y2ks2k

Last several Prius owners I

bjohnston

Who cares?

TheDonEffect

I agree with y2ks2k, I find that most prius owners are very uninformed about the car they purchased therefore proving my theory that most of the owners are buying into the green movement blindly and not doing the proper research. The true greenies who are better informed I find are using diesel, veg, hydrogen, or full electric but also have hybrids but tend to be more educated about them.
The prius, imo, has really become more of a social symbol more than anything.

ChuckV

I agree. Status symbol.

Zam

Greenie snobbery?

So assuming there is some type of green coolness scale, the vegetable burners in their 80s Diesel Benzos are the coolest? Who gives a flying hoot?

I also love how the vehicle you buy somehow groups you into "the-certain-type-of-person-group".

Zam

cbehney

I only rarely see Prius drivers hauling butt. Much more often they seem to be Gravity Drivers, which drives me nuts. Slow going uphill, fast going downhill. It's not just Priuses that drive that way, but it's completely irritating.

TheDonEffect

Who said anything abotu a green coolness scale?
Who said anything about greenie snobbery?
Notice I said social symbol and not status symbol, if anything I think the green movement is suppose to show your frugal, non-wasteful socially conscious ways and not your consumer power. I'm just saying, thge greenies who get their info outside of al gore tend to drive the veg oil mercs, hydro, etc and some get priuses but tend to be more educated about it. I jsut hate it when people spend 23K on a car and say I got it because itll save me money in the long run, oh and I'm doing the earth a favor. I then ask, do you know how the regenerative braking works? It's like asking honda fanbois do you know what vtec is?
And yes, unfortunate as it is, a vehicle you buy does tend to make people stereotype you. For example, I try not to judge BMW owners, but everytime I see one driving on the shoulder to pass people or hear them yelling in an oil change place for BMW oil you just can't help but wonder- perhaps it is a self fulfilling prophecy.
I don't mind people preconceived notions about the image I portray whatever it is it may be, what I do mind is when people won't give you a chance to disprove it and stick to their prejudices.

Zam

I get what your saying. I was trying to poke fun at this green movement. If you really are green, buy a 5 year old Toyota echo or Corolla or Tercel. Spending $5k extra to save $500 a year in gas seems bass ackwards.

And on the stereotype thing, it used to bother me when I was younger. Nowadays it is actually entertaining to play into & against people's stereotypes of you.

You should buy a vehicle that says absolutely nothing about who you are. Life is too short to make your auto choices based on what type of person you see yourself as.

Zam

Lice Locket

Ah, as if everyone should see the South Park episode about "Smug."

I agree; I think most Prius owners justify doing certain things normally considered unacceptable because they are "green." i.e. I can driver 80 mph because I use a lot less gas doing so than your car.

Spec_Ops2087

Funny part is that a Prius pollutes more then a car that gets just 20 miles to the gallon.