Calm down. My post has nothing to do with political leaning, be it conservative or liberal. However, I stand by my statements. Prius owners will come up with all kinds of justifications for them to drive their new toy.

Notice that I never questioned if your trip was necessary. Merely pointing out that for all the gripes about air-travel, the flight is still taking place, used up almost the same amount of fuel whether you choose to use the service or not.

“[F]orc[ing] collective transportation choices” sounds like something Stalin would say. What planet are you on? Why don’t you just move to Cuba?

I am a driver’s driver. I spend 50K miles a year on the road. (Thank heavens for XM satellite radio!) What I drive is a 2007 Prius Touring Edition. I drove the standard Prius and yawned. It was no fun at all. Then I drove the Touring Edition. This is a totally different car.

I live in South Carolina which is somewhat far from LA. My reason for buying the Prius was a fun car that saved me tons of money–even more tons recently. I am ambivalent about global warming, tend to vote right leaning, and shoot quail which I eat.

Please don’t stereotype Prius drivers!

????

My motivation is really none of your business, but I will say this: My parents and some siblings live in the “boonies.” I have made maybe a dozen flights there and back, and it has always been a pain (multiple connections, flying in “puddle-jumpers,” etc.). And given the current state of the airlines, it is getting worse. I drove to be able to make a judgment based on experience about the relative expense, enjoyment, and comfort of a driving versus flying.

I NEVER drive for the sake of pleasure or driving. (I do quite enough to go to work.)

The stereotyping, ad hominem, and straw-man argumentation by the anti-Prius people on this thread is appalling. Given the character of PajamasMedia.com, I assume most of the commenters here think of themselves as “conservative.” Beware lest you confirm your political opponents’ worst prejudices about you.

To prove the mpg smugness factor, they have to drive extra ‘just to show you’.

See the example of the 3000 miles trip on an 05 Prius.

Many of you think that Prius owners are self-righteous, uummm, jerks, blinded by left-wing propaganda.

And here I thought conservatives (of which I count myself as one) were guided by reason, whereas liberals were guided by emotion.

Whatever.

Meanwhile, I have a car that goes 450-550 miles between fillups, got 54 mpg on a 3000 mile trip, has given no mechanical problems in 45,000 miles, and can be trusted to travel 350-400 miles a week when I go between 3 schools to teach.

You don’t like it? Think (or, feel) what you want.

I’m the one driving it, thank you very much.

I bought a used 03 Focus for $7k(with heated leather seats) that gets about 35. My other vehicles are an 07 Mustang GT(weekends only), a Ducati Monster S2(50mpg sport bike, $9k), and a Suzuki Burgman 400(maxi scooter). The Burgman cost me $4500 with 1500 miles on it, has enough storage for a 3 day trip, and gets 67mpg(and goes over 100mph). The scooter, Focus, and Ducati all cost less then the Prius(with room for another new bike or used car to spare-maybe a used Miata to club race??). I’ve driven a few hundred Prius over time so they’re no ‘mystery’ to me. Its a tin box of a car.

If you are buying it as a CAR, there’s not much to interest a driver(unless of course one of the boobs that’s drawn to cheap LCD screens like crows to bottle caps-wow pretty lights!). If you are buying it as a PRIUS, then, well, it doesn’t really matter what anyone says.

1. a report by a ” a self-described human rights advocacy group”. Uh-huh.

2. I get much better than 5 mpg more than “good cheap economy car”–something like 15 to 20 mpg more.

3. I have never had any problem accelerating into traffic.

4. Handles poorly? My previous car (as I said earlier) was an Acura Integra Coupe. While the Prius is not up to that standard, it does very well. I have never had a a turn or curve that I couldn’t take. Besides, at my age, I don’t need the sports car feel anymore.

5. Cheap interior? Whatever. I like nice things. It’s fine by me. Lots of cubby holes to put things.

6. Hills? As my grand-dad would say: “What goes up, must come down.” There’s one steep hill I take 3 times a week in my school-year. Sure I take it easy up the hill. But coming back down on the way back, I’m going 60 mph on battery power.

7. Why do you hate the Prius so? Just about everyone who has one loves it. Consumers Reports asks members the question, “Considering everything, would you buy this car over again”? Prius owners give the highest percentage OF ANY CAR: 92% say “definitely yes.”

As someone else said, keep on hating it. That leaves more for the rest of us.

http://www.autospies.com/news/Toyota-Linked-to-Human-Trafficking-and-Sweatshop-Abuses-31258/