Sales of all hybrids slumped in October except for the Prius. What makes a hybrid hot? "With gas sky-high, hybrids should be red hot. Well, yes and no. While the Toyota Prius sells in eight days, the Honda Accord hybrid takes some two months -- just shy of the industry average -- to exit the lot, says J.D. Power & Associates Inc. (NYSE:MHP - News) The Civic hybrid is no Prius, either; it takes 36 days to move."
MPG is only one factor in my decision to buy a Prius. Granted, it was a major factor. But, another equally important factor, and one that gets little attention in the bragging/complaining about mpg, it its impact (or lack of impact) on the environment. This is something that only Toyota seems to feel is important and is seldom or never mentioned in claims about other car manufacturers (maybe Ford touts it for their Escape). I am not a "greenie" or an environmental wacko and am not even a democrat, but I do think we have to consider what we are pouring into the environment. The Prius is a good step by removing the vast majority of polutants that can be produced in its ICE and reducing the use of gasoline (for environmental rasons, if not for pocket book reasons to me). Let's brag about getting good mileage, but please don't forget to also brag about the reduction of CO, CO2 and NOx or whatever other cars spew out.
I think a big thing that Toyota has going for them is that the Prius is effectively a concept car that went production. If all the auto-makers actually created cars that hit as many high-points as the Prius (MPG, in-dash MFD, hatchback, lots of room, distinctive styling), they'd be selling as well. Another thing is that the Prius takes a cue from Apple and other companies that simplify their product line. Sure you can get trim options, but for the most part, a Prius is a Prius, has the same engine, capacity, doorcount, etc. That makes it much easier for a car buyer.. they only need to worry about the added features, not things like whether they should get the LX, GSR, or HX or whatever. In a world filled with complexity, a simple good choice is often very appealing.
Not only is Prius attractive because of simplicity, but Prius is attractive for all the critical thinking Toyota engineers built into the Prius. Following "form follows function," Prius functions very well with minimal maintenance and is fun to drive. Toyota packs a lot of information into every component of every vehicle.
I've found that while showing off my car to friends, the hybrid technology was of little concern to most. I've spent way more time showing off the "smart key" system, gps nav., and the most popular is the bluetooth phone integration. I think it's because most people still dont fully understand how much better the synergy drive is than what honda's hybrid system. So after a short explanation of the synergy drive, i show all the other features and say i'd have bought the car even if it wasnt a hybrid, and most people agree.
