It's sad that this is where the majority of hybrid developement is going... higher power with diminishing returns for improved gas mileage.... I'll never understand the whole "gotta get to 60mph in under 6 seconds" mentality.

Are hybrids really a win for environmentalists if the mentality of the average American consumer hasn't changed? So now our cars will get slightly better gas mileage, and will be faster, and we'll have some extra years before oil runs out and global warming will be slowed ever so slightly.... but really, if the mentality of the population doesn't change from "I need more power for the same cost in gasoline!" to "how can my decisions as a consumer make this world a better place now and for future generations?", then hybrid technology will merely delay the inevitable.

Until hybrids are embraced for their positive impact on the world as a symbol of using new technology to selflessly benefit humanity, nothing will really change. I'm sorry but getting 30/37 MPG in an accord is NOT impressive when you consider that all they have to do is bump the car down to like 200HP or less and it would get way better mileage. Same probably goes for the new Lexus SUV. If you're adding MORE power to a car by making it a hybrid at the expense of mileage, you are making me sad

I'm just waiting for the 450hp accord that gets 18/23 MPG. Now that would make our world a better place for sure...

End rant.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(krooster1234\";p=\"50915)</div>

"My you-know-what is bigger than your you-know-what", is more important to people than a few low lying islands in the Pacific, a species of animals here and there, or a few feet of submerged shore line.

Scientists have found that the brain is made up of three layers. The first is the Reptilian; the second built on top of the first is mammalian and the third cerebral built on top of the mammalian all form our mental nature.

The Reptilian is the predator (100 million years old). It is concerned with:
Can I eat it?
Should I ignore it?
Should I run away from it?

The Mammalian is protector and gatherer (1 million years old). It is concerned with:
Who’s the leader?
Which group do I belong to?
We will survive together.

The Cerebral ( 100,000 years old) is concerned:
Who am I?
Where am I?
How will we live?
What is my purpose?


It turns out that out of the three brains car purchasing is governed by the Reptilian mind. We look for a car that says, “If you want to fight, I can fight. But you will die." You may have some intellectual responses (price, economy), but the strongest of all is the "reptilian" response: It's about survival and all that entails, including sex.

NiMPrius

I'm going to completely agree with krooster's post. Well said! It is sad that more is always better. That mentality has us in this mess and will enventually lead to our demise. 'More' is finite. Where does 'more' come from when it's all gone (survival resources, etc.) I really think we as a human species won't get it (conservation) until it's too late. And the clock ticks...

PS I'm actually waiting for the hybrid Hummer. Now that's evolution...NOT!

I'm curious. The 04-05 Prius, to me, is really cool looking and strikes a much deeper chord in me than any SUV. This includes ones like OutBack/Forrester, which are very similar in layout to the current Prius (I know since my father has owned an Outback for some time).

I wonder if this is in part due to my early immersion in technology, and perhaps avid reading of Science Fiction. I think of the Prius as a really cool tech toy as much as it is an efficient car.

--TSK

Probably people today think that cars like the prius are no fun to drive because they think its slow. Thats total bs. Someone needs to educate those people.

your can bet your left front tire that he'll complain about the poor mileage that hybrids get too.

its funny that this guy had to have a car with 270 horses. i be willing to bet that he based his decision on his perception of hybrid technology and not reality.

i cant tell you how many people i have driven that thought my car would be slow and were pleasantly surprised at its very smooth and deceptive power.