In Defense of the Toyota Prius

"sm70- why not Duesenberg?" (sm70-whynotduesenberg)
06/19/2014 at 12:17 • Filed to: None

There are many cars that we on Jalopnik love to hate. I'm not talking about the usually cars that get bagged on, like the AMC Pacer or the Edsel. We look on those with an inexplicable fondness for all of their quirks. No, I'm talking about the cars we attack for not conforming to our standards. Cars that are boring, bland, emotionless, and scream, "I don't care about my car, it's just an appliance!" I'm not going to name model names, because no matter which bland, beige box I name on here, there will be some Jalop that owns one and loves it like their child, and will burn me at the stake for questioning why on God's green earth they decided that a Dodge Caliber SXT was the best hatchback for them. Instead, I'm going to focus on defending a car that has long been low hanging fruit for commenters and authors alike to bash for being the antithesis of an enthusiast's car: the Toyota Prius.

We love to hate the Prius within automotive circles. It doesn't matter if you watch Top Gear or read Road and Track, or even get all of your automotive news solely on here. You will see writers making little jokes at the Prius, taking stabs at it for being slow, soulless, and completely void of any driving feel. The same is true among any group of automotive enthusiasts. It doesn't matter whether you talk to a JDM Fast and Furious bro, a Bimmers-and-Oakleys bro, a bro-truck bro, or even a car enthusiast that isn't some form of bro, like an MG chap. All of them would happily stop arguing and bickering about which of their cars is best, and unite long enough to have a go at slamming the Prius. It is the car guy's antichrist, and we won't let you forget for a second that it's currently the worst car being made. We will also tell you that everyone who drives a Prius must either be doing 15 under, trying to get just a few more miles to the gallon, or tailgating and weaving in and out of traffic in a self righteous manner, !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .

This is one of the stupider patterns I see amongst car enthusiasts. There are a few reasons for this. One, the Prius is, as I mentioned, low hanging fruit. Everyone knows that it isn't fast, interesting, or in any other way worthy of your time, so why do we continue to waste valuable breath and paper just to say it over and over again? It's not new news; any joke you could make against Priuses and Prius drivers has been made before, probably hundreds of times. Be original. Make a joke at the Honda Insight, or the Ford C-Max. Or anything else. The Hummer is dead, so we've stopped making jokes about that. But the Prius is very much alive, and it is expected to stay alive for a very long time. So I feel like I should try to put a fork in this now, rather than sit and listen to everyone bitch about it for another twenty years.

This may be a new, scary idea for many of us in our little isolated, online, automotive bubble, but the vast majority of the world's population are not car enthusiasts. In fact, they couldn't care less about their car's driving dynamics, or uniqueness, or anything else that we look for in a car. You would think this would be kind of an obvious statement, but you'd be wrong. Without intending to call anyone out, I saw someone on here yesterday asking for car-buying advice on behalf of a friend. They made it clear that this friend was not a car person, and would be best off with a large, boring SUV or crossover/wagon. So what does the very first person suggest? That for that kind of money, they should have no trouble picking up a (make model omitted because I'm not trying to be a dick to this commenter), a small, sporty hatchback that would be way more fun than any crossover. This is not a unique situation. The scary thing about that cartoon video of some guy giving advice to a working-class mom to buy an old M3 is that it's very accurate (If someone could post that video in the comments so I could link to it, that would be cool, because I can't find it). We seem to think that the answer must always, metaphorically, be Miata. What I mean by this is, as enthusiasts, we will often try to steer anyone who asks us for car buying advice towards something we would want. Looking at a Chrysler Town & Country? Why not get a Mazda5, it's more fun! Looking at a Lexus IS convertible? Why not get a Mustang convertible, it's more fun! And so on, and so forth. Yet for the majority of people out there, the answer is most definitely not Miata. They want a car that suits their own needs at the best possible value, and they don't want to spend any more to get something fun or interesting. And why should they? If they don't care about their car, why should they spend more money buying what we think they should have? Why would I spend $200 for a pair of Air Jordans, when my $30 Converse do the job I want them to do just fine? Yes, the Jordans will offer better performance and more style, but I don't care about that, so the fact that they are the better choice doesn't matter.

Enter the Prius. While it may not be interesting or exciting in any way, it does have many things going for it. It's comfortable, easy to drive (once you get used to that gear shifter), relatively spacious, and of course, it will do between 45 and 50 average miles per gallon, double that of the average car, thanks to its hybrid drivetrain and slippery shape. It has nothing for us to be particularly excited about, but all these are features that make it very attractive to normal compact/midsized car buyers. At one point, maybe a month ago, I read a comment on an article about hybrids in the HOV lane that put what I'm trying to say into words more simply and directly than I could ever hope to. "If you're not going to drive something interesting, at least drive something efficient." Amen. If you have $25-30,000 to spend on a car, and you aren't interested in cars, I would much rather see you in a Toyota Prius than a sporty, fun Mazda 6. The simple reason is, if you don't care about cars, than driving the fun Mazda will do nothing for you. You will have sacrificed a more efficient car in lieu of a more fun car, and you won't notice any of that fun. If someone's just going to be chugging along in a standard, boring, day-to-day commute, why shouldn't they save some gas while doing it?

If people are going to buy a car as a Point A to Point B appliance, which most people are, they should consider a Prius, because it does this job very well. And in a time when the supply of the world's oil is running out and pollution is literally hanging heavy over our heads, are we really going to criticize those who buy a Prius, when we ourselves can't be coaxed out of our fossil-fuel loving ways? It's fine if you don't want to rush out and sell you Panther-platform or RX-7 for a hybrid, but just know that those who do are making a very logical, educated decision. Furthermore, they really ought not to be scorned for it, no matter how boring the car is, or how self righteous they come across. We need cars like the Prius in our world, because it is a high performance car, and just because it's not the sort of performance we care about doesn't mean it isn't the kind of performance that isn't important.

DISCUSSION (63)

spanfucker retire bitch > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
06/19/2014 at 12:18

I would rather get a Volt.

macanamera > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
06/19/2014 at 12:18

Do you know why Prius drivers drive slow?

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
06/19/2014 at 12:22

From my perspective, there are more interesting cars that are as or nearly as efficient, and probably better per dollar than the Prius in other respects. Even the Insight, smacking as it does of me-too, is more interesting. Thus, the Prius is a mark of bad judgment.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > spanfucker retire bitch
06/19/2014 at 12:22

So would I.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > macanamera
06/19/2014 at 12:23

I would presume it's to save gas.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > macanamera
06/19/2014 at 12:23

Because they suck?

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
06/19/2014 at 12:25

The Insight is rated at a significantly lower average MPG than the Prius. And perhaps I didn't make this clear, but we are talking about people that really, really don't care how interesting their car is.

For Sweden > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
06/19/2014 at 12:26

Q: Why don't you like the Prius?

A: It's more basic than a White girl confirming that her Starbucks latte is half-calf.

EL_ULY > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
06/19/2014 at 12:26

I'd rock a Prius, cool tech and save money while stuck in traffic.....ALL THE TIME!!!!

Of course, will hoon it around on empty streets and through rail road crossing, weeee!

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > For Sweden
06/19/2014 at 12:27

I have literally no idea what your point is.

macanamera > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
06/19/2014 at 12:28

Because it's hard to drive fast while patting yourself on the back

Forgetful > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
06/19/2014 at 12:29

Why should we care about people who don't care about their cars?

All you did was reinforce the stereotype of the Prius as an appliance in your defense of it, and that's exactly why most here don't like it. It's just an appliance and has zero appeal to most enthusiasts. This is an automotive enthusiasts site after all. We get that people who don't care about cars just want the best appliance for the job, but that should have no bearing on my opinion of a car as an enthusiast.

For Sweden > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
06/19/2014 at 12:29

http://nymag.com/thecut/2014/04…

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > macanamera
06/19/2014 at 12:30

*facepalm* Yes, there are many self-righteous Prius drivers. There are also self-righteous BMW/Audi/Mercedes drivers, and people who drive a lot worse than just driving self-righteously.

tromoly > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
06/19/2014 at 12:30

I dislike the driver rather than the car, unless the car is just not practical (coughMiatacough), but universally the car most driven by drivers I yell at in my head are those driving a Prius, I don't know if that's what the majority of bad drivers in my area drives or if they just feel entitled, but they're just not fun to be around because sooner rather than in 5 minutes, I'll get cut-off by them.

Now don't think I hate the technology, personally I quite like the Camry Hybrids at work.

macanamera > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
06/19/2014 at 12:31

I just wanted to drop a Prius joke...

Saracen > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
06/19/2014 at 12:31

Wall of text about a Prius...

Kinja'd!!!

Saracen > macanamera
06/19/2014 at 12:32

/highfive

I'll be using that one...

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Forgetful
06/19/2014 at 12:32

Yes, but it doesn't mean we need to sit here and complain about everyone who drives one just because they aren't like us.

Also, there appear to be some of us that would dearly love to convert people to automotive enthusiasm by putting them in a more "Jalop" car.

Garrett Davis > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
06/19/2014 at 12:32

Great write up! While I have no love for the Prius, I agree with most everything said here. I do have a secret crush on the Prius C, though...

Kinja'd!!!

It just has such great proportions. In some parralell universe, I would love to see a hot hatch version of this.

webmonkees > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
06/19/2014 at 12:33

Kinja'd!!!

If I'm going to pay a premium for advanced technology, I want my choice of doors.

Eventually hybrid sport editions (that we can afford) will enable proper fast. Power at the wheels, ABS and traction control, it might do okay.

Right now it's quite expensive tech, they have develop for the 'mass market', not quite realizing a small cool car might get people to upgrade to the larger sedans aka iPod>iPad.

Save the environment, burn the tires. Wait, I have to disable traction control.. where's the launch button?

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > For Sweden
06/19/2014 at 12:34

And what has that got to do with a Prius?

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > macanamera
06/19/2014 at 12:35

Okay, that's cool.

I Hoon Therefore I Am > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
06/19/2014 at 12:35

The Prius is a horrible all around compromise. If you want fuel efficiency and range get a diesel or a Volt or an ELR. Even our glorious overlords at the FP show what an A-8 can accomplish and that was in the land of unrestricted speed. Ultimately it also isn't what you drive but how you drive it. Automakers like to claim certain a efficiency but that all goes out the window in the real world where the locations are as varied as the people that drive cars. Until all electric cars finally come into their own most hybrids will just be a poor middle ground.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
06/19/2014 at 12:36

It's not only a question of how interesting the car is, but I always contend that those people *should at least care* how interesting their car is an appliance. They don't have to be a car guy - but a Prius is cheap (not in the sense of inexpensive) and dull, dull, dull. They've given up the first step in their role as a customer without a fight.

41/44 vs. 51/48 will depend on the balance of driving, and that's a far smaller gap than at first appears. Going by the fuel cost per mile, the Insight is going to use ~10% more fuel - okay, but taking the average 25 minute commute and 16 miles, that comes out to cents a day. Something that makes comparative MSRPs and monthly payments a good bit more interesting.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Saracen
06/19/2014 at 12:36

Maybe this will help keep you awake. It always helps me.

Vicente Esteve > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
06/19/2014 at 12:37

Im looking at you M Sport pack white 320i Auto with the guy in multicolored sunglasses driving it.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Garrett Davis
06/19/2014 at 12:37

Thanks! & Yeah, that is my favorite (or least hated) version of the Prius.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > webmonkees
06/19/2014 at 12:39

I kind of get your point. I think I agree, but I'm not quite sure what you're saying.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > I Hoon Therefore I Am
06/19/2014 at 12:42

The Chevy Volt is what I would pick over a Prius, but that doesn't mean the Prius isn't a good car. And I sincerely hope you did not just suggest that anyone looking to buy a $25,000 Prius should just go out and buy a $75,000 ELR or A8 diesel instead. And why is the Prius such a horrible compromise?

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
06/19/2014 at 12:44

The new Prius I rode around in a few weeks ago felt perfectly well screwed together. There's no way it can be that much different from the insight. And no, not everyone should care how interesting their car is, in the same way that I don't care how interesting my lawnmower or dishwasher is, because that's what they are to some people.

BrtStlnd > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
06/19/2014 at 12:49

I agree that hatred toward the Prius is misdirected. I think it's a good choice for lots of people... it's big enough to be a family car, efficient and reliable. I would consider it a well-made tool that doesn't fit what most petrolheads look for in a vehicle, but it's a bulls eye for a lot of the general public.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > BrtStlnd
06/19/2014 at 12:50

This. This is exactly what I'm trying to say.

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
06/19/2014 at 12:51

You may think I am a liar, but I saw a Prius driver pulled over for speeding yesterday. Ususally they are too busy holing up traffic in the fast lane so that you can see them saving the world.

#itsnotthecaritsthedriver

BrtStlnd > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
06/19/2014 at 12:52

My biggest problem with it is that it looks like a Prius, not a car.

Tekamul > For Sweden
06/19/2014 at 12:54

Should have been Why don't you like Prius drivers

Thanks for the education on all the bitches. I didn't get all of it, as that article was filled with words I didn't know (i.e. Fendi, Kreayshawn), but I immediately take issue the with Basic classification.

Now it's taken as old hat, but when it came out, the Prius was different because it was a purpose-built hybrid (I know the Insight was first, but nobody wanted a 2-seater), weird shapes and all (that only got weirder with the 2nd gen).

Now it may appear basic, but in the day, it was a Bad Bitch, as Toyota hung it out there as something completely different, yet functional, not just a poser. Sure now it's ubiquitous, but I think that makes the owners Basic , not the ride.

Forgetful > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
06/19/2014 at 12:54

Why not? I think there are better car choices than the Prius, even if you car is nothing more than an appliance. A car can be practical, economical, heck even be a hybrid and still have a soul. The Prius does not.

I don't see anything wrong with promoting automotive enthusiasm among the 'normals'. People who care about their cars tend to care more about driving properly, maintaining their cars properly and not owning cars that offend the senses.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
06/19/2014 at 12:55

My point: people who have no interest in what they buy (imputed "interesting": feature sets, basic elements of construction, general aesthetics, sturdiness, any and all of the above) are those most likely to buy items which are broadly crap. I would not buy a lawn mower with certain design elements, no more than I would buy a dishwasher with some others - does that make me a lawn mower or dishwasher enthusiast? Of course not, but function and design are important to me, as is (if available) the sense that what I'm making use of was not designed by a cybernetic dead fish with an abacus.

Broadly, "cost ueber alles" and statement purchasers seem like why we can't have nice things sometimes.

djmt1 > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
06/19/2014 at 13:02

It's an easy target for countless jokes in a multitude of arguments thus has suffers the fate as the automotive world's whipping boy.

Personally my problem is the price. Put simply it's bad value just buy a diesel estate unless you really need to tell the world how much better you are because sometimes your car is running on batteries. Batteries that are produced by some of the most destructive form of mining on the planet but when your co2 emissions are so low you avoid congestion charge, I guess it is worth it.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast.
06/19/2014 at 13:34

I am more accustomed to seeing Prii driving fast and aggressive than slow and careful.

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
06/19/2014 at 13:35

They do, until they get in front of you...at least that is my experience.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > BrtStlnd
06/19/2014 at 13:35

True. I think a lot of people buy it as a statement. And it is a boring and kind of ugly.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Forgetful
06/19/2014 at 13:38

But the fact that the Prius has no soul does not change what it can do. And I don't know how many more ways I can put this, but the sort of people who are interested in a Prius (and there are a lot of them) are the sort of people that do not care one iota if there car has a soul.

Forgetful > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
06/19/2014 at 13:42

Right, but why should I change my opinion of the Prius for those people?

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
06/19/2014 at 13:44

But the Prius has features that mainstream buyers want. It has space, visibility, ease of use, reliability, low maintenance costs, high efficiency, and a relatively low purchase cost. And it's not horribly made.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > djmt1
06/19/2014 at 13:49

In Europe, people do. In the united states, there are very few diesel family cars and none that will match the Prius's MPG.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Forgetful
06/19/2014 at 13:50

You shouldn't, but people in general can stop complaining about them and the people who drive them. I don't like the Pruis either, but I realize it's a good choice for a lot of people, and I don't sit around talking about how it's the worst car you can buy and people who buy them are self righteous idiots who didn't do any research and bought it for the image and thus ended up with a shitty car.

Forgetful > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
06/19/2014 at 13:56

I have an opinion about a car. I'm allowed to voice that opinion when and where I choose. If you're gonna bring up a car I don't like, I might tell you why I don't like it. There happens to be a lot of people of the same opinion here. This is how it works.

You can't deride a group mentality and then try to get everyone to agree with you in that opinion.

Forgetful > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
06/19/2014 at 13:57

Basically it's just as bad, if not worse than all of us hating on it, if we all agree to like it.

djmt1 > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
06/19/2014 at 14:01

How is the diesel situation in America, is a lack of cars or a lack of lack of places to fill up. Given how much Americans love torque, you'd think they would be flying out the showrooms.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Forgetful
06/19/2014 at 14:13

I'm not trying to get you to change your opinion. I'm just trying to explain to people why it is that some people buy this car, since a lot of car people don't seem to get it at all. I realize you have an opinion. I even agree, in large part, with that opinion. I just want to make sure that people consider the fact carefully before deciding they hate something.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Forgetful
06/19/2014 at 14:14

I'm not trying to get everyone to like it. But it's not the horrible evil threat to motordom that everyone says it is.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > djmt1
06/19/2014 at 14:21

There is diesel available at almost every gas station. It's a lack of (non-premium) diesel cars.

Forgetful > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
06/19/2014 at 14:28

I don't think you can lump everyone who dislikes the Prius in to one group.

Some don't like the idea of hybrid tech. That's not me. Some don't like the looks. I agree. Some don't think the price premium is worth it. I'm in that camp too. Some people don't like any 'appliance grade' cars, whether it's a Camry, Focus, Prius or Jetta. I'm not one of those. Some people are tired of the smug 'environmentalists' who tout their amazing fuel mileage while ignoring the impact that the batteries have on the environment. I agree with that sentiment. Some think it feels 'cheap' inside. I wouldn't know.

Lets not kid ourselves here the Prius is selling, literally, in boat loads. Oppo is not in their expected demographics for the car. They've designed and marketed car for a certain kind of car buyer, and they're doing a great job of getting the cars under the butts of people who want them.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Forgetful
06/19/2014 at 14:32

Exactly. I find the Prius too slow, too ugly, and too expensive for what it is. But you make a perfect point. We are not the target buyer for the Prius, but toyota knows who is, and they built a car for those people.

djmt1 > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
06/19/2014 at 14:42

And with that I will officially stop shitting on American hybrid drivers. I sort of get the Estate/Wagon situation but this diesel issue blows my mind because except for some sports car, virtually every car available in the UK has a diesel variant and I assumed this is just a standard practice among car manufacturers.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
06/19/2014 at 14:48

Perhaps I should be clearer: "cheap" manufacture is not necessarily poor manufacture any more than it is inexpensive. Cheap is just... cheap. Oddly, that isn't even the same thing as spartan, because often that sort of creeping basicness infuses a broad feature set rather than being seen in very basic construction. Just... malaise. Perhaps Toyota have stepped up their game of late, I don't know - but as there are many ways of styling, there are many ways of cost reduction, and the type I tend to encounter in recent Toyotas including the Prius repulses me.

As to the Prius feature set - my point is not that it doesn't have that feature set, it never was. In full acknowledgment of that feature set, I believe comparable features are available for better value on the dollar *considering what you get*. Unless that *exact* feature set is what is required on every point, the Prius is the lazy option. It's like buying the latest iPhone - are most buyers buying it because they've realistically weighed the feature set, or because it's "the latest iPhone"? Having a need for the exact feature set in some cases does not preclude a mob behavior and lack of imagination in most cases, and promotes the resting-on-laurels by a manufacturer that led to the current Corolla (also a popular lightning rod of hate around here). In fairness, Toyota have taken some steps lately to freshen the Prius up a bit. Is it enough? I don't know.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > djmt1
06/19/2014 at 15:02

Nope. BMW, Audi, and Mercedes all sell diesels over here, but those are out of reach for most people, obviously. Other than that, you have a few VWs and the Chevy Cruze. Oh, and full-sized pickups.

Kinja'd!!!

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
06/19/2014 at 15:09

I will say, you are right that a lot of people are "iPhone buyers" of the Prius. But the iPhone is still an excellent product, as is the Prius. As for it being good value, that's a matter of opinion. I would never buy a Prius, because I think it's too boring and too expensive. But then again, when I was buying a smartphone, I did research. Which told me to buy the HTC One over the iPhone. So I did.

Also, for what it's worth, here's the interior of a new Prius. It's not great, it's not awful, it just is.

Kinja'd!!!

webmonkees > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
06/19/2014 at 18:27

Heh, get that a lot in all aspects of communication.

The point: EVs are boring right now because they are trying to make it affordable and nearly losing money making the things. But when it gets more common, more fun.

That economical love-hate VW Beetle eventually led to the love-love GTi.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
06/19/2014 at 22:53

I'm going to consider a B-class electric on Mercedes master lease in the future. I would rock an insight long before a prius. Or any modern diesel.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
06/20/2014 at 13:46

And the Cruze might be considered the hipster diesel, because it's so ironic.

Considering this:

Kinja'd!!!

I give you, the Oldsmobile Diesel V8. Designed by Roger Smith* to single-handedly ruin the reputation of the passenger car diesel in the US for close to a quarter century.

Outside of VW and MB owners anyway...

(* Roger Smith was running GM at the time of this calamity, which had a reputation brought about due to lazy corporate culture and general disregard for the consumer. If Mary Barra is responsible for the new phenomenon of "Will it knee?", then Roger Smith is likewise directly responsible for the Oldsmobile LF9 V8 diesel)

S60 Sasha > Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast.
06/21/2014 at 13:17

I believe you. I was speeding to work going 50 in a 40 yesterday morning, when a white Prius goes speeding by me and swerving between all the cars, barely braking on time at red lights and then taking off again.

What. 0_0