If one watches a few more episodes of the show, it would become obvious that the Prius fuel consumption test was a joke, like everything else in the show. Come on, we can do better than expecting a fair review of a hybrid car from a guy who comes up with increasingly witty descriptions of his erections caused by the power and speed of various sports cars.
Edit: it probably didn't come across like it, but I think that the show is hilarious and it is one of the very few reasons to own a TV. But a car review show (as in, the source of information on the automotive industry) it is not, and is not meant to be.
Compared to a typical European car, such as the Diesel Passat station wagon, the Prius IS a joke. It has worse fuel consumption, carries less, and has a massively more complex drive-train.
Sure, the Passat is a bit of a slug, but light-footed, I made an estimated 50 mpg in Italy, 4 up with luggage, AC on, during an Italy trip, something you couldn't do in a Prius.
Edit: it probably didn't come across like it, but I think that the show is hilarious and it is one of the very few reasons to own a TV. But a car review show (as in, the source of information on the automotive industry) it is not, and is not meant to be.