Is it me, or is the Prius a moron magnet?

Interesting! Do you shift driving style completely from Prius to normal car?

I find rather a transfer of the Prius driving habits back to driving my pickup in terms of gentler acceleration and braking, and longer following intervals.
Shifting back to driving from flying an airplane also causes odd changes such as slower driving , which I attributed to differences in the perceptual flow experience and pace of operations in the cockpit. Curious how different people are!

 

I think it's funny how Prius never shakes the "slow" reputation. With the general trend towards fuel efficiency, a lot of newer cars are slower than a Gen III Prius - not to mention a lot of older ones. Every time I switch from driving my old Corolla to a Prius I think it's a rocket!

 

Agree!
I think problem is exacerbated when you drive using Eco mode with the very gradual programmed throttle response and then switch. I switch to a 2003 Tundra pickup with V8 and two package, and wheelspin is a problem on the first few starts.

 

Most of the time i drive my motorcycle in Los Angeles. I am always on a vigilant look out for Prius drivers - I just don't trust them. Call it a stereotype?

I don't think it is a moron factor as some have commented - more of an entitlement issue and usually not paying attention, like everyone else on the road? Maybe since there are so may Priuses it amplifies itself. Perhaps it is more passive/aggressive behavior - either too fast on surface streets, blowing through a red light or too slow/fast on the freeway with the occasional aggressive lane changing. It really is the few bad apples that create the stereotype. On the bike you need to think all the time and for the other drivers. One wrong move and you are DEAD.

Anyhow, i don't own a Prius but I am going down to the dealer to test drive a Prius lift back and a V. After the tax season will probably have a new Toy Prius in the driveway. My last Toyota was a pickup about thirty years ago.

 

this thread made me laugh. i've own a PiP for4 months now. I have seen 3 accidents involving prius. All three times, the prius driver made a lane change and got rear ended. all 3 times, i blame the idiot prius driver. i have a problem with anybody who drives any car doing 50-55mph in the slow lane and make a sudden lane change. more so, get rear ended 1 second or earlier by a driver doing 70-75. if that idiot prius drivers had some consideration for life and not mpg, they would not have made a lane change.

i have to agree with PriusDonkey. On a motorcycle, i always look out for prius drivers as well. generally, they are the most unpredictable drivers. making sudden lane changes so they don't lose too much speed. nevermind the lives of a family driving next lane over. the mpg takes over and nobody else matters.

as an owner of a prius, i still believe that prius drivers "generally" are just as bad or if not worse than an asian female driver, driving in westminster, during a free bag of rice promotion at the local market.

i'm korean and i am making a "general" statement about how i feel about prius drivers. there are plenty of great people who drive prius. if you own guns, even better. if you name your son "Dillon" after your reloading press....well, welcome to my world.

 

Also motorcycle driver, so agree with the super-vigilance required to safely ride bike in traffic, but I am in Northern Virginia area and not sure if same driving patterns occur for Prius drivers. For example, not seeing sudden unsignaled lane changes, running red lights, or driving too fast on surface streets among Prii drivers. On interstates, I huddle typically with the trucks in the right lane (slower than average for sure but keeping pace in right lane) , but I am passed by as many Prii as anything else as far as I can tell.
So is this partly a CA Prius phenomenon?
Or is it happening here in Washington area too and I just am not seeing it?
What do you other NoVa, DC, and Maryland drivers think?

 

I had this problem for years in my Corolla, when "everyone" else drove SUVs and didn't want to let my "slow little" Corolla in front of them no matter what. They'd accelerate when I made a lane change with plenty of room, push me onto the shoulder as I merged onto the freeway, etc. In the past few years, I noticed the problem improved. The Corolla hasn't gotten any faster, so I assumed that the difference is that there are more fuel-efficient i.e. slower cars on the road. But now when I drive a Prius - which as far as I can tell accelerates faster than the Corolla - I notice this happening again. So maybe the change is that instead of harassing arbitrary compacts, aggressive drivers have now decided to focus their attention on harassing Prii!

 

your probably right. i remember the first day i bought the car, i took off on a green light. i was the first out and lead the group of cars behind me. turning into my housing track, i signaled and slowed down as i merged into the turning lane. i got a honk and a "good evening finger" from a hot looking girl. when she pasted me, we were still ahead of the rest of the cars. she could have made a lane change and past me. nope. she wanted to say hello. haha.

all i know is that i'm a defensive driver. always have been and always will. riding a motorcycle confirmed that belief.

 

Um, strongly agree on defensive motorcycle driving given the velocities and lack of crush space or airbags,ect--defensive style absolute necessity if you want to drive for many decades.
There are old motorcycle drivers and bold motorcycle drivers, but very few physically intact old, bold motorcycle drivers. Sooth.

 

Some of the SUV drivers and such try to shove me onto the shoulder when i merge too- it doesn't work well when the bike will do 95mph in second gear. Aggressive drivers are a problem, but in California we have lane splitting which basically means the freeway turns into the track and everyone gets left behind in typical fashion. Sorry to get off topic...

The inattentive and distracted driver is the real issue. Texting, reading emails, facebooking, sending emails and talking on the cell or just playing with the iPhone. Can't blame it on the Prius drivers all together because everyone is guilty. It doesn't help the situation....

<<They'd accelerate when I made a lane change with plenty of room, push me onto the shoulder as I merged onto the freeway... So maybe the change is that instead of harassing arbitrary compacts, aggressive drivers have now decided to focus their attention on harassing Prii!>>

 

True dat. I seem to notice a lot more inattentive driving from SUV's than from Prii or any other car, too. Not sure if that's a real thing or just my perceptual bias!

 

The other thing that occurred to me is the demographic of Prius drivers. My guess is that it is a younger audience pre 25-35yo and the over fifty crowd. You also have college students driving the car that obviously have left experience behind the wheel.... I don't want to start a gender war, my guess is that it is a 60/40 audience.. 60% women/40% men - not insinuating who drives worse and is guilty of illegal u-turns in business districts, cutting off drivers trying to change/merge lanes (aggressive maneuvers), the occasional run the red light, not coming to a full stop at a stop sign, (california rolling stop @ 15mph).

 

My biggest problem with Prii has really been as a pedestrian. They may not be the only drivers who go whipping around corners without looking, but having to dodge drivers like that in silent cars takes the video game to the next level!

 

I concur. i ride a bicycle on the sidewalk and you just about get mowed over stepping off the sidewalk by drivers (prius included).

 

One thing I find is that since I keep distance behind the car ahead it is much easer to slow sightly to let oncoming cars cross in front of me, but that space is truly coveted by those behind me.

 

Last night while driving in moderate rain up US-27 just southwest of Orlando Florida I seen a Prius driver pull out from a side road and cross all three lanes to get into a left turn lane. Problem was the Prius driver cut off a local Sheriff's deputy that was in the left lane. You should of seen how quick that deputy's car lit up the red & blue lights and got right on that Prius drivers nice person. Bet they will look a little closer next time they pull out and cut off a car ;-) Idiot :-P

Mike

Somewhere on my phone ;-)

 

Since purchasing my vehicle I have become more accepting of others speeding ahead of me to get to spots. I just slow and let them as usually 9/10 I will meet them at the next light. The "turning at a high rate of speed" thing is a legitimate issue with some Prius owners. I try not to do that.