Is It My Imagination. Being A Prius Owner Seems Almost Cult Like

That description fits only some of us.

There are many more Prius owners out there that don't fit that label. But this forum is the wrong place to find them.

 

It was definitely true with the release of the 2nd generation Prius. Prius Folks waving at each other & stuff. Now, the Pri has become just part of the ubiquitous Horizon. Nowadays If you want to be in the auto cult status, you have to get a 300 mile range EV.

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I guess it depends on the era. I don't think later PRIUS is as much as earlier ones.

Back in the '80s, it was almost a cult to drive one of these:


We had 2 (the 2 pictured above) - and all the Kombi/Microbus/Campervan drivers waved at each other.

But if you had the newer one - it wasn't anything like as cult-like - particularly if it was Water Cooled - horror of horrors.


Even though, in most areas, they were the better vehicle.

Conversely - going backward - these were horrid to drive, but certainly got more admiring looks:

 

Get a

Comutacar
HMV Freeway
Wheego
g1 Insight

if you want to feel more cult like

 

Huh - I know an Insight, though I've never seen one. What are the others?

 

I have been choosing small, gutless station wagons with good fuel economy since I was 16.
1963 Ford Falcon 2 door station wagon, 2.4l Six with 3 on the tree.
1976 Mazda 808 Miser station wagon, 1.3l 4 speed
1986 Ford Escort 5 door station wagon, 1.9l 4 speed
1989 Toyota Corolla All-Trac station wagon, 1.6l 5 speed
2001 Subaru Forester SUV/station wagon, 2.4l 5 speed
2012 Toyota Prius v Three station wagon, 1.8l eCVT

So it is not just a Prius cult

 

Nah ... we don't even know what Toyota owner's first name is

 

We have a neighbor that has an AMC Javelin

No idea where he gets parts
.

it was Joe. No wait - that was izusu.

.

 

I dont think toyota know what its name is.

I thought it was toyoda

 

Haven't seen one of them for many decades. Not common here at all even in the day.

 

A nice collection!

If I were to summarize my 21st century driving experience, the Prius has proven to be the best value for money for my purposes. And it's a "c", not even the full size Prius liftback! The car that was supposed to replace the "c" turned out to be inadequate for the task - so much so that I terminated the lease 1K miles short and 8 months early. I also like larger Fords and the Corolla, and I have no place in my heart for any European brands.

 

.... not even the Corolla hybrid?
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Any group of auto enthusiasts can be considered cult-like by some...and the gang here are definitely 'enthusiasts'!

 

The word "cult" implies (a significant degree of) unmerited/misplaced/irrational admiration by a self-marginalized group. Most Prius owners are just reg'lar mainstream folks, who value a perfect combo of low TCO, high reliability, and lower environmental impact the Prius offers - without compromising on the capabilities or convenience of use vs. a pure ICE or EV of the same size.

For the same reason you'd not call a "cult" a group of people who, let's say, like having a reliable, non-leaking, easy-to-use washing machine that saves you 50% off your energy and water costs vs. the industry standard.

 

Nope nope...we are a cult to some. To ourselves, we are just fine...yes yes....just fine.

Seriously though....I fully understand your point. The C word has been argued about around here before ( especially in the..uhh...Tesla forum ).

That's why I like to use the work 'enthusiast', etc...