota will stop making them.

By the way, the Prius gets about 50 mpg in reality.

Answer 8

the prius is a car that is trying to make the environment better. toyota makes those other cars because they have to appeal to all people. they want to sell cars, so they have to make some that are not environmental friendly.

Answer 9

The Prius doesn't get 55 MPG more along the lines of 45 - 48, America advertised this wrong just so more people would buy it.

And I agree with you on why them should just stop making Tundras and Land Cruises, but in America everyone wants the big truck for no reason.  Basically as long as they're willing to pay the money for it, Toyota will just keep making them. Sad, but true.

Answer 10

To specifically answer your first question, no, the Prius is not good for the environment. Getting good gas mileage isn't an adequate measure of how environmentally friendly a car is. You need to consider the entire life cycle of the vehicle (raw materials, manufacturing, longevity, disposal, etc.) before claiming something is "really good for the enviroment". It's entirely possible that repairing and reusing a junk car is better for the environment than buying a new car, regardless of its mileage.

I won't answer your second question as I believe asking two questions in a single post is a violation of the Community Guidelines.

Answer 11

They would if fewer people bought them. They didn't used to make those big cars. Toyota started out making only small cars, but the buyers bough so many of those big American cars that Toyota had to make some themselves to preserve their business.

Answer 12

Yes, it only emits 4 tons per year of toxic gases.  I however, do drive a car that emits 11.4 tons, however, I offset that by using FFI's products that has been proven to reduce emissions by 75%.  And, it makes my car run at higher MPG.  I also have to have a six passenger vehicle because of my family size, so with the FFI products, my car is doing what a hybrid highlander does.

Answer 13

The country runs on supple and demand; when people don't want the big vehicles, they will not be built.  As for your beloved Prius, the extra parts and assembly causes more pollution than the standard manufactured automobile.

Answer 14

If you can find a really good way to recycle those batteries?

Answer 15

It is good for the environment although not as much better as you would expect given that the batteries still need to be made and disposed of and people who buy a Prius are also likely to drive more than they would have with a gas guzzler.

But on the whole it is still a lot better than a Land Cruiser.

As for why they continue to make such vehicles, it's because people are willing to buy them (some of them actually need such a vehicle, say maybe a percent or two of those who buy them).

Answer 16

They will make what the customer wants.

I would much rather see us go with diesels. Good mileage, cheaper, and simpler.