When to choose a Prius

Interesting article in the Guardian last week on the cult of the Prius, thankfully not repeating some of the myths that have been peddled recently.

The bit I thought was most interesting was the techie bit. It spelt out that the Prius beats its competitors hands down on urban driving, but loses out on the motorway. This is because the electric motor is efficient at moving off and the frequent braking regenerates the battery. When you get out on the motorway, the petrol motor is hauling that heavy battery, so the fuel performance drops off. So the combined mpg figures aren't brilliant compared to a good diesel.

So if you do lots of urban driving, buy a Prius. Don't bother otherwise.

Personally I use my bike for that sort of journey and my VW Golf TDi for less accessible work journeys (typically up and down dual carriageways to industrial estates), so I'm probably better off as I am. Although I must admit I am tempted by a Prius for the pose...