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I don't know, but the Prius drivers often take liberty when 'gesturing' me, possibly due to my bumper sticker.
"50 mpg since 1976, Where have you been? No Dinosaurs or OPEC required!" No Toxic Batteries either. I can run 100% w/o battery (with manual fuel shut-off) Very ez to 'bump start'... I used one (Rabbit) for 3 yrs that didn't have a functional starter.
They get even more raucous when I tell them I got my current 'Rabbit' for $35.00 after I found it in my neighbor's brier patch.
For that price I do keep plenty of spares around. But for air bag safety, I have to pull out my '96 & '97 Passat TDI's. They get 52 mpg and have 25 gal tanks. 1200 miles between fuel stops.
When I travel in my VW with the fleet of Prius' from the university, I wait for them for a LONG-time at our cross state destinations and then inquire "where have you been?" whoops They usually stop at least twice for fuel, in each direction, and I do the round trip on a 1/2 tank of environmentally friendly Bio-diesel (from WVO). I can hardly wait for Algae based feedstock.
BTW, Bio-D makes a great cleaning agent for oil spills.
LOL That's funny. The prius is an over rated pos in my opinion.
LMAO I wouldn't travel cross-country in any diesel passenger car from the mid-80's. The only ones that will make it across are the Benzes and VW's. In an old diesel Benz, the trip will take an eternity. In an old diesel VW, the trip will take an eternity, and you'll be miserable the whole way through.
Gotta weigh in that I for some reason like the body style of the Prius. My DH OTH does not. I have heard through the snark grapevine that lesbians gravitate towards them.
I belive the XFE Cobalts with the five-speed manual tranny get 36 mpg on the highway. (That's second in its class to the Honda Civic Hybrid AND the Cobalt XFE offers class-leading hp from its 2.2-liter Ecotec engine. GM squeezed the last few mpgs from the Cobalt by calibrating the engine, decreasing the tires' rolling resistance and offering a taller fifth gear.
Unlike a diesel or a gas-electric hybrid, the most fuel efficient Cobalt model won't cost you extra money. Order a base model $15,325 Cobalt LS (either coupe or sedan) with the standard five-speed manual transmission – et voilà – you automatically have an XFE.
Unlike Toyota's Prius hybrid – a car that shouts its parsimonious ways – a Cobalt XFE owner won't risk the chance of being called a tree hugger. Except for the small "XFE" badge on the rear passenger side of the sedan's trunk lid, there are no external visual styling cues that announce to the world you're driving a fuel-economy special.
The same level of compact-car anonymity can be found in the Chevy's five-passenger cockpit. The only clue to the XFE's economical mission is the blinking upshift light (a yellow plus sign circled in a gear, there to coach the driver as to when its time to upshift for maximum fuel efficiency) wedged between the fuel gauge and the tachometer in the driver's instrumentation.
The rest of the XFE's cabin is regular issue Cobalt: cloth seats with acres of industrial-grade plastics; in other words, it's no better or worse than a base model Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra or Toyota Corolla. At this price point, you'll be shifting gears, winding windows, opening door locks, and adjusting mirrors and seats all via human power.
But you're probably not interested in the Cobalt XFE for these types of bourgeois luxuries. Right? Amenities (or lack thereof) aside, at least it isn't a penalty box to drive.
In fact, GM has done a good job of making its fuel miser feel like the king of the road. Even on some of the worst Canadian pavement, the Cobalt XFE rides as smoothly as a mid-size Malibu. Credit can go to what Chevy calls its Premium Ride suspension, a long travel setup standard on any XFE. Even more of a surprise is how quiet the cabin is. Road noise is kept to a minimum, enhancing the big-car feel
Gotta weigh in that I for some reason like the body style of the Prius. My DH OTH does not. I have heard through the snark grapevine that lesbians gravitate towards them.
Unlike Toyota's Prius hybrid – a car that shouts its parsimonious ways – a Cobalt XFE owner won't risk the chance of being called a tree hugger.
Oh, NO - not a tree hugger! Anything but that!
Are people so self-absorbed that they base their automotive purchases on what other people may think of them, or, even more ridiculous, their political affiliations/leanings? Isn't that just a little infantile?
I have a Prius and I don't give a damn what people think of the car or me, and I refuse to base my choice of vehicles on what people may think/say about me. I buy vehicles based on my needs at the time. In 2006, the Prius was the vehicle best suited to meet my needs - it's as simple as that.
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whoops 
They usually stop at least twice for fuel, in each direction, and I do the round trip on a 1/2 tank of environmentally friendly Bio-diesel (from WVO). I can hardly wait for Algae based feedstock.
