pinguhk

conventional diesel with Efficient Dynamics beat the full hybrid by 2.2 imperial mpg, or 1.8 US mpg.
This means that an executive sedan with all the mod-cons and 500 extra pounds beat the mollusk-shaped sip-tastic wunderkind known as the Prius.

You guys with Prius time to get a new E60 now lol
E60 alot more fun and better car and save fuel cool

http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/23/bmw-520...in-gas-mileage/

swajames

This is a repost. That said, as much as I don't particularly like the Prius either, the Sunday Times test is open to challenge (as the Autoblog post itself notes). Firstly, there is a GBP 10,000 (roughly USD 20,000) price difference between the base Prius and the base 520d SE. With just 2 mpg difference between the two (and note the 2 mpg was derived through a potentially unrepresentative mix of town/highway) it's pretty clear that you'll never make that up in fuel savings. The Prius gets its maximum return in city driving, and this test was set up to be predominantly highway driving which is where the diesel will shine. Finally, the Prius is still better on emissions and is exempt from the congestion charge in London, again this can be significant. All this Sunday Times article really shows is that if you want to prove a point it's possible to devise a test that will inevitably drive to the answer you want - which is what they did. Good to see the E60 and the excellent BMW diesels in a positive light - but this was never a test that set out to do anything other than bash the Prius and I think it loses credibility as a consequence.

EBMCS03

HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA stupid Prius' !!!!!!!!!!!!

Dude they always try to overtake me in the fast lane... WTF!?!??! They bought a car to save gas yet they drive pedal to the metal...

eenBMW

I also read the article and think you are missing the point they try to make. I indeed don't believe the BMW (or any other big car) is that much better on fuel economy or emission compared to smaller cars like the Prius. The question is if it's fair that the much hyped Prius gets all these advantages when other manufacturers (of diesels or gas) are being left out. I personally question the advantages of a car that takes uses that many batteries which have to be recycled at the end of its life. The primary advantage in my eyes is that you can influence where the emission is left loose and for high traffic cities the Prius obviously can mean a big improvement in living environment.

Regards,

Guus

the-oneil

+1

For the record, I hate the Prius and I think it is overhyped & overpriced. I live in London and work in central London where the Prius is exempt from Congestion charge. I can tell you I see (at least 3) every day on my way to/from work.
Over 3 years period: The Prius saves its owners circa ?5640 in congestion charges (assuming a Prius owner drives into central London every single week day - excluding 5 weeks holiday & bank holidays ), in addition to the savings in fuel, which is also significant.
However, Toyota sells the Prius for ?17,777 where its nearest German competitor the VW Golf starts at ?13,000 So ?4777 saved right there at the beginning of the purchase.
The Golf rides & handles 10 times better than the Prius, looks a 100 times better, is a higher quality car and is more practical too.

The Prius will look even sillier if compared to Honda Civic OR if compared to ANY hatchback sold outside London!!!! It is way overpriced for what it is IMHO.

525iEnjoy

its all about the emission rating ULEV, SULEV or PZEV. The key is to get rid of our oil dependence

timewa

Nice!

Of course the test is probably a bit biassed, and it would be a wrong conclusion if you'd say that the 520d beats the Prius (besides, it's comparing diesel vs Otto).
However, it's impressive that a luxury car with a lot of relatively small & lightweight measures, seems to be a better choice than the small full-hybrid car for people who drive on the highway regularly.

Personally I believe that this can be concluded from this test:

1. For long trips, full hybrids like the Prius are not a good choice
2. The Prius' "green factor" is overrated because of the EU drivecycle (which contains mostly transitions, and no high-speed driving)
3. The EU should prescribe standardized tests that distinguish between urban & highway driving, so people can decide for themselves if buying a full-hybrid makes sense for them
4. BMW did a hell of a job by introducing efficient dynamics. Credits to BMW that they invested so much and rolled it out for the entire product range, while many other OEMs are only talking about it without investing in R&D for making the cars really greener.
   
   That said, I also give credits to Toyota for investing in the Prius development. Personally I don't really like the car (I drove it), but it was brave to introduce it and it's good that it exists even if it's only for starting the discussions.
   
   Companies like Daimler and especially VW/Audi can really learn from this. When I considered an Audi A6 in 2007, it didn't even have a Diesel Particle Filter as standard! Ridiculous. And the salesguy advised me not to order one, as Audi DPFs were not very reliable...

aqkhan6us

Forget about Hybrids, We should have 520d in USA
Y not,

pinguhk

+1 I wish we have D cars in HK too
I get the 535D

rsyed

...fact is that in europe the prius hype is not as bad as in the USA simply because we are sometimes just better off taking a well optimized diesel engine. Take the 318d for an example, 143hp, beats the prius off any traffic light and a consumption of less than 5l, equivalent to 56 mpg - now beat that???