My prius lets me advertise my 'greenness'

I generally feel that most often when people accuse Prius owners of "advertising their green cred" they do it as an insult. As in, Prius Drivers are a bunch of shallow people looking for "Green Cred" and trying to promote it through owning a "fancy automobile".

All I can say, is I did not buy The Prius to advertise ANYTHING. -I bought it, because I wanted one.

It's a hybrid, it has what has become a iconic, recognizable look, mostly due to it's success.

If OTHERS, usually not Prius Owners, want to apply what they think owning one means to either me, or as a prejudice blanket statement against the majority of Prius Owners...that's their problem.

I neither hide the fact that I own and operate a Prius, neither "Perhaps Outside of Prius Chat" do I flaunt the fact that I own and operate a Hybrid.

I think the idea that a Prius advertises "Green Cred" is an old and outdated idea. Not surprising the comment would come from a "critic". I think it's a shallow, defensive comment. If owning a vehicle that is both designed to be useful from a utilitarian standpoint (Hatch Back Shape), and efficient, Aerodynamic and Hybrid, is advertising green cred? Then critics be damned...I wish more vehicles allowed people to strive to demonstrate "Green Cred". It's always thrown out as some type of insult, when actually? It's a compliment.

People own and operate the vehicles they own and operate for a variety of reasons. Ranging from sometimes pure economics, to emotional and image driven choices.

Sure I like the fact that The Prius is efficient. It is a hybrid, I chose a hybrid. But what that may or may not advertise to others? I could care less.

 

I'm content to advertise that I'm saving money at the pump. That's a motivation the average Joe understands.

 

I was intrigued with saving fuel way back when. I purchased a new VW Rabbit diesel in 1980. I was always envious of the Gen II Prius fuel mileage, although I never considered buying one. I purchased my 2012 Prius Plug In because it was the right car for me at this time in my life. Driving a fuel efficient car just makes sense. For me diesel is out, as well as premium fuel, regular unleaded is my favorite fossil fuel. Better that that is electric power, currently 76% of my Prius miles the past eighteen months. Whether anyone else notices, or care, it matters to me.

 

Okay but you said that the critic said....

That sounds like a shot at the Prius to me....

 

It's not known as the pious Prius for nothing.

That image does seem to hold back sales here in the UK, with people actively buying the Auris Wagon to have the same benefits of the Prius without the stigma. The Auris Wagon is also a nice car.

 

That's a good looking car.

Looks very similar to the Acura TSX wagon.

 

While I agree with GrumpyCabbie that the Auris Touring Sports is a very nice, I had one has a courtesy car a few weeks back while my Prius was being serviced, and in a lot of ways would probably suit me and my family better, there is a but, the interior.

I just had the feeling it was built to a cost, the steering wheel particularly just didn't feel very nice to hold.

Back to the original post, to my mind there is nothing wrong with demonstrating to people that an environmentally aware car can take you everywhere a 'gas-gusserling' car can. But my primary motivation for buy the Prius was twofold; a) I wanted an automatic again, I was sick and tired of stirring my own gears! b) I did not want another dirty-diesel. I just didn't get along with the diesel engine car I had because of the engine's characteristics and the nagging fear in the back of my mind of all the expensive repair bills that go hand-in-hand with modern diesel engine's after a few years ownership.

Petrol engine, automatic, low fuel consumption = Prius

 

OMG the clock! Look at the clock! It's like something from 1983.

 

Exactly!

Such a pity, it really would be a great car, nice to drive, tidy handling, economical and lots of space for the family, even the seats are nice and supportive but the dash with miles of hard black plastic, the Prius style gear-change far to low down etc,. It really would be a deal breaker for me.

Strangely the Yaris I drove a week later had a lovely steering wheel to hold.

 

That phrase has been used in a dismissive way.
Personally, I have no interest in advertising MY green cred. I am interested in showing people how efficient and usable the Prius and other efficient cars are.
I don't mind when people ask about the car I'm driving (be it a Prius, Leaf or Tesla). However, I hope they will focus on the car, not me.

Walk softly and carry an efficient stick

 

It's not a "shot" on the Prius, it's a fact. Particularly in the early days when Prius was appealing mostly to "greenies" the fact that the car LOOKED different was considered a selling point. Marketers of the other hybrid cars at the time were finding it challenging to market their hybrids that didn't look any different because they were missing out on a lot of sales to folks who were chasing the green "image" as much as the efficiency.

I think that is less so now that the Prius is so common but it was a genuine marketing pull back in the beginning. To point it out isn't an insult.

 

Of course it depends on the individual making the quote and their personal POV. And yes, environmental advantages, were part of Prius advertising yesterday, and it still is part of it today.

It isn't ALWAYS an insult.

But in general, I'd say when I hear someone going on about Prius and owners wanting "Green Cred" it's usually NOT someone who owns a Prius, and it's usually not meant as a compliment.

It's usually someone that saw the "South Park" episode and thinks that is representative of the majority of Prius owners.

And if that isn't a shot?....it isn't a compliment either.

 

"Green Cred" is not a selling point for everybody.
We think the EPA has done more harm than good, man made global warming is a myth, Al Gore is a lying b@$tard and I couldn't give a rats asterix about the CO2 "level" my car puts out, but I drive an '05 Prius we bought new and my wife drives a '10 Prius. Car just works for us.

 

That is exactly my view. I have always been a huge toyota fan. We owned quite a few toyotas that went over 300k miles and when I was looking for the cheapest vehicle for a 140 mile per day commute I first went to toyota. I looked at and test drove camrys, corollas, matrixes, and then I started considering a hybrid purely for gas mileage savings. I would rather keep the extra dollars in my pocket then send them abroad.

 

Getting 50 mpg is addictive.
I would only Buy another Hybrid Toyota/Lexus

I have my eye on a Lexus CT200h

 

I think many car models, and even some makes as a whole, tend to illicit some type of general impression to the public. The fact that the Prius was the first of its type, and has lasted so long in it's segment, made it the poster child for fuel efficiency. Other brands have not been able to take over that image since.

I have to admit that I've also allowed the image of the Prius to overshadow any other view of the vehicle. It wasn't until I actually considered one that I realized it was a terrific car in so many other ways, which made the stereotypical image of the Prius less prevalent in my mind.

I think it's human nature to "label." In most cases, it would only require someone to look a little closer to erase their oversimplified impression. In this case, I'll be happy to know my Prius is viewed by many as being greenest of all vehicles.