Sometimes I feel ashamed of my Prius

Sounds like he'd be better off getting her a Lexus CT200h, there's even less cargo space in that! ;]

The best review I've gotten on the CT now that I've had it for two weeks: My wife's parents LOVE it, much more so than our CLK550 convertible. Mostly because it's a 4-door and easier to get into I suspect, but all around her mom loves it.

We took them out to dinner at Benihana's for their 46th anniversary, and the valet was absolutely gushing over the car. First one he's seen/driven. Loved the interior, etc. I think he pulled a Ferris Bueller on me as when we got it back it had a few extra miles on it and the MPG had dropped from 49 to 47. Maybe he just sat in it while running for a while, *shrug*.

Either way, that's the best review on the car so far. =]

 

The best good-natured ribbing came from my gay adult daughter in a comment to her twin sister: "I think dad managed to buy a car that's more gay than his Subaru".

 

As a gay man who recently bought a Prius, I apologize for contributing to that stereotype, LOL ;-)

 

I grew up in the Detroit area. Back at the height of the first collapse of the US gas guzzler industry and Japanese imports in the late 70s/early 80s you were asking for trouble if you drove an import. I remember stories of import cars always getting keyed in parking lots and their drivers being yelled at on the streets, even being assaulted. Even now I'm a little worried about parking my Prius in a public lot when I go visit family there.

 

As you probably know, there are a number of places in the Detroit area where you can't park a foreign (defined as not made by the UAW) car, including the UAW Solidarity House, and the parking structure and nearby lots at the Chrysler headquarters. The wife of one of my co-workers is a contractor at Chrysler and recently bought a used Chrysler for the reason that she can now park in the structure rather than the surfaced lots in the boonies. I assume they're going to make an special exception for Fiats, ehh?

 

OK, my good natured ribbing came from a buddy of mine that I had not seen in a while. He likes his cars well enough I guess.

We talked about my new Prius and I was extolling the virtues, blah, blah, blah. And so then, as deadpan as can be, he asked me if I got the "brake package" option with my Prius.

 

Speaking of brakes, I was driving my LS430 today for the first time in nearly a week. (I've been doing a lot of local driving, so I've been only using the Prius.) At the first intersection I went for the brakes and realized there was no regenerative braking. I thought "Oh, how quaint, friction brakes only." When I hit the gas at that stop sign I thought "V8 alert."

 

Here in the corn belt most buyers are only after the savings on gas. They are not on the whacked out environment issues at all.

I torque out folks on both extremes with my bumper sticker. "My other car is a Viper." Of course the Viper has the "My other car is a Prius." sticker.

My 10 Prius has 18,000 miles on it an is delivering just over 62 mpg in all around driving. You read correctly. Over 62 mpg.

 

I just joined this forum after buying a 2010 IV Prius and am late getting in on this.

I am an American and so is my wife. We worked in Japan for the past after 25+ years, and the last 7 in Toyota City. We returned to the States in December 2010 for retirement. (Both of us are fluent in Japanese, needless to say.) We lived in a neighborhood filled with mid level and upper level managers and engineers for TMC, so my perspective is totally different from the US perception.

The Prius has become fairly popular over there and is looked upon very favorably, especially since gas in Japan runs $2.00 to $2.50 a gallon MORE than in the US and has for the past 20 years.

I too have been a little surprised at a few of the questions that we have received already with our Prius that we bought used (33,000 miles) at a Toyota dealership in Memphis 6 weeks ago. However, everyone that asks or "phrases" their questions to try and cover their perception (ignorance) - they know that we lived there and have some inside knowledge of TMC and their automobiles, although we did not work with TMC. Because of this, they do listen to what we have to say.

My wife and I travel in a 600 mile radius of Memphis quite a bit and have traveled 3500 miles in 6 weeks. The savings on gas has given us a savings of over $200.00 in comparison to our other 18-20 mpg vehicle. I like that and just smile at others who don't see that. For me, I was this way back in the 70's and early '80s here in the US. I even had a Volkswagen Diesel back then simply for the fuel economy.

Be confident in who you are and with your choices for your reasons! Thanks for a great forum.

 

I got a little flack when I bought my Prius, but not too much. I have had some of the same experiences, other vehicles riding my bumper and the speeding by, dirty looks... The thing that bothers me most is how some people view Prius owners in a sterotypical way, i.e. tree hugger, flaming liberal... I bought the Prius primarily due to the great gas mileage. If it helps the environment, all the better. If Ford or Chrysler made a hybrid that got similar mileage, I would give it a hard look. I am not stuck on another Toyota, or hybrid for that matter.

 

I am on my second prius, and bought the second one because I missed the great gas mileage as well as the awsome technology. My first one is still being driven by my daughter. I had to get a second one just so I could again experience the smooth cheap drive and get to play with trying to get the maxium mileage. (I hate supporting the oil conglomerates).

 

Welcome to PriusChat from the OTHER Prius in the delta. MS has the lowest Prius ownership per capita of any state.

 

I'm a young(ish) college student who is just about buy a Prius. I'm not even the environmentalist type at all. I know, I don't really fit the mold. My number one reason for wanting one is that it gets great mileage. Number two, it appears to be very reliable. After owning a Volkswagen for the past 5 years, the Prius should be a welcome relief!

 

I recall back in the seventies I was gassing up in the energy crisis next to a kid with a customized car.
"How's the mileage?"
"I get about six; I like performance."

He'd be in his fifties now. Maybe you met him. There are lots of guys who think testosterone is a hydrocarbon.

 

I catch hell on a regular basis for owning a Prius. I just ignore them. Most of their comments and jokes are based on their ignorance of the vehicle. I even have a gay friend that makes fun of the car, says if I were gay he still wouldn't go out with me because my car is too gay for him. Honestly, after 2 new generations of Prius, I think it is the name and not the actual car that causes Prius hate. When I first bought my car and drove into work the guys didn't make fun of it at all. From where we were all standing, the car was 50 feet away and looks pretty stylish compared to the earlier generation Prius. It wasn't until someone saw the "Prius Hybrid" emblem that the harassment started.

I think Toyota should have Lexus rebadge the Prius (but for the same prices), I would bet the average person wouldn't even notice it's a rebadged Prius, and then dudes could buy one and not get harassed by their "manly" buddies.

 

They did: "The comparison to the 2011 Prius is apt, since the two cars share the same basic platform"

2011 Lexus HS 250h - Review | Hybrid Cars

but it's being discontinued.

 

I don't think the above assertion is correct. I've heard that the HS is based on the Avensis (which doesn't exist in the US). The other closest car we had to the Avensis was the Scion TC.

There is the JDM Toyota Sai which is a far less luxurious version of the HS.

I've personally seen, sat in and checked out the interior bits of both of them at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show. I also won a week test drive of the '10 HS awhile ago.

 

I think this thread should be retitled "Sometimes I'm ashamed of my co-workers" or "Sometimes I'm ashamed of my family". My brother drives a giant orange Hummer that I think is the most hideous and wasteful piece of shit on the planet. I've never said word one about it. You know why? Because he hasn't asked me and it's none of my business. I think people sense weakness and they move in for the kill. Maybe it's different for men because people can always pull that "women's car" or "gay car" shit on them.

 

They did, it's called the CT200h, starts at $29k. (Certainly close enough for me).

 

i dont know about you but i live in the Bay Area , California and no one cares. going green never made any more sense. i usually disregard ignorant people that make high school - like insults