Shocking?
Sure, but let’s think about this. The guys at Top Gear did a comparison… both cars were driven the same way. And the BMW M3 did deliver better mileage than the Toyota Prius.
The way they tested was to drive the Toyota as fast around the track as it would go, and then match the speed with the M3.
Of course that means that the Toyota was driving hell-bent… and the M3 might as well have been going to get groceries. And that is the difference. Had the M3 been pushed, it wouldn’t have returned the mileage it did… of course, then the Toyota wouldn’t have been keep up.
But it just goes to show you that the driver and the techniques they use have a TREMENDOUS effect on the way a car performs… both for speed and efficiency.