Just picked up a Prius V last weekend (silver) and am loving the space and mileage (44 first tank). I was wondering how much Toyota would pay me to broaden the base of potential Prius buyers and change the stereotypical image of the Prius and its owners? All I would have to do is overcome my aversion to bumper stickers of any type and put a Romney for President and a few of my NRA member stickers on the back window. After all, people get paid for "wrapping" their cars with cigarette or other advertising.
I see this is your first post, that would explain why you have only a stereotypical view of Prius owners. You will find NRA Prius owners here, you will find National Defense/Security Prius owners here, you will find micro-economic Prius owners here (only in it for the money) as well as the tree hugging Prius owners you may have expected if you have not read anything on this site. Welcome aboard, I hope you find your place on the political bell curve comfortable. (I am just to the left of the Wobblies)
+1 I have a post showing me behind a 50 Cal ... big ol' smile. So yes, as JimboPalmer already said, that was just a simple newb steriotype. Short answer, Toyota won't pay diddly. .
Not one red cent. But, Welcome! If you want to change the one remaining stereotype, drive it like a maniac :_>
Thanks for the welcome. It's good to know there are others like me who happen to drive a Prius. Since you asked the basis of my stereotypical views, let me explain. I realize that like me, most auto owners choose not to adorn their vehicle with bumper stickers and the like, but mostly for fun, I read every sticker and even vanity tag I see and make a mental note on the type of car/truck. Among Prius drivers, I personally have never seen an NRA emblem, and I don't recall seeing a political bumper sticker for a republican. On the other hand, I've lost count of the Obama stickers, peace symbols, Greenpeace supporters, as well as champions of vegetarianism, Eastern religion, tree hugging, etc. The same is largely true for drivers of non-luxury brands of other foreign cars. I don't think that my prejudices are unique to me. Like it or not, I believe that the prevailing image of Prius drivers leans steeply leftward. The Prius is my first foreign car. I tired of Fords after having to replace the transmission in my last 3 cars. I bought a Prius because of the gas mileage, and because I could fit into it (I'm 6'5' with a long torso; the Prius is as good as my F-150 in that respect). I also like technology, especially ones that have a proven track record of reliability. I've waived at two Prius V's on the highway so far, apparently it's not the custom like it is for drivers of Jeeps, Corvettes or motorcycles, I hope other's will join me Dems & Repubs alike. Remember, bumper stickers increase drag and lower your gas mileage!
Although I had multi colored Apple Logos on cars for years, I have been sticker free since Apple went white in 1998. 2010 Prius School Project! | PriusChat My reasons for buying a Prius, written 6 months after I got it, still true today. I think Prius drivers are watching the gauges, not other drivers.
Call the NRA and Romney and ask them. Believe it or not, the Prius is a car, not a political slogan. Although Romney would have better luck than you with Toyota if he offered to walk around with a 'Prius' tattoo on his forehead. Only fools ignore the car's advantages of reliability, cost, and oil/pollution reduction.
I just walked out of my (sport ammunition) reloading room after securing today's carry piece in the gun vault. No joke. Love our new Prius v (only 500 miles). Our first hybrid. Glad whatever the original Prius owner image may have been that it's becoming a bigger part of the aforementioned bell curve.
I have two (2) stickers on my personal vehicles. One American flag and one US Navy sticker. Haven't received any money for either. Don't think I ever will. As far as the G3 is concerned (it's a company car) I'm not allowed to place any stickers on it, although my beloved company has festooned it with the usual "we REALLY care about being GREEN!!!!" stickers, since that was really the reason that they purchased the car to begin with..that and probably a large tax break. Immediately following 9-11, one of my technicians placed a large US flag on his truck. Naturally, some liberal union hack started screeching about it and the tech was ordered to remove the offending symbol. Then...a strange thing happened. Another F-100 company was excoriated in the news for a similar occurrence, and my beloved company "decided" that not only was it proper for a US company to place US flags on their vehicles....but they would provide the stickers!! Sadly....we then got bought out by a larger company, and the flags are gone again. I haven't noticed any mileage increase by the reduced drag and weight by the way. The moral of the story is that you can't judge a driver (or a company) by the stickers (or lack thereof) on a vehicle. However (comma!) America is still America and we tend to place a lot of street cred on what's on the outside the car, to include the car itself rather than take a moment to observe what's on the inside. Oh.....and the answer to your question is exactly $0.00 (USD). Oh yeah....I almost forgot. Don't expect return waves from people who drive Priuses, that is....unless you wave at me. I ride bikes and I live in the deep South, so I was a little surprised at this myself. The Prius community seems to be above all of that.
Those that adopted Prii early waved to eachother. Now there are over a million on the roads (as of 2010) and it is a common vehicle, so the waving has stopped. The only stereotype about the Prius is that the Prius is sold to any particular stereo type. Hundreds of reasons to buy, and they have all been exercised at some point.
I'm a dirt worshipping, whale kissing tree hugger....... But I had a California Farm Bureau Member sticker and this one. http://dirtroaddaughters.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Wth.jpg And I'm often wearing my Resistol straw hat.
Hey there my fellow Prius Lovers. This is my first post also. I just bought my first Prius one week ago today. I lean to the right of the Wobblies. Thanks Jimbo for that saying. I am going to use it often with my friends. I saw a bumper sticker on a bumper sticker website that would be great for Prius owners to help more of us conservatives get on board with the hybrid car. "My car starves terrorists. What does yours do?" I thought this was great. I bought my Prius because you are rewarded for following the law. For the same money you can get a much faster car but what use is a car that can cruise 120mph all day when the speed limit is 65? I wanted to be a driving enthusiast with a much more sensible purpose (conserve gas and save $ at the pump). The Prius is a great car to do this. It really is a car that we stereo types on both sides of the political spectrum can drive with a sense of purpose. It is an honor to be amongst you kind folks. I am looking forward to learning and sharing great things with you. Cheers, Stephen Apel Oklahoma City
Driving a Prius to cut into OPEC profits is not a new idea. A retired director of the CIA named Wolsey (I think) tried to popularize the viewpoint back in 2004. Unfortunately, when it became clear that the road to OPEC despair lead to the lower gas prices at the pump for US drivers, the common refrain from gas guzzler owners became "you drive your Prius, and keep it cheap for me to drive my truck." This is the basic problem with voluntary conservation. What you save, someone else will happily use. I conserve as an ethical matter, but I do not expect it to change the course of exploitation until exhaustion our market economy predicts.
What's wrong with unions? It's the labor movement that you can thank for having a paid Thanksgiving holiday . . .
There are three kinds of Prius owners: Techie, Greenie, & Cheapie. Pick two. It was true ages ago & it looks like it still is. Welcome to all the newbies.
