There’s an ad on tv that claims the Ford Focus is as clean as the Toyota Prius. Is this really true? What criteria is Ford using to measure?

These are some pretty heavy claims. Are they true?

I would venture to guess that the Focus can be as clean as the Prius, if measured certain ways.
To quote this site comparison of the two vehicles:
The Ford Focus guzzles a lot of gas compared to the Toyota. The Ford Focus pales in comparison to the Toyota Prius when it comes to gas mileage. As far as MSRP, the Ford Focus costs considerably less than the Prius. The Ford Focus will cost you a lots_of_money in gasoline every year compared to the Toyota Prius.

https://www.newcars.com/ford/focus/reviews/toyota-prius.html

Then there is this site which proves the claim is nonsense.

And then there is PZEV, which is not about tailpipe emissions, but fuel system emissions. Obviously, in terms of tailpipe emissions, the Focus is nowhere near as clean as the Prius, especially in terms of carbon emissions.

The Ford focus is a fine car, but portraying the Focus to be as clean as the Prius and a better deal than the Prius is largely nonsense.

What is Ford trying to do? Basically the commercial looks very similar to a Prius commercial. The ad campaigns are very similar.
Trying to copy the leader in the market. Ford…. why not make a real hybrid or even a step further a hydrogen or electric car. Do that and you will see the tables start to turn!

Here’s another story:
I drove from NY to Boston with AC and got 60 MPG. If you are curious about amazing MPG of Prius during rush hour congestion traffic, search “Prius congestion” on google video.
I made those videos just for people like you.