I agree with tom, the reason there is  no comparable gas model  to the  prius  is that it  would show  that the  improvements are mostly in the  aerodynamics,   "SPECIAL  TIRES" and weight control,
but where is the profit in that?  There was a conscious decision by toyota to not offer  a  gas only version as people would opt for that when  seeing the  cost of the hybrid vs the gas.
The  prius without the gadgetry is jus a geo  metro clone.
mike

>
> ---- Tom Hargrave <thargrav@hiwaay.net> wrote:
> > Hybrid technology is just a add-in to the primary technology used to drive the vehicle. But it's a good add-in for city drivin>
> Not so.  There is no Prius without a hybrid system.  However, the nearest equivalent may be a Corolla.  That car is smaller and lighter.  The EPA highway mileage for a Corolla is, if I remember correctly, 37 mpg.  I used to regularly exceed that by a couple mpg in my Corolla.  While it is true that the Prius gets fewer mpg on the highway than it does in town (when driven for long enough drives to adequately warm it up in town), it still beats the Corolla by 10 to 15 mpg.  I know from driving both.  Mine, driven by me, gets between 48 and 57 mpg in highway driving.  It gets between 45 and 65 mpg in town driving.  The lower figures for town driving are when it is driven mainly for short distance drives, and the hybrid system is not adequately warmed up.
>
> The claim that a hybrid gets fewer mpg on the highway than a non-hybrid equivalent may come from the Honda Civic.  That vehicle is not a "full" hybrid.
>
> Even when driven on an interstate highway, the hybrid system does provide some benefit.  The vehicle stores energy not only when braking, but when running downhill and "coasting."  On my drive from west Texas to Edmond, OK last week (540 miles), I achieved 56.5 mpg, driving mostly at 65 mph.
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> mcneely
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>