Engines of Change I have seen a new Toyota Prius up close. I have touched it and smelled it and, without even needing to pull the key or ''fob'' from my pocket, where the car can sense it just fine, pushed its gigantic iBook-like starter button and driven it for miles and miles, fast and slow. I have been awed by the dreamy blue-green digital dashboard gauges, which seem so very far away from the steering wheel as to be reachable by only an N.B.A. player. I have, in one trip, with the two back seats down, easily hauled two air-conditioners and a 37-pound bag of dog food in the hatchback, The Prius isn't small, the way it used to be. I have wowed the kids in my son's soccer car pool who are getting close to driver-permit age and who instantly developed hopeful first-car crushes on the Prius. I have -- despite stern warnings not to -- tried to drive the Prius while at the same time watching the irresistible dash-embedded computer screen, which, with its bright cartoon representations of the engine and bar graphs displaying fuel efficiency, gives you the sensation of being a game-show contestant. I have been quizzed by spectators; when you are spotted getting out of the spaceship-like Prius -- which all but shouts: ''Look at me! I am consuming more and I'm consuming less: more on my car and less on my gas!'' -- it is not unusual to fall victim to all manner of unsolicited commentary. (Go driving in one of the other available hybrids -- the Ford Escape, the Honda Civic or one of the two General Motors hybrid pickup trucks, the Chevy Silverado or G.M.C. Sierra -- and no one gives you a second glance.) In one instance, I was accosted by an excited stranger wanting to conduct an on-the-spot inspection and discuss Prius attributes and minutiae, which he'd read about in detail, dreaming of owning one himself someday. Read entire article by clicking this link. You will need to register with the New York Times to view it.
a great article... very balanced and fair for the most part. unfortunately, the Times in an effort to make for "balanced reporting" tends to present good and bad sides to every issues. apparently (if you read the Times on a regular basis you will know what im talking about) they had problems findign bad things to say about the Prius, so they used their old tricks of quoting unimformed sources... You couldn't get your wife and a bag of groceries in the first-generation Prius.'' i guess one would never guess that that quote was from a full size pickup manufacturer... or would one? sooo Frank, John, efusco?? would you say that was accurate??
Hmm... I have an Echo which is about the same size of the first gen Prius. My wife, my son, and several bags of groceries fit in it just fine with room to spare. In fact we've taken trips that were 13 hours away with a week's worth of stuff packed in. I wonder how big this guy's wife is?
Observations: Spike Gillespie... not the name I'd expect from a NYTimes reporter. (Particularly a female one.) Oh, wait -- she's from Texas. Never mind! :mrgreen: The Insight has the second worst sales for any Honda. Any Honda ever? Wow... I think the Honda product planner has a valid point (and has found a valid market position) when he sees positioning Honda as the "looks like any other car" hybrid. I just think they should be making it a full hybrid, and not a mild hybrid. Maybe the GM guy who says you can't fit stuff into the Prius that you can into your truck should talk to Tony! [*]Ummm... a toaster in your car? I think you need to slow your lifestyle down, Spike. [*]If you look at a lot of the people posting to PriusChat, it backs up the author's suggestion that the Prius' lead position in the hybrid race comes from embracing change -- i.e., looking futuristic, adding gadgets, etc. Good article! And raises a interesting issue for speculation: will hybrids in 5 years be "stealth" (Honda Civic Hybrid) or "flaunting it" ('04/'05 Prius) in their styling?
