Sad Sad day...raced a Prius at a stop light and lost!

My ego, balls and overall manhood got crushed yesterday. Was sitting at a stop light and just felt like flooring it all the way up to the speed limit when the light changed. Well the car next to me was keeping up and I don't even think he knew we were "racing". We where about neck and neck, I was a couple feet ahead at tops, until 60mph then he pulled ahead because I left off the gas because I didn't want to get a ticket. As he passed I noticed the car was a Prius, it was a local county government motor pool car. I could not believe it. I can make all kinds of excuses. My clutch slips after a chip tune. I panicked when we were neck and neck and ran the rpms up to redline in 3rd before I shifted to 4th and I imagine that's when I could have easily pulled away...but nope pretty much just have to accept defeat. I got beat by a Toyota Prius driven by a county employee! I hope to not get permanently banned from this forum as I hang my head in shame.

And you admitted it? LOL

Nah... there must have been a strong tail-wind... your car, being substantially heavier and much more stable, resisted being swept up and propelled by the force of nature...


(Time for another tune...)


Yuri

I'm new here... That is one sad story... Shaking head... The old "Agony of defeat" ABC Sports video comes to mind...

Obviously the OP thought he was posting to the Vortex...

Bill

I'm admitting it because I'm baffled that a Prius could come close...even with incompetent "racing" skills. I didn't even it think it was in the realm of possibilities. Tried to find some rational explanation so I looked up 0 to 60 times for both cars and they are relatively close, which surprised me, I just wish I didn't have to find out first hand.

Lots of instant low end torque with electric motors.

Not all that surprising, really. A Prius has a fair sized electric motor which develops 100% torque from zero RPM's. I would love to have a hybrid except I refused to haul a bunch of batteries around.

Torque, not HP or skills is what got you... Those electric motors are powerful as Ol'Rattler has stated off the line. Where you will bury them is down the road, once that burst is finished a Prius is a real dog.

localnet said:

once that burst is finished a Prius is a real dog.

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I laugh when I see people doing 75-80 in a Prius..taxing the little 1.5? liter engine pretty hard...that is why the later ones have a 1.8! They aren't as efficient as a well sorted TDI at those speeds, that is for sure.

GTiTDi said:

I laugh when I see people doing 75-80 in a Prius..taxing the little 1.5? liter engine pretty hard...that is why the later ones have a 1.8! They aren't as efficient as a well sorted TDI at those speeds, that is for sure.

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I watched a youtube video the other day, prior to purchasing my first TDI... It was a TDI, Prius and Fiesta, it was a fuel economy shootout... The TDI won, Prius second and Fiesta last... But, it was stated, that the Prius is a pig on the open road, not a car to have if you do allot of highway miles, which I do. I've never driven one, but have seen them sucking bumpers on one to many big trucks, which I drive for a living, and have seen them in action... They are death traps in my book, especially the way the owners drive them... Saving the planet mentalities only go so far, as they are a danger to the motoring public.

As he passed I noticed the car was a Prius, it was a local county government motor pool car. I could not believe it.

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You fell victim to one of the lesser rules of motorsport:
The fastest car on the planet is one you don't own. Honestly, do you think the county employee cares about the car, or the mileage it's not getting doing that?

Better than thinking about the loss, did you get the tag number? Unless it is a car that should have been driving about like a utility supervisor or the like, I'd be upset my tax dollars were taking someone to the store, or wherever on a Sunday, rather than official county business.

autdi said:

You fell victim to one of the lesser rules of motorsport:
The fastest car on the planet is one you don't own. Honestly, do you think the county employee cares about the car, or the mileage it's not getting doing that?

Better than thinking about the loss, did you get the tag number? Unless it is a car that should have been driving about like a utility supervisor or the like, I'd be upset my tax dollars were taking someone to the store, or wherever on a Sunday, rather than official county business.

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Amen brother! I actually pay taxes and am right up the road from you in Chelsea... I am PO'd at how my country treats those of us that actually foot the bill. And that is why I bought a TDI, $4.00 fuel and inefficient airlines (Delta)... If I had my druthers, I would be driving a Dodge SRT Challenger, and to hell with the fuel mileage. I work in the oil and gas industry over in ND, we should be paying around a buck a gallon as we are swimming in oil... Just my .02

localnet said:

They are death traps in my book, especially the way the owners drive them...

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Try following one with the sun to your back...tell me if you can distinguish the individual red LEDs once they are invisible because of the glare from the chrome tail light reflectors...I have almost rear ended them twice...terrible design IMO

Mawcus said:

My ego, balls and overall manhood got crushed yesterday. Was sitting at a stop light and just felt like flooring it all the way up to the speed limit when the light changed. Well the car next to me was keeping up and I don't even think he knew we were "racing". We where about neck and neck, I was a couple feet ahead at tops, until 60mph then he pulled ahead because I left off the gas because I didn't want to get a ticket. As he passed I noticed the car was a Prius, it was a local county government motor pool car. I could not believe it. I can make all kinds of excuses. My clutch slips after a chip tune. I panicked when we were neck and neck and ran the rpms up to redline in 3rd before I shifted to 4th and I imagine that's when I could have easily pulled away...but nope pretty much just have to accept defeat. I got beat by a Toyota Prius driven by a county employee! I hope to not get permanently banned from this forum as I hang my head in shame.

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How dare you come on here with this!

Now go sit on the naughty step

So wait, did a STOCK TDI get smoked by a prius or did a tuned TDI get smoked by a Prius?


just today there were two prius' infront of me and I asked my girlfriend if I could race them, she said no so I followed them and maintained fuel economy.

I'm saying a slightly tuned TDI hung neck and neck, not smoked (I was a few feet ahead at most) to about 60mph with a prius driven by a government official, after 60 I let off the gas so I wouldn't get a ticket. I panicked and didn't shift to 4th until about 5000 rpms because Ive never had to push it that far to pull ahead of anyone. Yes I'm ashamed and I'm a p*ss but who really cares...just wanted to post it for sh*ts and giggles. I'll never let it happen again.

GTiTDi said:

Try following one with the sun to your back...tell me if you can distinguish the individual red LEDs once they are invisible because of the glare from the chrome tail light reflectors...I have almost rear ended them twice...terrible design IMO

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I've the same problem with '05 -on Passats.

I was seeing spots recently when I got behind a Prius at a stop light. The slope of that rear windshield makes an excellent sun reflector/mirror at the right time of the day. Even with sunglasses on it was not nice.

And you need to get yourself a Common rail TDI. No problems racing Prii even with a stock engine.

I have both and the 2002 Prius is quite a bit slower. I can't speak for the newer Prii, however.
The JSW TDI has better torque and is faster theoughout the range.
The Prius has been trouble free except for the recall on the power steering system replaced under warranty and a 12v battery. It has 165000 miles and I have never had to even replace the brakes. Average MPG ~46.
The TDI has had its timing belt replaced at 120,000 miles. Brakes at 140,000. and probably needs inner CV joints and the 12 V battery. Average MPG ~ 39.
Two different cars and different personanlitie. My wife hates the prius (she drove it for 6 years) She loves the greater size, weight, acceleration etc. of the TDI.
I like the dead reliable Toyota and no worries about HPFP, AC, DSG etc.
I love the way the TDI handles and drives and of course the power.
A good way to check the relaibility of a car is to look up the used replacement parts prices on ebay. Assume about the same percentage get wrecked and the price tracks the demand for the pull out parts.
Prius parts very cheap
VW parts expensive.
The Prius parts are cheap because there is no demand for them.
It boils down to..... the VW is fun to drive and feels secure and the Prius is not fun nor does it feel secure.

You said you let off the gas when you hit 60 and you also said you took it to red line before going into 4th. Those two don't add up in my books. My Car will hit 65-70 in 3rd without going to red line. Ticket or not I would have pushed him to his limit. Which he was already at. A strong 4th gear and he would have fallen behind. Shame on you.
Our cars just get going at 65. It is from 65-100 they really accelerate smoothly.

Every time I see a Prius I try my hardest to blow smoke in his face.

Lefty said:

Every time I see a Prius I try my hardest to blow smoke in his face.

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Thereby allowing the driver to feel superior by pointing at those anti-environmentalists who pollute the atmosphere...

Y.

Mawcus, I was just trying to rephrase the whole situation in a funny manor, not trying to make you feel like a p*ss!!
Occasionally you should run through the gears getting on the interstate! It's good to be a teen every once in while .

ItAintRodKnock said:

Mawcus, I was just trying to rephrase the whole situation in a funny manor, not trying to make you feel like a p*ss!!
Occasionally you should run through the gears getting on the interstate! It's good to be a teen every once in while .

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Not to mention it is good for the Turbo as well.

ymz said:

Thereby allowing the driver to feel superior by pointing at those anti-environmentalists who pollute the atmosphere...

Y.

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We all know it makes more pollution to make those batteries though.

Actually....................

...........this sailor is sort of impressed at the admission of losing to the enemy.

Seriously, this site not only provides useful guidance (but the vein of 'tuned-in" humor was really unexpected).


all the best, ez

localnet said:

I watched a youtube video the other day, prior to purchasing my first TDI... It was a TDI, Prius and Fiesta, it was a fuel economy shootout... The TDI won, Prius second and Fiesta last... But, it was stated, that the Prius is a pig on the open road, not a car to have if you do allot of highway miles, which I do. I've never driven one, but have seen them sucking bumpers on one to many big trucks, which I drive for a living, and have seen them in action... They are death traps in my book, especially the way the owners drive them... Saving the planet mentalities only go so far, as they are a danger to the motoring public.

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I know the video, they compared the newer cars with an older generation Prius. If they used the 2010 Prius, like the other cars were, I'd bet the Prius would have been on top. The drivetrain is totally redesigned.

ItAintRodKnock said:

Mawcus, I was just trying to rephrase the whole situation in a funny manor, not trying to make you feel like a p*ss!!
Occasionally you should run through the gears getting on the interstate! It's good to be a teen every once in while .

Click to expand...

No problem at all. I knew I'd catch some flak for the post. The responses have been way more kind than I expected. Just thought it would be a fun one to post.

ItAintRodKnock said:

Mawcus, I was just trying to rephrase the whole situation in a funny manor, not trying to make you feel like a p*ss!!
Occasionally you should run through the gears getting on the interstate! It's good to be a teen every once in while .

Click to expand...

No problem at all. I knew I'd catch some flak for the post. The responses have been way more kind than I expected. Just thought it would be a fun one to post.

One thing that I have noticed is that Prius drivers tend to fall into two categories: those that drive to preserve fuel economy and maximize battery life, and those that floor it all the time and flog that poor little electric motor for all it's worth. That latter group tends to take off from the line at a surprisingly brisk pace, I remember being impressed the first time I saw it. Of course, as other posters have pointed out, if you race to 70+ mph or if (God forbid) you race up a meaningful hill, the Prius is done. Give me a TDI for anything outside a city.

That zero rpm torque is hard to beat on those little things for around-town driving though!