Do Prius Owners Hate People with Big Cars?

Now, I have 2 cars. Both are big 4 door saloons. One is powered by a 4litre turbo 6 cylinder. The other is powered by a 5.7litre V8. My question is, do Prius owners frown upon people like me, who insist on having powerful cars with big engines?

I never look across at Prius owners when I pull up next to them at traffic light, just in case I’m being glared at for undoing all of their work for “saving the planetâ€.

So, don’t be shy. Am I regarded at the devil, or just another brick in the wall?

Cut to the point. What exactly are you here to debate?

Rather than wait for a setup, I'd like to open up straight dialog and talk about your views.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(F8L @ Sep 2 2007, 06:58 PM) [snapback]505752[/snapback]</div>

Go easy. I was just asking a question mate.

So what views of mine do you want to me to divulge then?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Aeron @ Sep 2 2007, 06:52 PM) [snapback]505750[/snapback]</div>

I never look across at V8 owners when I drive past them at service stations...

Hi Aeron,
I take interest in your comments about large four door saloon cars. I can’t make up my mind on my next vehicle purchase. I was considering a new Prius as the local Toyota dealer was offering terrific deals on them. I was driving home quite satisfied thinking that I’d be doing the right thing by the environment when I glanced at the local HSV dealer. I enquired about the GTS and was quite surprised. The new Gen 4 is actually a 6.0 litre engine. The salesman assured me that it was the largest engine available on the market and if I wanted, there are people that can supercharge it to get even more power.

Do you think that I should buy the GTS or the Prius? I’m just not sure what to do. What do you think would have the most credibility in public, or what you youngsters refer to as street cred?

Kind regards,
Full Noise

Funny when 2 Australians both join within an hour of one another and strike up a conversation about totally unrelated vehicles. I doubt the local Toyota dealer was doing any kind of deals on Prius when they can sell all they can get at full retail price. Most dealers in Australia have a waiting list.
Funny that Aeron has used Jeremy Clarkson's picture for his avitar as Jeremy chose to take a Prius on the motorways of the UK then proceeded to show his pedjudice against Toyota by totally agging out the car for faults like it's too quiet and although it seemed to accelerate pretty well on the clip he said it was slow then claimed it didn't get as good fuel economy as a tiny diesel VW lupo

http://www.topgear.com/drives/E8/B7/
Sorry but that doesn't look like a 4 door 5 seater car.
A little extra information on the suposed Prius beating Lupo, it is almost 20% slower from 0 to 60mph in it's fastest 1422cc turbo diesel form and in it's most economical form it's over 70% slower!!! Great comparison when he complained the Prius was slow. No bias there?

FullNoise, get the Commodore mate, the HSV will be a collectable, if you have the money get one. For the $78,000 plus on roads for an automatic GTS you could buy an iTech Prius, pay in advance for 10 years worth of servicing and petrol and have change but if you have that kind of coin for a car and you just want a V8 go for it. Quite a few people settle for a V8 when there is plenty of room on the cutting edge for every one.

For our American friends the GTS is like a 4 door GTO. Holden made the GTO for the US market up until 2005 I think. For the brits, think 4 door Vauxhall Monaro.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Aeron @ Sep 2 2007, 04:23 AM) [snapback]505753[/snapback]</div>

Posts like yours are normally posted by trolls. That's likely
why you received the reaction you did.

On your original question:

I don't really pay attention to what other people drive.

But, I do smile a little when big SUV's blow past me (and burn a bunch of gas
doing it).

And, I do smile a lot when I happen to be the one doing the passing.

Buy a hybrid, and join the revolution!

Cheers!

Here is the Top Gear video with Jeremy...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JDiiXr57KQ

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(patrickindallas @ Sep 2 2007, 08:03 AM) [snapback]505787[/snapback]</div>

big cars hey? i have a 393 6.4litre and i do the oppsite to prius drivers (my girlfriend has one) i laugh at there ignorence to the enviromental damage they are doing, i do 25litres per 100km and i love going to the petrol station cuz people come and talk to me and chat cars and take photos..

i understand the joy one must get of filling up there tank and it lasting a week or five, but i do about 10 hours of driving a week and i need a car that i enjoy driving, one that will shoot stright like a bullet i the need arises and turns heads everywhere it goes, kids run to the side of the road and wave and do the international burnout hand signal, it a great feeling!

i really think you guys should try it, my girlfriend dosnt like her car, she only has it to save on fuel, and the way she drives it drinks more then my mums accent!!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Sonny Jim @ Sep 2 2007, 10:42 PM) [snapback]505789[/snapback]</div>

Yes, thanks for posting that. We should all get a laugh out of it.

Jeremy also sabotaged his test of a Toyota Landcruiser by driving it off the edge of a track into some trees. He didn't want it to upstage the Range Rover which was much more expensive. I guess Rover pay more for promotion than Toyota are willing to pay.

By the way I also have a Toyota Crown.
I grew up some time ago and no longer do burnouts. I had a race car some years back I raced on a circuit where it's legal.
I smile at petrol stations too, I drive my car about 2 hours a day and fill up every 820km or so with about 38 to 40 litres of petrol. I doubt your girlfriend has a Prius.

To all the internationals here, sorry about the Aussie yobos.

To all those members on here acussing Clarkson of being anti Toyota,he has bought Hilux's in a few episodes for various challenges , and has done nothing but praise them.

He's not anti Toyota , he's anti Prius.

And yes,I'm another "Aussie Yobbo"(at least spell it properly) that drives a gas guzzling 5.8l, but no, I'm not here to troll,just to observe.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(patsparks @ Sep 2 2007, 07:47 AM) [snapback]505782[/snapback]</div>

Thanks for your advice, patsparks. Like I say, I’m just not sure what to do. I’ve found this forum quite interesting regarding these cars and the people that own them. Even if I don’t end up purchasing a Prius, I’ll still keep an eye on the forum to stay informed on these wonderful cars.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Apolloxbgt @ Sep 2 2007, 09:25 AM) [snapback]505806[/snapback]</div>

Why don’t you just leave us in peace and take your petrol guzzling, atmosphere polluting “Mad Max†machine back to the petrol station where it belongs.

Regards,
Full Noise

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Full Noise @ Sep 2 2007, 07:06 AM) [snapback]505774[/snapback]</div>

If you are after the largest engine fitted to a passenger car on the Austrailian market you cant go past the 6.1 litre Hemi as fitted to the 300c,and I'm sure would also be able to supercharge it aswell.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Aeron @ Sep 2 2007, 04:52 AM) [snapback]505750[/snapback]</div>

Here in the US, more than half the vehicles on the road are gas-guzzling SUV's or large pickup trucks, many of them 4-wheel drive, which makes then even worse gas-guzzlers. Anytime I stop at a light in my Prius, alongside one of those vehicles, I wonder if I am being glared at for driving a car that gets 50+ mpg rather than the typical 15 mpg for SUV's and pickup trucks. So it works both ways. In fact, I'm sure I've experienced animosity from other drivers who are angry at me for not conforming to the "American way," and daring to drive a fuel-efficient vehicle. The recent drastic increase in gasoline prices, which has stung drivers of gas-hogs has only served to increase their anger.

To answer your question, we don't hate drivers of gas-hogs, we just can't understand why anyone would pay more money for a vehicle that gets a fraction of a Prius' fuel mileage. It makes no sense.

Harry

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Apolloxbgt @ Sep 2 2007, 09:48 AM) [snapback]505818[/snapback]</div>

I think that you’re just being silly. What person could possibly have a use for an engine that large? I’m not some hoon type dragster driver.

:lol: Thankyou for that pre-bedtime laugh.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Aeron @ 2007 Sep 2 01:52 AM) [snapback]505750[/snapback]</div>

Another brick in the wall.
Tear down the wall!

I do not hate SUVs. In fact, I love them and used to have one myself.

I just wonder if they even know that they will never "recoupe" their investment in gas wastage compare to driving a Corolla. :lol:

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Taipan @ Sep 2 2007, 06:25 AM) [snapback]505792[/snapback]</div>

LOL, that was my life from 18-30yrs of age. I am now more educated and I do not share the same views any longer. You assume that all of us have been driving small economy cars all our lives. In fact I am in the process of selling my 4x4 GMC truck that would likely beat 98% of the fastest cars own by members of Prius Chat in a straight up drag race. Hahaha I've been there and done that. I will no longer contribute to an economic loss and the degradation of others health just because I think I'm cooler by driving an inefficient vehicle.

Numbers are in RWHP/RWTQ, not flywheel (the software has not been updated to change the printout)


It should have no problem running high 10s even weighing in at 5200lbs raceweight.

It's not that Prius owners hate people with big cars... it's that we really can't relate, and our priorities necessarily must be in different places.

At least speaking for myself, bigger displacement for the sake of bigger displacement doesn't appeal to me. I find it funny when Full Noise says the following about a 6.1L Hemi, as if it crossed some unspoken threshold :

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Full Noise @ Sep 2 2007, 10:57 AM) [snapback]505826[/snapback]</div>

That's exactly how I feel about engines over say, 1.5L, the size of my Prius's engine .

I certainly understand that larger cars need a bigger engine to move around the extra weight with some measure of quickness, so I understand when mid-sized cars like the Camry start out with a 2.4L, but I would personally never get a V6 when an I4 would do, especially when the Camry has a hybrid I4 option that gives it more power than the standard I4, but improve fuel economy, for example.