Gen 2 Toyota Prius Gives A Subaru WRX Some Competition
Before someone calls clickbait on this, hear me out. There is more to this story than you realize. I will reveal that as the story unfolds. Also to protect the person who sent me the video, there will be no references used to how this person knows me. I like a good controversy article just like the next person for sure, but I also want to lay down what actually happened.
I was minding my own business, when Facebook messenger popped up with a message from a friend of mine. He was driving and sounded panicked. My first impression is that he was asking for help especially when he said, "So, I am driving my sisters 2014 WRX and,"
The helpful person in me immediately thought about what I could do to help. Was this an emergency? Turns out he was not looking for help but he was having heart palpitations from the Prius that came up behind him hard. Here is what I have uncovered about what went down.
The Lead Car, The WRX
The lead car is a 2014 WRX STi with a base map flash. The car is slightly more than stock but even then it still has far more raw power than the Prius. At 305 HP stock, the WRX should annihilate the Prius no question. The thing is according to the driver he had a hard time pulling away.
Further investigation also gave me this bit of information. The WRX was loaded down with a dresser, couple of suitcases, and according to the driver is 300lb sister (his words not mine). So, weight was for sure a factor but it still does not completely rule out what happened. A Prius though, this is a game changer.
The driver of the car also states that " I was down shifting into 4th in 5 speed transmission, edging past a second generation Prius, going down a hill." Still the Prius stayed on him. watch the video here
The Toyota Prius Appears To Be Stock
While I do not know if the Prius had any modifications, chances are there were none. Also there is no evidence showing if the Prius had more or less load than the STi. Either way, the Prius does not pack much in the terms of horsepower. Coming in with electric assist, were are only seeing 110, far less than the Subaru.
Conclusion
While there were obviously some other factors here at play, Prius though, is for sure a force to be reckoned with. While I have no evidence of my own, I have taken on multiple larger higher horsepower vehicles and beat quite a few of them. I also have been beaten multiple times in many instances.
The Toyota Prius in stock form is for sure no race car, but it does have acceleration very similar to an all electric car. Hope you enjoy your weekend, and stay safe out there. You never know when a Prius may sneak up on you.
Check out my other story out about https://www.torquenews.com/8113/3-reasons-toyota-should-bring-back-prius-v-awd-e.
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Peter Neilson is an automotive consultant specializing in electric cars and hybrid battery technologies. He is an automotive technology instructor at Columbia Basin College. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Automotive Service Technology from Weber State University. Peter is also an Adjunct Instructor of automotive technology at Columbia Basin College. Peter can be reached on Linkedin and you can tweet him at The_hybrid_guy on Twitter.
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