Saw a Crazy Prius Sticker on an Old Pickup

I saw one that says “I identify as a Prius”

 

I had THIS sticker on our Model X;


They used to sell these in the priuschat store, but, I don't know what happened. So I had a company make up a bunch for us & a few friends. We got 1 negative comment when we were traveling out of state. Guy was apparently P.O.'ed with toyota for not offering up a long range EV.
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There is a mountain of hate for the Prius out there. Thats not the worst of the stickers I've seen. The Prius is seen as a car for weak sissies that are overly progressive and sensitive and solely own the car because they think it will help the environment. I've even found tons of comments/discussion about how Prius owners are too spoiled and useless to know how to work on their own cars.

But yes I have to agree with you - I've met many women who loved my Prius and thought it was an attractive vehicle to own.

Even in the non-truck car enthusiasts world the Prius is seen as the #1 car to hate and ridicule (partially because it is fairly slow and not performance oriented). Many truck owners generally see the Prius as enigmatic of everything they stand against. There is no vehicle out there that is more politicized than the Prius.

I think you just have to ignore it, but sometimes it is annoying. I think its a bit funny that I get coal-rolled when driving in rural parts of Canada and the US. There are entire sections of the internet where people label smoggy diesel trucks as "prius repellant".

You also have to realize that within car culture there is a constant war between brands and cars with people trying to put down other models (even within Trucks there is the age old Ford vs Chevy Vs Dodge rivalry) so you cant really take this personally - people take shots at other vehicles all the time.

I personally love the way trucks look and their capabilities, but I dont see them as a wise choice purely on an economic level unless you absolutely need them (like you are a contractor or actually go offroading on a regular basis). I owned a Tacoma for a year and hated how cumbersome it was for parking and getting around town, and it used too much gas. I only ended up getting it offroad a few times, and was overconfident and got stuck both times. I'll stick to driving my Prius down dirt roads and hiking when things get rough - in actuality you can only drive a 4X4 about as fast as you can walk on difficult terrain so its a boring and expensive sport thats actually not very enjoyable (it sucks sitting in a vehicle crawling at low speeds bouncing around when you can be out walking an enjoying things more).

And if you ever get offended by a truck owner hating a Prius, just remember that you will be happily retiring years earlier (seriously - calculate the savings of a lifetime of Prius ownership vs truck ownership - its a massive amount of money) because you chose to purchase one of the most reliable and fuel efficient vehicles out there while they dump money into a ridiculous large vehicle that most of them probably only use to drive to the mall and back.

 

Also I often find "car enthusiasts" saying that the Prius or other cars like the Lexus RX-H are for people that dont like cars or are not car enthusiast. I actually consider myself a huge car enthusiast and really really do love cars, and think the Prius is one of the best cars on the market.
My most important values in a car are:
1. Reliability
2. Economy
3. Practical for hauling bikes and skiis and camping gear
4. Has room to sleep in the back.

The Prius is the obvious winner in all of those categories!

I think many people who identify as "car enthusiasts" are looking for:
1. Performance
2. Handling
3. Comfort
4. Cool Looks

The Prius doesn't really fit the bill there for them.

 

I've gotten coal rolled as well. The funny thing is...I seem to get a lot less 'hate' in our debadged Prius v (wagon) vs. the liftback. Or maybe that is just luck...who knows. The gen2/3 Prius really do seem to be emblematic of 'political' hate. I do think it is loads of fun to roll up next to a big rig at the gas station...pump my gas...and leave while the big rig guy is still pumping....and pumping...

I do like the fact that Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive is proliferating. Much easier to go 'stealth hybrid' nowadays. One of the reasons I'm considering a Corolla hybrid at some point. As I've said before...I really wish the Yaris Cross hybrid would come over to the USA!

 

BTW - I also think the gang here are 'car enthusiasts' as well...we are just obsessed with efficiency vs horsepower.

Edit - oops...I meant to edit my previous post...but I replied to it instead.

 

You could probably put a "corolla hybrid" badge on your Prius liftback and save yourself the money

Yaris Cross hybrid (same as CH-R?) looks cool. I actually saw a CH-R for the first time in Town yesterday. Looks a bit small for me - not convinced it could hold a bike in the back or be long enough to sleep in. I actually considered the CT-200H (too small, worse fuel economy) and the Prius-V (larger than I needed, big hit on fuel economy for a bit of extra space). In the end the Prius is the perfect dimensions for my needs, but I understand that everyone has a different need and use case. Ultimately the Prius just seems to be the sweet spot for extreme fuel economy but a considerable amount of space inside (thanks to its wagon-esque build). I still havnt found anything that is close to equivalent in these aspects.

 

The Yaris Cross is different. Sort of like a mini Rav4.

Toyota Yaris Cross Adventure Debuts With Rugged Upgrades

Dumb move by Toyota to not bring it to North America.

 

a lifted bro dozer tried to roll on me
the second day we owned ours.

I had a good laugh and changed lanes, he was grinning at the next light.

it's funny, that's all

 

I actually wondered if the Prius has the switch to internal air circulation button on the steering wheel for this exact reason.

 

i've never heard a woman say, 'look at that bad a## pick up either

 

Haha....My son that works at a Kwik Trip gas station has a female coworker that owns a 'big arse pickup' with a 'piss on liberals' bumper sticker. He said he was shocked it is her pickup truck because you would never know it from her personality, etc... So what does he do? He makes sure to park the Prius right next to it. I have taught him well.

 

I honestly think a big part of it is people who hate Priuses are jealous that their cars don't get near the mpg.. many SUVs and trucks get less than 20. they spend tons of money on gas and it rustles their jimmies. also they don't understand hybrids..these cars create (some of) their own power basically out of thin air..if you can't appreciate that then youre not very smart. I honestly couldn't care less what people think..cars need to evolve to a cleaner design and the Prius is a small step in that direction

Also honestly Prius is kind of a weird name..Toyota could really use to work on their branding..Im sure they could've come with something better than Prius, RAV 4, Camry, Corolla etc..

 

There are a couple of reasons people "hate Priuses". First off there are ugly cars...to this day...and I can say that because I'm on my second one. Let's be honest, until Tesla came around, almost all "green cars" were ugly as sin. Second it's the the whole smug, condescending, you don't want to save the planet Californish attitudes, conversations and marketing against those that drive a gas guzzler thing. People do not hate Prii because they jealous of gas mileage or don't understand them...trust me.

For the record, my active stable consists of a 2015 Prius, a 2017 RAV4 HV, a 2019 ZR1...and...I'm a career Mechanic.

 

Some people are just stuck back in the Bush Administration .

 

Thought this one was kind of funny;



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Carefully...you might get this thread banned to romper room.

 

More likely that the Corolla Cross will come to North America, a little bigger than the Yaris Cross. A good choice in my opinion. There have been rumors (but no confirmation) that it will be built at the new factory being built (with Mazda) in Alabama.

 

I can see it but Ive never had that smug attitude as no car will "save the planet"..that's how dodo birds think. a Prius will only save you money on gas (if you're blessed as to never have a major repair).

lets be real though; the hate definitely comes from unoriginal sheeple who don't give much thought as to what kind of world their kids will live in in 50 years