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> people want to see the green A on anything they buy because they assume it will be of higher quality I almost always assume the opposite. I assume the produc

> people want to see the green A on anything they buy because they assume it will be of higher quality I almost always assume the opposite. I assume the product was designed in one of two ways: 1. Designed fully-featured and then hamstrung to meet arbitrary energy goals, or 2. Designed with energy goals as the first priority in either case, other useful qualities (performance, longevity, etc) are second-class. I think my mindset started with low-flow toilets being introduced, those things could barely flush an empty bowl of water. To me, energy-efficient means crap performance. I had a Prius for a while and it was clear that a lot of things were sacrificed so they could spend the budget on energy efficiency. Compare the interior or ride quality of a Prius with anything else in its price range and you'll see what I mean.

dogma1138 11y ago
Well i don't assume the opposite i just don't care about the energy rating that much. The only thing i would care for is for heating/AC because those tend to be on for very very long duration. I bought a C rated fridge because I've read the testing procedure, it involves quite a bit of stuff like how long it takes it to cool down when the door is opened for 2 minutes, how much power it needs to cool down some volume of water etc, how much does it take to freeze X amount of what ever beef. And i really don't care about that, I live with my GF, no kids, no one else, the fridge is opened maybe 5 times a day for no longer than 10 seconds. Dinner is cooked daily with "fresh" from the store ingredients or take away/delivery is used. So the fridge is used to cool fruits/soda/water milk, and and some toppings for snaks. The freezer will have some emergency ground beef for the shit it's too late to order pasta, some hot dogs when you really get lazy, some bread, and vodka. If i had 3 kids and would stick a half eaten turkey into the fridge 3 times a week i would probably care more about how much power it yanks to cool it down, but with the use i have i don't need to care because while it's less efficient in cooling it's just as efficient at doing nothing for most of the day because the insulation is still the same. But the majority of the public doesn't do it, almost no one is doing research before buying something, they might get some reviews of CNET at best but more likely got to Curry's or Fry's or Best Buy and buy something they think is good. And since everyone has been conditioned to see green as good and everyone is conditioned to think of a higher grade is better when you have for the most part a meaningless grading system people will still buy what has huge Grade A+++ green sticker on rather than a orange/red B or C.
CarVac 11y ago
Early low-flow toilets were really poor. Modern ones clog less than ever. I have a 1.2 gallon-per-flush toilet now (Champion 4) and it's never once clogged even under trying conditions. It's just a design problem to work around. (Yes, the Prius interior isn't well finished for its price, but they managed to make it roomy inside and small outside even under aerodynamic constraints.)
snuxoll 11y ago
> Compare the interior or ride quality of a Prius with anything else in its price range and you'll see what I mean. I'm pretty satisfied with my Prius, personally. My mother's 2010 Chevy Impala may be a little roomier, but not enough for me to care.
- Domenic_S 11y ago
  The Prius interior is shockingly large, it is an impressive feat. Nonetheless, the quality of materials is far inferior to other cars in its price range.
  - snuxoll 11y ago
    I won't disagree with you there, the plastic in particular feels pretty cheap (the molding around the bottom of the front seats in particular is a gripe of mine). Still, a used Prius is a pretty good deal compared to alternatives (I got a 2006 Prius - top trim - with 80K miles for $10K).

dogma1138 11y ago

Well i don't assume the opposite i just don't care about the energy rating that much. The only thing i would care for is for heating/AC because those tend to be on for very very long duration. I bought a C rated fridge because I've read the testing procedure, it involves quite a bit of stuff like how long it takes it to cool down when the door is opened for 2 minutes, how much power it needs to cool down some volume of water etc, how much does it take to freeze X amount of what ever beef. And i really don't care about that, I live with my GF, no kids, no one else, the fridge is opened maybe 5 times a day for no longer than 10 seconds. Dinner is cooked daily with "fresh" from the store ingredients or take away/delivery is used. So the fridge is used to cool fruits/soda/water milk, and and some toppings for snaks. The freezer will have some emergency ground beef for the shit it's too late to order pasta, some hot dogs when you really get lazy, some bread, and vodka. If i had 3 kids and would stick a half eaten turkey into the fridge 3 times a week i would probably care more about how much power it yanks to cool it down, but with the use i have i don't need to care because while it's less efficient in cooling it's just as efficient at doing nothing for most of the day because the insulation is still the same. But the majority of the public doesn't do it, almost no one is doing research before buying something, they might get some reviews of CNET at best but more likely got to Curry's or Fry's or Best Buy and buy something they think is good. And since everyone has been conditioned to see green as good and everyone is conditioned to think of a higher grade is better when you have for the most part a meaningless grading system people will still buy what has huge Grade A+++ green sticker on rather than a orange/red B or C.

CarVac 11y ago

Early low-flow toilets were really poor. Modern ones clog less than ever. I have a 1.2 gallon-per-flush toilet now (Champion 4) and it's never once clogged even under trying conditions. It's just a design problem to work around. (Yes, the Prius interior isn't well finished for its price, but they managed to make it roomy inside and small outside even under aerodynamic constraints.)

snuxoll 11y ago

> Compare the interior or ride quality of a Prius with anything else in its price range and you'll see what I mean. I'm pretty satisfied with my Prius, personally. My mother's 2010 Chevy Impala may be a little roomier, but not enough for me to care.

Domenic_S 11y ago
The Prius interior is shockingly large, it is an impressive feat. Nonetheless, the quality of materials is far inferior to other cars in its price range.
- snuxoll 11y ago
  I won't disagree with you there, the plastic in particular feels pretty cheap (the molding around the bottom of the front seats in particular is a gripe of mine). Still, a used Prius is a pretty good deal compared to alternatives (I got a 2006 Prius - top trim - with 80K miles for $10K).