Prius Haters.

I seriously don't think the hate comes from the Prius' aesthetics. If it looked the same way but had a 400hp engine people would be all over it. The looks is just a superficial excuse for people to hate the technology. Think about a chick that has a rotten personality, who is also less-than average looking. Not necessarily ugly, but not attractive by any means. Now normally you wouldn't say anything about her looks, but because she has this mean and awful personality, you say she's ugly too and you keep saying that over and over again until people start to believe it. That's kinda like how the Prius gets treated.

BTW dont take what I said in my earlier post personally. I didnt mean it like that. Anyways I'm just a stranger behind a monitor.

 

Awe, Bizarr-a feelings are hurt that she's not liked. How sweet.

Though she can't even point to a political statement in the posting that she gratuitously brought in the a-hole comment.

But, look at her logic, anyway. She says the Gremlin doesn't get the same magnitude of hate the Prius does.

Yeah, the millions of Gremlins on the road today certainly escape the hatred the Prius gets... it's almost as if they are invisible. However, when they were on the road they certainly were hated. One of the ugliest cars ever built, indeed.

 

Part of the "hate" that I experienced on my close encounter with a Prius purchase was two-fold.. I'll sum them up with the two "typical" comments I got about it during the test drive:

1. "Look at it, Coach, you can't drive THAT, only if you get it in PINK"!!!
2. "Look at that thing.. it's so small!"

As I have stated (way too many times) before.. I was very surprised, and even shocked how harsh some of the comments I got from both family and friends concerning my test drive.

Meanwhile.. yesterday my fill-up cost over $50.00.. the first time I've EVER spent that much on gas.. that puts me at $100.00 just on Gas for the month....

 

Hey that's pretty extreme. Personally I don't think I could have let that one go without a reply.

 

Likewise. We achieve rapport through respect or we don't communicate any more.

I get a visceral response when I see a PT Cruiser, that stupid GM equivalent, a Karmann Ghia, VW bug, Datsun B210, AMC Pacer/Gremlin/Matador, Pinto, Vega, Echo and the Prius to name a few. Some of those are politically loaded cars and some aren't. With the Prius, I say it starts with the looks. Frankly, I'd be surprised if more than 50% of the driving public could even recognize a Prius and name it as such. People generally don't pay attention to car models; unless it's the one they've fallen in love with.

I certainly know that minivans enrage people. Those are the least politically loaded vehicles I can imagine. It's so bad, that as I''m doing 95 in a 70 zone, I get tailgated and then angrily passed on the right by some burner who I can tell sped up just to tailgate me and than glared at like I was setting up a tent in the middle of the fast lane because I must be going too slow.

Many people buy the Prius in spite of its ugly looks knowing that the wind tunnel aerodynamic design shape is hugely responsible for it's ability to glide in neutral miles more than a typical car. It's ugly, none the less.

 

I must admit there is a smug satisfaction when I see the butthead in a pickup truck with a commercial sign on his door who just tailgaited me for 5 miles on a sparsely populated 5 lane highway at 6 AM as I was doing precisely (cruise controlled) the speed limit in the slow lane. I know that as he does the anger-mash with his accelerator, he just cost himself 50 or 60 cents. Then, knowing that your gas at $100 a month really is about $5k per annum for your typical 15 MPGer really is nice.

 

Ugly? The Prius may be many things, but ugly is not one of them (not like, say, a Mustang - mama mia! Now THAT'S ugly on four wheels!).

 

I would tend to agree with above.

* that comedian who did the routine on little blue Prius years ago, Jeff something.

* South Park episode - Smug Alert
* 2nd gen was more expensive for its size
* Hollywood's embracing and activism with the car 7 years ago
* It's made in Japan and not America
etc...

 

I think the most significant 'answer' to all the controversy over the Prius is happening now ... in the rollout of the Volt.

Chevrolet has touted the Volt for years, back to the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Chevrolet's CEO proclaimed Volt as a good looking car, that he wouldn't be caught dead in a Prius

Chevrolet is claiming Volt as the most fuel efficient gasoline car you can buy today

....
It will take til end of year until Volt is rolled out into all states. It will take more time to determine how well it's doing vs. Prius

My opinion? At $40k, Volt doesn't stand much chance against the Prius. IMO, Volt is going to look like nice person selling 1,000 ish units a month, if even that while Prius family is selling over 15k / month.

 

I'm lucky if I can get 14 MPG

 

My family generally thinks the Nissan "Cube" and the others like it are the ugliest things on the road today...

 

I didn't say the Mustang was the ugliest car on the road (that award would go to the Aztek, with the Cubes you mentioned also being high on the list). It was just the first crappy car (as opposed to SUV or minivan) that looked crappy that popped in my mind. I could have easily said Corvette or any of their ilk.

 

Nice call on the Aztek...

 

Still, to this day, 10 years after the first Prius hit US soil, there are still naysayers. Not only are there naysayers, but HATERS. I regularly get passed, even while doing 5 over the speed limit. I rarely get passed in my Tahoe (6" lift, 33" tires). I have only had the car for a month, yet noticed a drastic difference. I'm used to people watching out for me, now I'm the one watching out for everyone else! Here are my experiences in the short month of ownership:

1. On my way home from work, there was a Chevy 2500 about 1/8 mile ahead of me. I must have been going a little fast than him, as a few miles passed, I caught up to him (not trying to catch him, or speed, he just happened to be going slower than I). While keeping yet a good distance between us (NOT tailgating, or anywhere near it), as soon as we got to the bottom of a very long STEEP hill, I saw the black smoke blow from his exhaust pipe. I knew he had stomped on it, most likely in anger that a PRIUS was going his same speed. So, out of shits and giggles, I did the same. To both of our suprise, he did NOT gain any distance from me the whole way up the hill! We were doing around 50 when we started the bottom of the hill, and 70 by the time we got to the top! I can only imagine what he was thinking. What he doesn't realize is he is toting around a few thousand extra pounds being a big truck, but not enough torque to gain any distance on my little turd on wheels. I take comfort in the visual of him hanging his head in shame, as he turned off when we hit the top of the hill.

2. On a highway in Madison, WI going to visit some family, a young punk kid in his early 2000's Grand Prix came flying up behind me, tailgated a few seconds, then saw him go to pass. As soon as I saw that, I floored it. We came side by side, and I could see out of the corner of my eye he kept looking over at me, then back ahead. I slowly, but gradually pulled ahead. Whether he gave up being the only reason I was able to gain ground on him, I don't know and don't really care. My point was made, and his purpose was in vain.

3. Been passed numerous times by someone, only to go the same speed as I am once they pass.

4. I got a call from the wife this morning (which is why I ran across this thread), saying our car had been keyed. Not only keyed, but appears that they continued to JAB the car with their key (or whatever object the used). Nice. No, I can't guarantee this has any relevance to the brand of car, but my suspicion leans that way. Never had a vehicle keyed before this. Furthermore, I know the mentallity of my small town community is very old fashioned, and the Prius breaks the norm, which is not acceptable, apparently.

I've taken alot of grief from friends and family for my purchase. Mostly in jest, but I can think specifically of one cousin who I can tell thinks lower of me due to my car. For whatever reason? I do agree, they are not the most attractive car, but it really has grown on me. I think the biggest reason for people in my area to hate them so much is their Japanese origin, coupled with the reliablity and excellent fuel economy. They can't seem to handle a foreign car being superior to an American car. Superior in MPG, technology, functionality, comfort, spaciousness, reliability, and priced competatively with American cars. The grief that I supported a foreign economy seems to anger them. To which I request they stop buying their children toys, their clothes, batteries, certain sea foods, and the actual gasoline they consume so heavily on a daily basis. They generally have nothing to say to that. Seeing so many posts on here from people with 300,000 miles on their Prii already gives me great comfort in my purchase choice.

Another line of defense to the ones angered by our choice to buy a foreign car (insinuating we're anti-American), is the fact that they've spent 100+ times the amount of the car purchase in gasoline in their lifetime, which the largest profit goes to middle eastern countries. And some of those middle eastern countries are funneling money to Osama Bin Ladin. At least I've drastly reduced my contribution to the one who's killed so many of our citizens and soldiers. How American do you feel now?

 

Wow

 

Hi Andrew,

I reiterate Coach's "Wow". But it seems south central WI has keying fiends. This happened to some people's cars at Hybrid fest a few years ago (in Madison) in their hotel parking lott.

BTW, I bought my first Prius in Lacrosse. I figured that animosity against the new would favor their being cars available over-by-there, when there was a 6 mo waiting list down here in Chicagoland. And I was right. Took a nice train ride over to Lacrosse, then hiked over to the motel, through the seediest downtown I had ever been in (I was prewarned by my brother about this). Then over to the dealarship in the morning. I was on the road about 10:30 after they confirmed my bank draft. Then almost got clobbered by a high-rise pickup, who wanted to run a light, but could not see me due to construction equipment along the side of the road, right up to the intersection. The rest of the drive home was uneventful.

 

It is a very small community (actually groups of many small communities) between Madison and LaCrosse, an hour's drive from each. Richland County. GREAT community, with the exception of this. Anything new or different seems to scare them, which gets passed down the the youth, and interpreted into vandalism and aggressive driving in the situation. To give you an idea of it's ruralness, the biggest town with in a 60 mile radius of my house is 15 miles away, and a population of 5,000. There are Amish communities within 8 miles of my house. SO, the Prius doesn't seem very welcome here. Not very happy about the keying. But, can't do a damn thing about it. Hell, my saving's in gas in the last month will pay for the deductible, but that's not the point. I wouldn't be surprised if it happens again. And unfortunately the alarm doesn't sound on something this unintrusive. Come to think of it, I don't know if I even have an alarm. There is a panic button and the lights flash when I lock and unlock, I can only assume there is.

 

Moderators: Please delete this response--I couldn't delete it myself.

(See post below)

 

Excuse me, but what exactly was your point here? Your maneuver could have easily escalated into road rage.

Perhaps because I'm probably older than you, but I don't view someone who passes me as a threat to my masculinity and needs to be taught a "lesson."

 

The Volt is not an ugly car nor is it unconventional looking.