Astrochimp

Performance vs economics? The Prius is the darling of auto-buyers at the moment for its hybrid technology and huge miles per gallon return. But the BMW M3 is made for performance. How do these two cars perform when going on the Top Gear test track?

The only issue is that this is a very one sided test. The BMW was drafting the Pruis through the test track drive. The performance driving aspect yields less mileage overall especially for smaller cars which need to rev much higher to get speed. The Toyota Pruis with a four cylinder engine vs a V8 would burn more fuel on a test track especially if both cars go the same speed. The BMW will not need to rev quite as high as the Prius thereby giving a better mileage estimate. A better comparison should be done through testing both cars through a variety of situations. Add to the test track a highway mileage comparison where both cars travel over four hours on the Autobahn. Then have both cars go through congested city driving where the Toyota’s electric motor kicks in to provide the extra savings in mileage. I love Top Gear and BMWs, but this test is certainly one-sided and is unfair to both cars.

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