An increase in the popularity of quality and efficiency?

Especially downtown here, a lot of Prius cabs, we're sometimes surrounded with 'em. In the burbs not so much: if I do a visual opinion poll, SUV's/CUV's are over 50%. The remainder a mix of sedans, hatchbacks, minivans and pickups.

 

Our Shiba seems very attuned to HSD cars, I kid you not. And it's not just appearance. I've seen him straining hard at the leash when there's a Camry hybrid, going slow in a parking lot. Same thing for Lexus CT200. A Prius cab was stopped in the cul-de-sac and he was up to it in a flash, paws on the door for a meet-and-greet. He spent his puppyhood downtown, maybe a lot of time in Prius cabs, and has some vestige memories, radiowaves?

Stephen King could have a field day with it.

 

I'm seeing a lot more Gen 3's on the road around here, but maybe I'm just noticing them more because I have one. They're definitely starting to take off with taxis locally - probably as used UK and Japanese imports become very good value around 4-5 years old - the taxis I see are mainly from around 2011. Still haven't seen another PIP here, but the last time I checked there are only three others in the country

I think attitudes towards diesels are very slowly changing around here - they became the majority after the motor tax in Ireland (which can be €120 to €2300 per year for a car) changed to be based on CO2 in 2008, but even regardless of local pollution and health concerns I think a lot of modern diesel owners have been burned by costly repairs - EGR valves, particulate filters and dual mass flywheels are fairly common failures and are not cheap!

 

I see quite a few Gen2's around here...followed by Gen 3. Seems like quite a few people are buying used Gen2's for their kids to drive, etc...

It would be interesting if some of those 'horsepower' gearheads would become interested in efficiency vs. power. Or become interested in both - like I am. They are not mutually exclusive hobbies like many people seem to assume!

 

I'm seeing them all over the place now too. Soon as I got mine I started checking prices to see if they went up or down. Same car more miles cost 1-4K more which makes me think demand is up. Within days of having the car a neighbor pulled in with a Lexus ct200, saying "hey I got a hybrid just like yours." Had a couple of coworkers and friends ask why I got a Prius, and the conversation always goes the same. Me: I'm getting 100mpg. Them: I need to get one of those!