Greek Odyssey

[Jolly English Gentleman]

I have not been on here for a while. I just wanted to share a pleasent surprise I had recently on the Greek Island of Rhodes. I was sat in a Taverna watching the world go by whilst enjoying a pleasent meal and happened to catch the rear lights of a Prius Gen 2 go by. Thinking that I might have had to much wine I vowed to pay more attention to the road and sure enough a couple of days later I saw it again - confirmed a Blue one.

A gew days later I was heading down towards Prasonissi in typical Hyu8ndai Getz hire car (someone had taken the Yaris that the hire company had) and went round a bend to be confronted by a white gen 3 coming the other way followed by a white IQ. I noticed that both were hire cars! To top it all on the last day heading back to the airport, we passed the Island's Toyota dealer in daylight and I noticed a new silver gen 3 in the showroom and a further gen 2 on the forecourt. I have been to quiet a few Greek Islands and this is the first time I have seen any Prius's. I would imagine that provided they are serviced properly these examples will do very well in the Greek sunshine and will probably last years - they may get dented but all Greek cars eventually get dented. I have checked the website for the hire Company to see how much it would cost to hire the Prius but the rates are not shown (bet it won't be cheap!) it does though provide food for thought. It is unlikely we will go back to Rhodes - far too modern for our liking.

Has anyone else noticed Prius hire cars on any other Greek Island? It would be nice to know where the option is available to be able to hire a car for a few days and only need 5 litres or so to do a whole Island (petrol in Greece is now 1.70 Euros a litre!).

[Opifex]

My introduction to the Prius was a few years ago when I had ordered an automatic from a hire company and was given a Prius. At the time Toyota France had a deal with Hertz to hire Prii at reduced rates, and I just happened to get a spare one (at full rate ). The Toyota website said they had stats that showed that most people who drove a Prius ended up buying one. It certainly worked for me - though it did take about 4 years.

[Grumpy Cabbie]

There is a Greek taxi driver on the Priuschat forum who works Athens. He has indicated that the Prius is becoming more and more popular as a taxi there as it's reliable (generally :ffs: ), very efficient to run and the passengers like it.

I still can't work out why my colleagues like sitting in a clattering diesel for 10 hours a day.

[Opifex]

There is a Greek taxi driver on the Priuschat forum who works Athens. He has indicated that the Prius is becoming more and more popular as a taxi there as it's reliable (generally :ffs: ), very efficient to run and the passengers like it.

I still can't work out why my colleagues like sitting in a clattering diesel for 10 hours a day.

Lower capital costs?

Sticking with what they know?

[Chris Dance]

It has been my misfortune to get stuck on several occasions recently behind diesel engined cars belching black smoke. Surely these cars have to have omission tests. There are few Prius taxis in our town these days. Like GC says it is hard to work out why folk like diesel cars.

[Grumpy Cabbie]

It has been my misfortune to get stuck on several occasions recently behind diesel engined cars belching black smoke. Surely these cars have to have omission tests. There are few Prius taxis in our town these days. Like GC says it is hard to work out why folk like diesel cars.

Taxis in our town have to have an emissions test every 6 months. Trouble is, diesels clog up in town use and will then belch out loads of black smoke (apart from the newer ones but these have had issues with dpf's on some models). When you go for your diesel test you chuck in a load of diesel injector cleaner and blast the car up and down the motorway for 20 miles and bingo, your car will pass the emissions test the next day.

What they need are spot checks but then half of them run red diesel anyway allegedly and certainly not in my town.