What is up with all of the Prius Hate ???

*Appears properly chastised knowing it was his use of strong language that prompted the above post*

 

+1
Especially when it snows- for some reason they must think that because the cars are German they're good in the white stuff? They're usually the first to spin-out!

There was a good quote in the movie "The Ice Harvest" that went something like this.... "One night driving a Mercedes, and you're already an a$$hole?"

 

Gotcha !! Understood.


REV

 

If we don't go to war for oil, why did we invade Iraq twice? Pakistan got WMD's and we didn't attack them. N Korea got them and we didn't attack. Of course oil is the reason we fought in those wars.

 

In PA there's usually a 4WD pickup or SUV in the fray as well. People don't seem to realize that 4WD doesn't help all that much when they try to stop or turn in slippery conditions, and that the laws of physics still apply ... even though they're driving a big ole 4WD truck.

REV

 

I know this is off topic, but here is a proof how SUV are safer (not):
Vidvir

 

Four wheel drive may help improve traction under icy conditions but four wheel drive is no better than two wheel drive when braking! No matter how many wheels are driven, the small patch of rubber on the road is the same

 

Couple things I've seen on facebook 'hate prius' site ....

One person said they rented Prius, only got 45 MPG. This can easily happen. He asked what's the point if it doesn't get the 50 MPG. It's a good question. I just explained shorter trips bring the mpgs down, but they also do in regular cars.

I think conventional car engines warm up quicker because they're running all the time. I explained the trump card with Prius is the city MPG in bad traffic ... can get 50 where the '40 mpg highway' cars will fall under 30 in same conditions.

 

did you watch the video (work safe BTW)?

 

I "only" get 45 and it still kills anything else.

$30 in gas with Prius=400 miles
$30 in gas with Fiesta=300 miles
$30 in gas with SUV=enough to get to next gas station.

:cheer2:

 

Owning a Prius in itself means nothing other then you own a Prius. However owning a giant lifted pickup with a smoke switch means you are an idiot. If you figure out how to put a smoker on a Prius, you would lapse into that group too.

Just like walking across the steet means nothing more then you crossed the street. Jumping out infront of a car means you are an idiot.

 

Absolutely correct. People forget or don't think. Also an empty 4WD pickup drives pretty much as if it had FWD but many drivers don't adapt to the different handling characteristics. BTW, my other car is a 4WD 1 ton diesel (the enemy?) and I'm still very satisfied with the 17-21 mpg given it's towing and carrying capability.

 

Wow, this thread got away quickly...

It's fashionable amongst gearheads to hate the Prius, just like it's fashionable to hate on the stock stereo. They think, rightly or wrongly, that the amount of gas Prius owners save is proportional to the amount of smug created in its place.

I'm not sure I get the hate on people who continue to drive cars that take $100 to fill up. For most, it's a far greater cost savings to keep your current car regardless of how much fuel you could save. I assume that's why most of you aren't thinking about trading in your single occupant liftback or parking lot sized v for the more commuter friendly, more fuel efficient c. Wouldn't that make a lot more sense?

 

I own a Prius, an IPad 2 and an IPhone 4. I think people hate the user rather than the device in certain situations. I hate Prius drivers that go 55mph on the freeway CAUSING traffic congestion as a result of their stubbornness or arrogance. I hate people that stare at their smart phone or tablet while pretending to carry on a face to face conversation. Kind of like gun control, it's not the gun, it's the moron misusing that should be "hated".

 

Eloquently said, and I couldn't agree more!

 

No. Because there is something called diminishing returns. The fuel savings between a Prius liftback and c is VERY small compared to the savings between a liftback and the average truck/SUV. There is little money to be saved. At most you may save a couple hundred a year going from a Prius v to a Prius c. That is a far cry from the thousands saved when going from an SUV to a Prius anything.

Your analysis is also in error regarding keeping your current car vs. buying a newer more fuel efficient car. Ok, in some cases you may be right but on average no. Trade a 14mpg truck for a 50mpg Prius and you will save enough in fuel to cover the cost of the brand new car AND you'll have a newer car. Spending $29,000 at 15mpg in fuel over five years is nothing to dismiss.

You also missed the social implications of those $100 fill-up vehicles but we have already covered that earlier in the thread.

 

Yeah ... AND the fact that most current SUV owners are probably so far upside down on their loans that they don't have a chance of getting out of them for ANY other car.

REV

 

...
Tony's right. I thought that I would influence a bunch of people by being the crash test dummy in a Prius. At work, I was one of the "car guys". Little by little all the Prius fables were debunked as I was asked about them (I never pushed it or tried to get people to buy one)... but we covered the battery life, the high cost of purchase compared to other cars in its class, the unproven technology, the tiny size and therefore unsafe nature of a Prius, the small interior space, and so on.

In the end, after 6 years of trouble free and very efficient driving, I was only somewhat responsible for 3 hybrid purchases, 2 Prius and a Honda hybrid... out of a possible 23-25 cars. Most were totally unimpressed with the 50 plus MPG capability and the car's reliability. I calculated an unofficial average MPG of the cars driven each day to work (using the often optimistic EPA figures) and it came out to around 23, and I included the Prius.

That showed me that drivers have very individual priorities when it comes to their rides. Fuel efficiency ends way down the list, even when gasoline prices get painfully high. The most common fixation is the relationship of perceived size and safety. The second, I would have to say is comfort with established technology. Like the comment I heard about hydrogen powered cars... "they'll never make it to market because the public won't drive a car carrying an explosive fuel source". Precious.

Any change is very challenging for most. I'm amazed that well over 1 million Prius have already been sold in the U.S.! And I'm seeing a lot of smaller, more efficient cars on the road. At least the average MPG of the nation should be going up. Rising fuel prices will push economy, no doubt about it.

In the end, a car purchase is all about individual priorities, there's little anyone can do to change that. The most important thing for anyone out on the crowded highways is to be courteous, no matter what you drive. Rules of the road are being ignored by too many drivers. That's one of the major causes of daily fatalities. The kind of car you drive aside, we are all in this together. So drive resonably and be safe!

 

My post was mostly tongue in cheek. I know the newer posters don't have that luxury yet and I'll keep that in mind.

And again, not trying to be offensive (as I know it'll come off that way) but you guys are assuming a lot about other people. I used to be one of those SUV drivers. I wasn't upside down in my loan. I owned my 16mpg (calculated) SUV for 12 years and I would still be driving her if she wasn't due for some very costly repairs. Repairs that would have still saved me money in the long run.

Here are my rough numbers. I tracked my usage over 120 days, 14 tanks, $538 gas, 2200 miles, or $1600 a year. So far with my one tank on the Prius (I'm due at the gas station today), $950 a year. It would take me 50 years to make up the price difference in fuel costs alone. And I'm not including the tax on the sale, increased registration fees, increased insurance, and having to wash my car more often.

On the other hand, if husband would trade in his Merc for a Prius, it would be an immediate cost savings in every category. But a massive downgrade in terms of what he's looking for in a car. It's the difference in philosophy between base Two and ATP owners.