I think this guy gets it!

Great writing. Thanks for posting it. I certainly enjoyed reading his take more than the original article.

 

Holman Jenkins Jr. and Rush Limbaugh must have it right--the only reason to buy a Prius (or any hybrid) is to make an ecological "statement."

I guess there must not be any other reason to buy a hybrid. Just forget technology or gas saving considerations!

 

How about because it makes me "feel good"!.... dissect that one!

 

Where did this appear? I hope the author sent a copy to the WSJ.

 

Heck, I fully agree with Jenkins on this point, and have made the very same point within several different arguments.

 

Squid,

I guess you're free to agree with Jenkins if you want, but that still makes you both dead wrong. Jenkin's argument is entirely theoretical. Save gas, price goes down, consumption back up, no benefit. This might work in a textbook but is easily proven totally wrong in reality, thusly....

Lots of people have purchased Prius and saved gas, but the price of gas has gone up 50% since the introduction of the Prius, far outpacing inflation. Thus, the theory is wrong, gas is in fact saved, and Jenkins (and your) assertion is wrong. End of story.

 

Yup. Guess you're right.

 

Where? Are there a couple of links missing here?

 

http://priuschat.com/index.php?showtopic=1...+street+journal

 

I like reading things that are well written. That sounds so simple, but it is true. Anyone can write an opinion, but my willingness to read it, try to understand it and evaluate is greatly enhanced when the writing is good, rather than when the writing is emotional, blatantly inaccurate or mean spirited. Mr. Leonard's response is well written and worth reading. However, I don't necessarily agree with all he has said. Nor do I agree with Jenkins or Limbaugh.

I was disappointed by Mr. Jenkins evaluation of Prius buyers; just as I'm disappointed by Rush Limbaugh's evaluation of Prius buyers. Why? Because I know that Rush is conservative, and I'm inclined to believe that Jenkins is conservative; yet there are many conservatives out there, myself included, who drive Prius. Are they alienating conservatives. Possibly. I don't feel alienated myself because my political views and theirs still are more in line than not. However, I'm surprised that they would even give time to the issue of evaluating Prius owners and their motives for ownership. Give me a break! It isn't worth the time for either of them to espouse one way or the other about this. But they are writing and talking about this because it gets attention, fills paper and air and energizes a base of the conservative movement that I find just plain ignorant and detrimental to both the image and general goals of modern conservatism.

In the end, the Prius is just another car. It is not up to others to say, one way or the other if it was an economically justifiable purchase, or a reasonable one, or one that can change the world politic.

I have been berated here and other sites in the past for not purchasing my car for environmental reasons; I purchased it because I believed in the technology, I wanted something economical, I wanted something with a few creature comforts and I wanted something different. It wasn’t up to those people to judge me or let me know that my motives were wrong. Instead of berating me and the many others who have said the same, those with environmental concerns should have been congratulating us, thanking us and realizing that the changes they want in terms of consumption, waste and emissions could be achieved by the masses if they make available products for the masses. For too long the most vocal of the environmental movements have been swinging the sledge hammer of sacrifice rather than the ideology of progress and development to solve the problems they hold dear. I congratulate Toyota for supporting what was initially a crazy, skunk-works vehicle development project that ultimately became the Prius and other hybrid vehicles and designs. They chose progress and development over sacrifice. It will pay them back dearly for many years to come. And their efforts have proved that consumer goods can be lower impact yet uncompromising in nature. That should be a comfortable sign for those with environmental concerns.

The most basic motive for buying and driving a car is simple: to get from point A to B. We then add to that equation comfort and safety, which is an essential component in getting to point B functional and in one piece. We add on top of that aesthetics, like color, appearance, visual stimulation. And we then translate aesthetics to image; the image that other people have of us, or sometimes our desire to not have an image associated with the vehicle we drive. Whatever it is, once you hit the aesthetic value of a vehicle opinions swirl around the reasons for purchase. Does the driver want to look cool, pick up chicks, carry a lot of stuff, carry a lot of people, be macho? Sometimes form leads to function, sometimes not. The minivan at the stop light driven by a woman may not be a soccer mom mobile but somebody who needs to carry a lot of unrelated people, or who might run a catering business or who has to deliver large items that won’t fit in a sedan. In other words, the vehicle we drive may be a reflection of who we are, or a reflection of our functional needs. It is pretty hard to tell the two apart when you are looking inside the car at the driver and creating a label for them.

 

Aaaaaah Smugness. A wonderful human trait.
Rush....smugmouth
Jenkins....smugpen
A lot of Prius owners......ecosmug

I'm getting a Prius because.....I like the car more than any other that I looked at. My reasons are my own. I think I made a smart, rational decision!!! (uh-oh, I think I might be a little smug about that! :lol: )

 

I got a Prius for a lot of reasons. Environmental impact, yes, Economies, yes, Gadgets, yes. I was looking for a car that would pollute less. My kids have been taught to respect the environment and I needed to walk the walk on a day to day basis. I could afford to do that. I had a SUV that I used for towing, rough road use, and snow and mountain use. I kept it at 100k for those purposes but it was irrational for day to day use. Now that it was paid off I was looking for a car with good milage and low environmental impact. I could have gotten a Ford Focus or outer low impact car, but I wanted one other thing and that is Nav system, Bluetooth, and as many Gadgets as possible. OK I like gadgets. Now I have one car that I use and enjoy on a day to day basis, and a second that takes me places that the other can't. I see my self as very lucky at this point in my life, and I would do it again. Until there is a car (or what ever) that will do everything this meets my needs.

 

I bought a Prius for my own personal selfish reason - because I can. I agree with hdrygas. I love gadgets and technology. I just finished printing out both the 2005 Repair Manual and the Wiring Diagram (1284 pages), and I have never seen such design built into any other car nor motorcycle. I wanted a car that make the most economical sense to ME, and to me alone. It came down to the total cost of ownership.

After doing some calculations, it costs me less to operate the Prius for a full year of commuting than either of the bikes. While my motorcycles obtain a better mpg score at a higher average sustained speeds than the Prius, the trade-off is the cost of consumables. The biggest cost involves tires. I average over 30,000 miles a year in my travels through commuting, sport riding, touring. With tires costing $250/set and only lasting 5,000 miles of hard use, it adds up quickly.

The other factor was the reduced mental and physical fatigue of riding on Southern California freeways. I have not a problem doing over 500 miles a day in the saddle when on secondary, twisty roads, but the freeways with their straight and boring nature just make me want to go faster to get beyond the next SUV in sight.

I did not buy the Prius to make an ecological nor environment statement. I will leave that to others who feel they must have an agenda for everything.

 

tomforst - I hope you sent your post into WSJ - nice writing. Jeromep - you too!
Just bumping this post to the top so more can enjoy everyone's comments

 

OK, if you say so. HOWEVER, while the price of gas may have outpaced inflation for the past few years, gasoline prices over the long term have risen MUCH SLOWER than inflation. Gas is still underpriced compared to the rest of goods in this country. If gasoline had risen even with inflation, it would cost AT LEAST $4.75. Finally, gas prices have plummeted lately, and are a full dollar lower now than a month ago. Guess it's not really the end of the story...

Also, don't be a jerk and tell people their opinions are wrong. Everyone is entitled to one, even you, and none is more correct than another.

 

But....its not really fair to compare inflation to any product or service whose price is artificially controlled by the government.

 

I'm in on the gadjets, fortunately, the prius has something cool to monitor.. you put the same gadjets in a normal car.... would be much more boring.

 

Yeah, the energy screen would be really lame. "Look, the ICE is running... still."
The consumption screen would still be pretty useful.