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People who trade in an SUV for a Prius

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by mywhitenoise, Apr 24, 2007.

  1. mywhitenoise

    mywhitenoise New Member

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    piss me off. 2 people did that in my neighborhood, and I've read many people who have done the same thing. I know we should encourage more people to get hybrids, but these people piss me off. The kind that don't care about the environment, and are just buying it because everyone else is getting one, or to save money on gas. It took you $3 a gallon to realize how much of a waste your SUV is? It was a waste to begin with, it never did good for the environment, and driving around your 2 kids could be safer in a mid-sized vehicle.
    Sure some people need an SUV, people who live in mountains, or actively travel to areas that need a 4x4...but for the people who want one just to lug around a few items to storage, or go camping once a year, it's a lot cheaper to just rent one. Excuse me for ranting.
     
  2. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    What pisses me off is presumtuous people who think they know what the inner workings of another person's life is.

    What pisses me off is the people who only look at the negative side of things.

    I traded in my SUV for a Prius....before it was the "cool" thing to do...and you know what? It had NOTHING to do with money. It had to do with common sense. It had to do with the fact that I realized that my SUV had become impractical for my mid-west USA 15 mile commute and that I was burning more gas than I should. I realized that the needs my SUV met when I lived in Alaska and it was my commuter vehicle when I absolutely had to make it to work in the middle of a huge snow storm in -20 degree temps.

    Perhaps you should consider becoming a 'glass half-full' person....realize that whatever their reasons switching from an SUV to a Prius is a good thing for everyone. Perhaps also you should realize that we all have other lives....perhaps they climb dirt roads to go into the woods to save baby owls? Perhaps they actually need an SUV for some other purpose of which you aren't aware.

    SUVs are comfortable to ride in and drive. It's nice to sit up high on the road and see the traffic. There's a sense of safety being bigger than most other cars on the road. Are these relatively poor reasons...sure. But to take a holier than thou attitude toward people who've chosen to own/use/drive an SUV will serve no good purpose at all.

    FYI, we now own a Prius and a Hybrid SUV...b/c we need an SUV for several things that we do and we enjoy many of those features mentioned above. But we want to save gas (not money) and do our part to reduce emissions and promote the technology toward everyone driving more fuel efficient vehicles no matter the type of vehicle they choose.
     
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  3. mywhitenoise

    mywhitenoise New Member

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    Like I said before, some people need them. Here in Sacramento, where literally 50% of the cars on the road are SUVs, are not needed, and are just to show off power and money. I see Confederate flags hanging off some, several pro-Bush stickers, these people aren't using them for practical uses. Why are you taking such offense, when I stated previously that you weren't the problem? People in Elk Grove/Sacramento who drive V8 SUVs...look, man, people who live in my area are stupid. There's absolutely no need for a vehicle like that in the valley/city.
     

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  4. dnoh

    dnoh New Member

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    Well, atleast they did change it. That's good isn't it?

    More depressing stuffs,
    I drove my car to my friend's place in Philadelphia yesterday, I live in NJ. It is about 100 miles from my place. When I got there, my friend asked me why I bought this hybrid. And he told me I should've spend little more money to get the real car.

    He thinks I am a cheap bastard who want to save little money on gas and bought small car. I told him, it's not just about saving gas money. It's environmental friendly and we really need to concerned about the global warming. Of course, he didn't want to hear about this.

    My friend is very well educated man. He is a chiropractor and he makes really good money. He has two kids, 7 and 4, both are attending really nice private school. And he is planning to keep them in the private school til the college. I think it's about $20+k per year on each kid.

    I am glad he is spending his money on his kids and he is trying to provide only the best things for his kids. And he goes to the church twice a week. But if you really want to do the best thing you can do for your kids, isn't it about time to change your thinking toward what cars you drive? because in 30 or 40 years, environment can get worse if we don't do about it now?

    His wife drives Porsche SUV and he drives BMW 330ci. I suggested him to trade in his Porsche SUV to something like Lexus Hybrid SUV but he thinks Japanese cars are just a joke. Beside he worries about what other parents think about his wife when she drops her kids off at the school, they all drive really nice European luxurious car.

    People are often talking about how this Red Neck from south are damaging our planet by driving a truck but the problems lies on every differend kind of people. Atleast people in south, they get to use their truck to do their work. People like my friend, don't even think about buying a car like Prius because he thinks it will ruined his image.

    Last thing I told my friend was, be different. If you can educate those other millionaire in school, they might respect you more than look down on you. But I doubt he will listen to me.
     
  5. Stev0

    Stev0 Honorary Hong Kong Cavalier

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    People trading their SUVs for a Prius make me happy. I don't care their reason, it all comes down to they're doing the right thing.
     
  6. dnoh

    dnoh New Member

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    I also recommended my friend to watch, inconvenient truth and who killed the electric car. But he told me that's all liberal democrat's propaganda films to make people scared. It's just so sad. I can't even convince my good friend, how can I tell other to change :(

    I am just happy to drive my green car everyday and try to do my part.
     
  7. Dan-Wolfe

    Dan-Wolfe Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco @ Apr 24 2007, 01:22 PM) [snapback]429092[/snapback]</div>
    Agree with the good doctor. I bought a Prius because it was good for ME, not because of any altruistic intentions. That buying it also helped do the right thing environmentally is an added benefit, but I would have bought it anyway 'cause it's just a damn good car.

    Dan

    P.S. Hey Doc! Where'd you live in Alaska? I was in Anchorage from 85-90. :) Interesting place to live!
     
  8. Earthling

    Earthling New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dnoh @ Apr 24 2007, 01:32 PM) [snapback]429096[/snapback]</div>
    You are absolutely right! Most people who drive SUV's have no legitimate reason to own one, but are doing it purely for image. "Mine's bigger than yours" mentality, I call it. SUV's may appear safer than other vehicles, but they are not, they handle so poorly and like to turn turtle so much that they are more dangerous, so that argument does not hold up.

    I see pickup trucks all the time, and 90+ percent of the time they are carrying nothing, and hauling nothing. My guess is probably 80 percent of pickup trucks are never used for work, or to haul anything, ever. They are used for style and image. "I can't be seen in any sissy car."

    I'd celebrate someone switching from an SUV to a Prius. We need a lot more people to do that, for the planet and for our national security.

    Harry
     
  9. Proco

    Proco Senior Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dnoh @ Apr 24 2007, 01:37 PM) [snapback]429100[/snapback]</div>
    You'll never be able to convince people who don't want to listen. As long as you were respectful and non-confrontational, you've done what you can do.

    As for the trading an SUV for a Prius ... I agree with Stev0 (of course, I usually do). The reasons aren't important. As long as someone's not going from driving 50 miles a week in an SUV to driving 700 in a Prius, it's all good.

    The wife & I sold our 10-year old Jeep when we bought our Prius. She was driving the Jeep. Now she drives our Accord and I get the Prius. Both of us are now using less gas.
     
  10. DocVijay

    DocVijay Active Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mywhitenoise @ Apr 24 2007, 01:12 PM) [snapback]429085[/snapback]</div>
    Actually you are not excused for ranting. I'm with Evan on this one.

    I traded my SUV in for a Prius. We still kept one though. While I'm very happy with my Prius, there have been plenty of days where I miss the space of my SUV because the Prius is simply too small.

    You rant just reinforces the hypocrisy that is rampant in this society. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

    I actually never thought I'd see someone posting here on PC where someone complained about less SUV's and more Prius's.
     
  11. mywhitenoise

    mywhitenoise New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dnoh @ Apr 24 2007, 12:37 PM) [snapback]429100[/snapback]</div>
    dnoh, your friend's story makes me more sad than angry. I once saw a program where these succesful parents pushed their kids into these $20k private schools, that seems like a rough life, with no reward...you have to have fun in life! Not be some uptight pri...anyway. I know my initial post seems a little too aggressive, i'm 21 and don't understand the stereotypical Republican lifestyle, these things get me pretty mad. We need change, for the good reasons, we shouldn't change our cars because we hit an extreme low...we should have been focusing on this years ago.
    I read this article recently that we plan on cutting greenhouse emissions by 80% in 2050...that's too late, we need to start working extensively now.
     
  12. brick

    brick Active Member

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    I never owned an SUV, but my driving habits used to be very wasteful. By this line of reasoning it's really terrible that I slowed down, sold my pricey radar detector, and started paying more attention to speed limits rather than eyeing the median for speed traps. (This was before the Prius came along!) Instead I should have kept driving fast so that I could feel bad about what a wasteful, dangerous fool I was. Afterall it took $3 gas to make me realize what a waste it is to drive 80 rather than 65. I guess I should go back to representing my true self so that superior beings can laugh and ridicule. Maybe I should trade my Prius in for the V70R that I really wanted?
     
  13. priusFTW

    priusFTW Gen III JBL non Nav

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    I honestly don't care why people trade in SUV's for Prius. I am just glad that they did.
     
  14. mywhitenoise

    mywhitenoise New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(brick @ Apr 24 2007, 12:46 PM) [snapback]429111[/snapback]</div>

    Oh yeah, like i'm any different than someone who puts "PRIUS: HYBRID GAS ELECTRIC VEHICLE" decals on their car, or a license plate frame that reads "SAVE A SOLDIER, DRIVE A HYBRID". I just express myself differently. Most people who have a hybrid i'm sure have a hint of superiority (in terms of car ownership) over someone who drives a V8, or SUV. That's like saying that you're 100% not racist, that's bull, everyone has a little racism (I think it was Abe Lincoln who said this)/smug hybrid owner in them.
     
  15. acdii

    acdii Active Member

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    :huh:

    OK, that has to be the dumbest rant I have seen yet! I traded an SUV, it was just sitting there rusting, I had no use for it, it was too small for my needs, and too big for a daily driver. I bought a Prius because I got to the point where I could afford a new car without sacrificing my truck. Getting rid of my truck is something I cannot do, I need it, PERIOD. Instead I waitied until I could afford a more economical car, and I found it. I put on +-500 miles a week just to go to work, and driving a big truck everyday was getting very expensive, even though it runs on Bio and runs very clean, it still only got 18 MPG on a good day. Now I can drive to work everyday and not waste fuel, as someone else said, the SULEV is an added bonus. I have the need for an SUV, but I didnt get one, not until my son reaches age 1 and we need a larger car seat, then I have no choice but to get something that seats 7. Hopefully there will be something out there that gets good mileage. Methinks you need to grow up and open your eyes to others needs before going off on an unfounded rant like that.
     
  16. Chuck.

    Chuck. Former Honda Enzyte Driver

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Stev0 @ Apr 24 2007, 12:34 PM) [snapback]429099[/snapback]</div>
    Exactly!

    What the initial post seems like is a soldier that just shot an enemy dead. Instead of advancing and avoiding fire, he gets into an orgy and unloads a couple dozen more rounds into the poor devil. :blink:

    Many people at GreenHybrid would probably consider me the leading SUV-hater. Not exactly true - it's just I posted pictures of poseurs reclined like they are god of the roads and it really hissed some off....including one guy that seems to be itching for a hybrid Escalade and half of his posts there have been screaming at me. That was over a year ago, but it's amazing the nerve it strikes a few people.

    He did the right thing - save energy and direct it at the many that have not done the right thing yet.
     
  17. Dan-Wolfe

    Dan-Wolfe Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mywhitenoise @ Apr 24 2007, 01:58 PM) [snapback]429118[/snapback]</div>
    Huh? :blink:

    I'm not superior because I drive a Prius. I'm not a better person because I drive a Prius.

    I'm superior because I am ridiculously wealthy.

    Dan



    P.S. Actually, I am not. :( I just wish I were superior in any way!
     
  18. Marlin

    Marlin New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mywhitenoise @ Apr 24 2007, 01:44 PM) [snapback]429110[/snapback]</div>
    I figured your were probably in your early 20's. Don't take this the wrong way, but you are still in the middle of growing up. Most of your maturing will happen in the next 9 years, particularly after certain milestones, like getting married, having children, buying a house. Your attitudes and opinions will start heading towards the right. They may not cross over the center, but they certainly won't be as far left as they probably are now. 10 years from now, you will understand the stereotypical Republican lifestyle; and you might even be living it.
     
  19. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Dan-Wolfe @ Apr 24 2007, 12:42 PM) [snapback]429103[/snapback]</div>
    Lived in Palmer '97-'00, worked at the Native Hospital (they built a new one after you left) in Anchorage. Great place to live and never would have left if it weren't for having kids and being so far from family.
     
  20. Dan-Wolfe

    Dan-Wolfe Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco @ Apr 24 2007, 02:09 PM) [snapback]429126[/snapback]</div>

    Nice. :) I visit from time to time -- my youngest son still lives with his Mom in Anchorage. I haven't been back in awhile. I am due!

    Dan