http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/04/business...nyt&emc=rss By MICHELINE MAYNARD NY Times July 4, 2007 A riddle: Why has the Toyota Prius enjoyed such success, with sales of more than 400,000 in the United States, when most other hybrid models struggle to find buyers? One answer may be that buyers of the Prius want everyone to know they are driving a hybrid. The Prius, after all, was built from the ground up as a hybrid, and is sold only as a hybrid. By contrast, the main way to tell that a Honda Civic, Ford Escape or Saturn Vue is a hybrid version is a small badge on the trunk or side panel. The Prius has become, in a sense, the four-wheel equivalent of those popular rubber “issue bracelets†in yellow and other colors — it shows the world that its owner cares. Refer to URL above for the remainder of the article . . .
Thanks. I would be better, in future, to provide a few paragraphs and then a link to the article. That way PriusChat can't be accused of copyright infringement, and subject to heavy fines. Interesting article. Bandon is this little beach town on the Oregon coast, with no appreciable economy. Interesting that a research firm in (a)Bandon gets quoted by the NY Times.
I call BS on this. To me, CNW is no longer a reliable source of info (it never was to begin with though)
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(nark @ Jul 4 2007, 05:49 AM) [snapback]472833[/snapback]</div> I agree with questioning CNWs research of "It makes a statement about me". However I do agree that people are beginning to associate "Hybrid" with "Prius". Just like we associate "Kleenex" with tissue and "Xerox" with photocopying. And this is a really good thing. You can't buy it and you can't make it happen. It just....happens.
It's also worth pointing out that the Prius is about the same price as the other hybrids. Which don't have the MFD. Or backup camera. Or smart key option. Or as much space. Or...you get the idea. I looked at a Civic hybrid as well as a Prius and went "what's the point?"
If Honda still made the Insight, that's what I'd be driving nowadays. Not that I have any complaints about my Prius, of course.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Stev0 @ Jul 4 2007, 12:45 PM) [snapback]472960[/snapback]</div> You might get a good used Insight for 10K or less (I'd recommend 2002 or later, 5-speed) This is about the 4th time I've heard an Insight driver walk out of an absolutely totaled car - he was doing 55 in LA while punted by a drunk at 110mph. Pictures... http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b33/setrak/1h.jpg http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b33/setrak/2h.jpg For those that say Prius' and Insights are like Yugos - take notice. ____________________________________ If you take Dust to Dust's junk science seriously, you believe Spinella when he says the greenest vehicle would be a low-tech subcompact. This is the result...do you agree? http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19457730/
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Jul 4 2007, 09:24 AM) [snapback]472913[/snapback]</div> I mentioned to a colleague from the Netherlands that my uncle worked for Franklin Electric, a company that specializes in submersible pumps. He told me that in the Netherlands, a place that uses a lot of pumps, "Franklin" has come to mean any pump.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(nark @ Jul 4 2007, 06:49 AM) [snapback]472833[/snapback]</div> I posted a comment to that effect with the NY Times. I also think that "makes a statement" is almost always the most commonly checked box on open ended surveys of car purchasers. Headline should have read: survey shows Prius owners are much like other US drivers.
Another funny thing in that article is that twice they mention the upcoming Chevy hybrid... the Chevy Volt! Now, either that reporter didn't dig quite deep enough, or Chevy is backtracking quite a lot if the Volt is no longer going to be EV
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Ichabod @ Jul 5 2007, 08:25 AM) [snapback]473414[/snapback]</div> Last year, Consumer Reports printed an error about Prius. Quite a few reporters either didn't see the retraction or didn't care... because that incorrect data continued to be reported afterward. If you want in-depth information, don't rely on sources that follow hype and rarely provide follow-ups.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(john1701a @ Jul 5 2007, 06:36 AM) [snapback]473416[/snapback]</div> I think that the Volt was always meant to be an "EV Hybrid". If they get it right with the batteries, it will no doubt relegate the Prius to the status to "mild hybrid" and the Hondas down even further to "mildest hybrid"
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Jul 4 2007, 12:24 PM) [snapback]472913[/snapback]</div> or how everyone calls their mp3 player an iPod.
