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Why the Toyota Prius is such a bore
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It's not an ugly car, just blah
As I was attending a Folk Festival in lovely Glen Echo Park, MD recently, I was surprised to encounter a sea of Toyota Prius in the parking lot. The folksy lot do have a reputation for being greener than most but I thought the sheer amount of Prius (Prii in plural for some) on display was paramount to granola overkill.
You see, the Prius is not a bad car, far from it but it has become the ultimate statement to your neighbors and the world about how green you have become. In fact, many Prius owners seem unaware that purchasing a low emissions, gas-powered car or clean burning diesel actually has less of an impact on the environment than the Prius (due to the Prius' eventual battery waste and the amount of energy used to produce one).
Potential owners may also not be aware that you must drive as if you had a rattlesnake coiled beneath the pedals in order to achieve the claimed mpg (51 highway/48 city). The Prius is a green car because it delivers more mileage for less gas, thus the hybrid's raison d'etre.
Now that the novelty has worn off and Toyota has genuinely mass marketed this car, it is high time to make it a bit sexier. But you see, they can't because there are oodles of aerodynamic fractions to consider in body design and the low rolling resistance tires do not beg to wrap sexy, chrome rims. The current hybrid must maintain a certain shape to be effective.
Of course, if you are into announcing to the world how much you care for the environment, then you might be able to overlook the rather frumpy proportions and slow acceleration. A Prius owner must take great pride that they have resisted the temptation to purchase a rolling Suburban or gas guzzling Dodge of some type. Yet, for the rest of us, it feels like we have just purchased a naughty magazine only to find everyone clothed inside.
Back at the folk festival, the Prius presence was beginning to border on the hilarious. I could not help but imagine what went through the heads of some of the attendees when they chose to purchase such a car. If they really wanted to show how green they were, they could have biked in (bike path right next to the park) or taken the bus or canoed up the Potomac (ok that's a bit much). But the Prius owners perhaps tell themselves that they must, in fact, have a car but at the same time, do their darnedest to pretend they do not.
Alternatives to the Prius:
- Toyota Yaris: lighter and greener with a partial near zero emissions (PZEV) designation
- Mazda 3: also a PZEV and looks quite sporty
- Honda Civic: gasoline powered version very green and also a hybrid available
- Honda Insight: the newest hybrid on the block and tons more interesting looking than the Prius although smaller
- Chrysler Sebring: no joke, this mass produced rental car wannabee is actually a clean burner
- Volvo S60: classic style and forest friendliness
- BMW diesels: BMW has so refined its diesel engine that it practically grows leaves
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