I sell Toyotas. I bought a Prime.

That's fair enough. In the dead of winter, with a range of about 22 miles, that would be enough for a 7-mile test drive and maybe even demonstrate how the Prime seamlessly transitions to its ICE and HV mode.

 

I don't even pay attention to gas prices anymore.

 

I think I can see now why there are two viewpoints. Understandably you are trying to sell cars, and while I assume from your comments that you try and be honest and helpful when people are deciding, if someone comes in with a particular car type in mind there is the strong possibility that they will make a purchase today. Whereas if you throw a wrench into their thinking by suggesting a completely different car type, either they will ignore the suggestion, or it will make them second guess what they want and probably not buy a car today. No incentive for you to do that, which I get.

I think what people here feel however is that Toyota (and probably other car makers with the exception of Tesla) don't really lift a finger to promote or even raise awareness of hybrids or especially plug-in hybrids. I'm sure it's not fair to put it that extreme, but to some extent it's true, which again from a marketing point of view makes sense, they promote what is currently popular.

I guess our point of view is that a dealer showroom is such a great place to introduce people to the new technology, who were vaguely aware but hadn't really thought about it. Many of the Prius and Prius Prime owners here tell a similar story of shopping for something else, but after seeing one at a dealer started asking questions and wound up buying one, in many cases from that dealer. But I realize that in your world those would be the exceptions.

So realistically I guess all we can ask for at the moment is that dealers at least become educated enough to answer questions like you are doing.

 

I find that explaining my rational for the Prime requires a bit more effort than simply a Rav4 or a standard Prius. The mixed-fuel flexibility is not intuitive to many people. They see "only 25 miles" and think why bother. It is only when I explain a typical commuting day and how much of the total this 25 miles can really apply that the lights start going on.

I saw a magazine article about the Prime say 25 miles and had 24 mile round trip to work --- ding, ding ding!. Went to the dealer and asked what Primes do you have and what prices. Didn't even look at the other options.

After owning the car, I never realized how smooth and enjoyable the electric ride is which is about 80% of my driving. Then, I started watching the weberauto youtube videos and as an engineer really starting appreciating the whole hybrid concept and what it implies in terms of the design simplicity and the implied higher reliability.

 

I don't keep up on all the new cars coming out all the time. It is getting so bad I hear a model of a car mentioned and I don't know who the manufacturer is anymore. I am not in the new car buying mode much as I get older and to be honest most of the new cars just don't excite me enough to buy one.
I am more excited about my next lawn mower than I am my next car.