Others Reactions...

I am happy to say I have two Hybrids and gas mileage is great for both of them. I average 30 mpg in the RX400h and 50 mpg in the Prius.

 

How about "Vets Against Wars for Oil" ?

 

Haha, I know EXACTLY where you're coming from.

I recently traded in my Mercedes SL55 and Range Rover for my 08 Prius. Other previous cars included: BMW 750Li, Aston Martin DB9, Bentley Continental GT, Cadillac CTS, Ferrari 360...and a few more.

I vaguely communicated my thoughts to others about the ridiculous amount of money spent in maintenance, insurance, gas, DEPRECIATION, etc...most of my friends/acquaintances just saw me jump into a Prius.

Although I haven't gotten any negative verbal responses, I've had several people look at me like I've got a loose screw. In the end, no one really cares....they've actually respected the fact that I've gone green and no longer support our unnecessarily extreme demand for fuel from the middle east.

 

then i will place a anti gun sticker on my car
"We've got to show that it takes all kinds"

 

As this thread slides off the topic I just thought of a bumper sticker I might get cut, "MY OIL WAR"

OK, someone push it back on topic please.

 

Love it! Interesting thread. I get a lot of grief from my friends. Unlike the guy in the beginningof the thread. I don't just hang out with "people like me" whatever that is.
I'm with the sick of dependence on foreign oil crowd. The Prius is just a good first step. When my friends give me grief I just explain to them very simply why I drive a Prius. After hearing it for a while they gradually understand and respect me as much, or more than they already did.
I'm a red meat eating, football playing, gambling,smoking,fishing,bowling,golfing, decorated combat veteran who is going to continue to drive "little blue electric" cars (as my friends call it) and the like 'till I die.
I don't want to fight about it, but if you don't like me driving 55 on the Interstate in the right lane go around me. If you absolutely insist on getting your butt whipped, ok I'll pull over and oblige. But really, it isn't necessary.

 

EVERYONE seems to be "getting it." Even the media. You dont hear too many comparisons with a Carolla any more either. The only thing people have a hard time believing is the mpg. People can imagine high 30s, but everyone is skeptical at the 45+ mpg number. They claim the mpg gauge is wrong, blah blah blah. Then I tell them that I track every tank of gas that I put in my Prius, and my lifetime average mpg is 45.9. (not as good as many, but still an impressive number). That generally leaves them speachless.

 

Tell your male friends that unlike some people, who will remain nameless, you don't feel the need to drive a huge vehicle in order to make up for a lack of... err... endowment.

Brains over brawn any day!

Oh, and you could keep a running tally of gas money you have saved... call it your big-screen TV and surround sound system and massage chair fund (or whatever will flip their trigger).

 

What should I do to make up for the lack of endowment then?

 

Yet to buy, but some of my friends "don't get it" either ... I think they believe it's a smaller car than it actually is. They also think it's "God-awful-ugly" ... I tend to agree it's not that "attractive" of a car, but I'm also getting to the point where I don't really care what my car looks like as much as I used to. Guess approaching mid-30s does that to a fella (if he wasn't already enlightened)

I AM having trouble justifying ONLY having a Prius and no other car though ... cold winters and the occasional 30 mile drive on gravel to the ranch have me thinking better of that idea. Guess I could always trade in my SUV and then buy a VERY used 4 x 4 down the road.

 

Super subwoofer?

No, seriously. If you are driving a Prius, it means you are educated. If you are educated, then you KNOW how to balance skill vs. endowment. If not, then you need to work on your skill sets.

DH says you need a bigger subwoofer, though. LOL.

 

Just want to say you have very nice colegues.Wish i have same.
Wouldn´t get angry jokes like that.

TIME TO GET EVEN

 

I have to agree with the coworkers. I started laughing out loud when I read the bit about the Prius needing to be potty trained and a bunch of AA batteries trailing behind it. Great sense of humor......

Maybe I'm a closet Aussie at heart.....

 

I've had a very similar experience with mainly the guys I work with. It seems like it's the real smart ones that have the most trouble; "there's got to be another reason (than mpg) to buy one". Or, "so a Civic is 18k, your prius is 25K, so that's 9k difference (yes, even the math gets skewed by these types), that's a lot of gas I could buy". Yes, I really heard that last week from a guy at a training workshop that I'd never met.

Of course the best is that folks want to always compare it to a Corolla or Civic. If this hasn't happened to you, it will. I've decided the next time this happens, I'm going to ask them why they are comparing it to those cars to force them to defend their position instead of me trying to immediately defend the Prius. I know at any time that I can pull out the fact that a Prius has more leg room that a Camry, front and back.

Having said that, I've some positive response from people that I wouldn't have expected it from (my father in-law for example).

But my suggestion is too just enjoy the car. Have fun with the fact that you're driving a gas saving, money saving cool car.

 

Best way to get even: Make copies of your gas receipts, leave them on the offending party's desk.

 

The motorcycle doesn't do it for you any more?

 

My Prius is kind of an extra, at the moment, so I'm getting a little grief for spending $25K on it when I have a perfectly good, paid-for vehicle to drive. Though that paid-for vehicle is starting to break more and more often.

I am actually getting a lot of support from my coworkers and such... even the one guy who won't justify the expense (he's driving an ancient Geo with something like 300K miles on it and pulling a good 45mpg himself) admitted today that it's a nice car.

Of course, it isn't a stretch in their minds for me to do this-- I already have an NEV for tooling around town in and a roof full of solar panels...