True story: A couple of years ago my brother was throwing a party. His driveway only has room for about four cars. My cousin showed up in her Hummer and parked in one of those paved spots. I parked right next to her in my Prius on a slightly hilly patch of grass.
We are in Peak Everything - the Era of Declines. Substituting oil for knowledge does not equal "manhood." "Manhood" comes with being efficient and conservative and thinking and acting long term with a goal of sustainability. Anyone can think and act short term. Prius offers an intermediate step toward sustainability. It's not what you have, but what you do with what you have.
Maybe it's an american cultural thing, but i don't discuss my car buying "plans" with my friends. when i want or need a new car, i check what can i afford, (after all, i'd much have bought a tesla than a prius...), what do i need (in terms of size and shape), what do i like, what is available (again i'd love an EV1 but that's not going to happend). then i look at some and buy what seems best. with the prius i wanted a car big enough to take me and my wife to work and back, and carry a couple of friends at the weekend - and in the future space for a kir or two instead. CRZ ruled out, and anything with three doors really. i need enough room for my shopping and camping trips. that's minis and yarises and all sorts of other cars ruled out. i want something cheap to run and better for the environment. sure i could get a diesel instead, but i hate the way they sound, and for a car this size prius is still cheaper to run (petrol fuel cheaper than diesel, and no annual road tax for prius) and emits less black sooty crap. Some of my friends now think the prius is freaking awesome (one described it last weekend as looking like a ferrari - he was a little drunk!) and others think is sounds like a bus you would find in european cities (these being gay buses, instead of manly diesel buses. but what does he know, his last two cars were a hyundai coupe and a vauxhal tigra...!) and more still don't really care, they don't even know what mpg their own car gets, so how could they possibly know that lifetime 65mpg is so good? Seriously though, get a new wife, and get new friends. or heck, get a new job and house too and come live in england, we don't care what you drive so long as it's not a smart 4x4.
I don't know who is paying for it, my wife wants a new Prius and I don't argue with her because she get up every morning and goes to work, I'm retired so she is spending the money she earns. If I were working and she was at home she would get a used car a couple of years old. If you are the breadwinner in your household show your manhood and go and buy the Prius you want and to hell with what others think and when gas hits 5 bucks a gallon will see who made the right decision and if manhood is in question then.
I bought mine for my first meaningful step towards oil independence. Maybe my friends can come home in the future instead of battling the people that hate us so much because we love oil so much. Who f***in' cares what the friends think anyways. Wife different story...
Also...put a NRA sticker on the back window. Nobody will know quite what to think...so much for stereotypes.
I have a lot to say today I guess... Head over to YAHOO some time and look at the top 10 searchs for that day. No less than 5 of of those on any given day are celebrities or celebrity related items. Some days all 10 are celebrity related. Shows you what most people think about most of the time. Maybe if they looked past their f***ing grill pieces at what goes on in the world because of our actions and choices over here...they might think a Prius would be a sensible choice. ^ | This ones for you, USMC buddies.
ummm you want to challenge your manhood, buy a VW New Beetle. I bought a 2001 Beetle, bright red. a guy at work said "only girls and limp wristed guys drive one of those". I don't see the Prius in the same light as the Beetle for being less than manly. perhaps more of a left wing tree hugger
Better gas mileage for me translates to MORE BEER AT THE BAR... More hanging out with my friends and more fun at my shows!! Less money at the pump means more stockpiling alcohol at my house for after the shows with all the cool girls!! AND I get way more looks in my Prius than I ever got in my sporty red car! I can fit my Fender Twin Reverb, Ampeg SVT 8x10 and 300 Watt Tube head all in the hatchback!! NOW that is not "input feminine/explitive term here" It is covert-ultra-coolness!!
My wife and family continually "convinced me" to not buy a Prius... Price / availabilty prevented buying one in 2008... But got one in 2010!!! I repeatedly remind everyone of the "reasons" given not to buy a Prius as they all have been proven wrong... I'm glad I waited!
