Toyota Pruis

[NoHall]

Ok you all,

I am interested in the Pruis for a multitude of reasons and could not care one hoot about whether it is or is not a status symbol...

Yay for you, with all your reasons. If they're good enough for you, they're good enough! I'm glad you managed to glean SOMETHING useful here!

 

[Chickpea]

Yes - I know quite a few people who post and I value their opinion!
Thanks.

 

[Chickpea]

6thGen is right.


Chickpea, I don?t know you from Eve, but I?ll wager that you were a mediocre student now pecking away at a mindless 9-5 job and desperately trying to find a way to crawl herself up the social ladder. And the Prius just seems like an easy way to earn the respect of those Hollywood types you so desperately want to impress. Let me suggest that you spend less time trying to impress, well Ted Danson and more time applying yourself to this great capitalist system that we call America.

If for even one second I thought you were for real - and you are not - I would love to do a wager with you.......

 

[Chickpea]

I read in the Wall Street Journal that they were going to discontinue the Accord Hybrid at least in North America because it wasn't selling. Prius really seems to have the market. But I'll try to remember to ask the Honda guy.

Thanks - read that as well and have to say that ride in Honda hybrid was not as nice as Pruis (and I am a HUGE Honda fan!).

 

[Bob]

The Accord Hybrid was discontinued because Honda strapped the hybrid system to their v-6 253hp engine and then touted the 31k car got better performance. While that works for Lexus, Acura buyers, it doesn't play with folks who aren't buying for conspicuous consumption reasons. It's why the new '07 Toyota Camry hybrid has a four cylinder engine. It's all about conservation. Hear that Honda? That's why the Civic hybrid is selling.

 

[Paula]

6thGen is right.

Chickpea, the Prius is a status car.

How do I know this, -well as everybody with half a brain knows the whole environmental movement was fabricated by a consortium of One World Government Socialists and an advertising agency out of Hollywood, probably run by homosexuals.

It is nothing more than a fad and an international conspiracy wrapped up in a celebrity endorsed package.

We all know how every mindless teeny-bopper wants to be just like Paris and Brittany and clearly environmentalists are just slightly grown up versions of the same mentality. Do not fall victim to this too.

Chickpea, I don’t know you from Eve, but I’ll wager that you were a mediocre student now pecking away at a mindless 9-5 job and desperately trying to find a way to crawl herself up the social ladder. And the Prius just seems like an easy way to earn the respect of those Hollywood types you so desperately want to impress. Let me suggest that you spend less time trying to impress, well Ted Danson and more time applying yourself to this great capitalist system that we call America.

Hard work will get you to where you clearly strive to be, and then you too can drive the only cars in America that are above the demeaning term ‘status cars’. You know, cars like Bently, Ferrari, or a Hummer. Anyone who is rich enough to drive these doesn’t need to buy a symbol of status since, self evidently, they already have status.

Good luck, work hard, and happy Hummer driving!

:funn: Chickpea, needing status? Me thinks not. Those of us who know Chickpea are impressed with her work, what she has accomplished (not only for herself but for others), and her commitment to environmental efficiency already.

By the way, I have no idea what Chickpea's grades were (I suspect they were pretty darn good), but there's plenty of research out there that mediocre students are just as likely to be more successful in life than A students because grades in school don't predict things like hard work, integrity, planfulness, mindfulness, goodwill and supportiveness to others, proactivity, reliability, the development of an expertise (e.g., being at the top of one's field), a lifelong desire to learn, emotional intelligence, and other characteristics. "A" students have more of a tendency to over-rely on their analytical abilities and assume those abilities are most of what it takes to be successful/happy/ethical. Not.

As for 9-5 jobs and moving up the social ladder -- these seem to be decent choices to me. For many people, moving up the social ladder means getting more respect (sadly, many people don't treat people in certain jobs/social categories with respect so it's no surprise someone would want to get out of those categories). And many (perhaps most) 9-5 jobs aren't necessarily mindless, it's the people in them who can choose to do them mindlessly or not. And whether someone feels they have some control over how they do their job is more important than whether it's a 9-5 job or not. Anway, even though you're just having some fun with words, I'll note that it's a contradiction to be poo-pooing people who have 9-5 jobs and who want to "move up" and at the same time present oneself as supporting capitalism. Even more interesting is that the contradiction suggests some very elitist assumptions.

I realize you were just fooling around with words; it was a good opportunity for me to fool around with words, too, and lay out some of the research on what predicts success and clarify any misguided assumptions about what predicts success -- and what is (and isn't) classy.

 

[6thGen]

6thGen, you are probably right. I bet Chickpea is just looking to buy a status symbol. Her primary interest mos likely has nothing to do with the idea that she wants to try to do what's right for the environment. I bet she is just trying to pump the Japanese economy by looking at the Prius. Everyone knows she should buy a ... remind me again of which American-made car gets 50 mpg. :scratch:

So since you can't win the argument based on what I've actually said, you'll win it by making things up, and you'll put up a poll for people to vote for you based on their disdain for me. The post above is the straw man of straw men. Like I said, the fact that the Prius is a status symbol, an environmental status symbol, has nothing to do with whether Chickpea is buying a Prius because of the that. The fact that you have a few friends who bought them for other reasons does nothing to change the fact either.

And while I'm rolling here, yes, I think Chickpea wants other people to know how much she cares about the environment, and she knows the Prius will show that on a daily basis. She has already proved that she wants other people to know that she is well-traveled and that she doesn't hang out with people like me. She said that she doesn't care that people call her a snob. She likes riding on a high horse. The fact that Chickpea believes she, burning a whopping 60 gallons less per year, flagellating herself by driving a car that is inferior in most every other respect, is going to save the planet from people like me makes me believe that she is not only smug, but a liiiiiitle self absorbed. Chickpea, I admire you so much that I'm going to skip the trip to Atlanta this weekend that I had briefly thought about making. I just saved 60 gallons of gas, and matched your yearly contribution without even having to dispose of a huge battery. I sent myself an ecard from you to honor my contribution.

 

[John R]

another thread completely shredded by 6thgen, the right's self proclaimed voice of reason, and naysayer of anything green or left. remember, conservative means to conserve.

is it too hard of a stretch to think that Chickpea may just want to put her best foot forward with regards her own footprint and try to make her tank of gas last a little longer? yes, the hybrid is not the end all, but it is a start. when will you be announcing your new technology in response to our dependance on the non-renewable resource?

both of my vehicles have their carbon offset, so you can say you know "of" someone on a liberal message board who does it. SoWal Beaches Forum

 

[NoHall]

Chickpea, I admire you so much that I'm going to skip the trip to Atlanta this weekend that I had briefly thought about making. I just saved 60 gallons of gas, and matched your yearly contribution without even having to dispose of a huge battery. I sent myself an ecard from you to honor my contribution.

Chickpea,

My heartfelt thanks. Atlanta's full up on crazy already; we didn't need another one.

 

[Smiling JOe]

Penn and Teller did a good bit on this on their Showtime show. They basically concluded that it gets about as good of milage as a Corolla, Civic, Mini, etc, but does not perform near as well. And you don't have to dispose of batteries with the non-hybrids. The Prius is more of a brand name or status symbol than a serious alternative if you put it on a pro/con list.

6th Gen, I thought Penn and Teller were comedians, not trade writers for auto magazines and blogs. I guess if you ever took the time to sit in the back seats of the Prius, Corolla, Civic and Mini, you would know the difference. Sure there is a difference in price. There is also a difference in size and room. ;-)