Fair enough. I guess it’ll be impossible to know for sure without some statistics on owners.

The “few care about emissions” part is iffy, since the VW has been marketing its diesels as an eco-conscious choice and an alternative to a hybrid. As such, I’m guessing that the segment of the population that does care about emissions make up a significant number of the people who do buy TDIs.

Yeesh. Well, obviously “fun to drive” is subjective, and if that’s your experience then I respect it. I’m a fan of the weird sounds and feel of the linear, torque-y acceleration the drivetrain gives, myself.

Classic mini. Designed in response to an oil crisis, ended up besting much more powerful cars in the rally world for years due to its low weight and fantastic handling.

Oh, come off it. How many of you have ever actually driven one? The second gen Prius is surprisingly non-horrible. It was the car I first learned to drive on too, the electric motor and planetary CVT combined with VVT make for lots of fun torque, and the handling’s really not that bad compared to some other cars I’ve…

Sorry, I misunderstood the testing procedure your car underwent when I read your post at first. I understand what you mean now.

Ah, okay. My bad then. I wouldn’t be surprised if VWs were programmed to reduce NOx emissions by a significant amount at idle to ensure they passed the European emissions tests, though.

The testing situation you described is the exact situation in which your car would go into “cheat mode”, so you very well may be emitting 10 to 40 times the EPA’s allowed amount of nitrogen gases (which, at least in the case of N2O, cause 300 times more warming of the atmosphere per pound then CO2 according to the…

Huh, so it is regional. Up here in Atlantic Canada, I’ve never noticed Prius drivers to stand out from anyone else in terms of their driving, so I’ve always assumed that the terrible Prius drivers everyone talks about are all localized in California or something (lots of rich people who would usually be inconsiderate…

I just looked and the Toureag V10 gets 17 MPG city and 23 MPG highway, so Hummer-shaming, maybe?

Well, I’m sure a lot of people bought TDIs under the pre tense that they were an environmentally-conscious choice, being “Clean Diesels” and all. Those people were obviously misled here, big-time. That’s like buying fair-trade coffee in order to have a clean conscience, only to discover that the company in question…

More luxury and comparable mileage, sure but, also much more expensive and almost certainly less reliable. For a commuter on a budget who wants the comfort and flexibility of something larger than a compact without sacrificing fuel economy, the Prius honestly isn’t that bad a buy.

The findings of the study that claimed that were disproven years ago by independent analysis iirc: http://www.pacinst.org/wp-content/upl…

Not trying to be an ass, but if you skipped the country because Bernie got elected, where are you thinking you’d go? America is by far the most right-wing first-world country I can think of. I see this comment made all the time when election season comes around (e.g. “I’ll move to Canada if ____ gets passed/elected!”)…

In all honesty, the interior looks better than that of the current generation. The plastics and ergonomics of the 3rd gen Prius interior are far from stellar, even compared to the previous generation (which I actually don’t mind).

It’s really funny, because all the replies are people being upset like: “What? That’s not the statement I wanted to make about my genitals with my ridiculous oversized off-roader at all! How dare you!”

Enough people for Chevy to add it as a no-cost option on the 2015, apparently. I mean, it’s practical and reliable enough to use as a daily driver, so if rowing your own puts a smile on your face (like it does mine, even in my slow old station wagon), the fact it’s offered with a stick is a big plus. I mean, where’s…

Man, am I the only person who don’t think they look alike at all? Maybe I’m being naive or blind but I don’t see much resemblance after “sedan” and “bowtie badge”.

As a person who typically has no love for American cars, I kind of have to agree with the guy. In a category occupied almost exclusively by brash, aggressive styling cues and loud, in-your-face front ends, the SS sticks out to me as handsomely understated. It’s the performance car for people who don’t have any desire…

Have you looked at the new Mazda 3/6? Both are offered with manuals (potentially even miata-sourced, but well-reviewed whatever they are), both are relatively cheap and practical, both get surprisingly decent mileage and (in Canada, at least) don’t force you to get the lowest trim level if you want to row your own.…