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"As a dyed-in-the-wool enthusiast, I find superficial excess repulsive in whatever form it takes. Yes, I think heavy-duty trucks and SUVs are a garish display of vehicular excess unless they're towing, hauling, or otherwise justifying their gluttonous existence. But it wasn't until the second-generation Toyota Prius became the darling of the Hollywood left and the Brie & Merlot quasi-literati crowd that similar feelings of disdain for this posterchild of parsimony began to well up inside ***

Agree? Disagree? C'mon, share that glass of Merlot (Prius) or can of Bud (HUMMER).  

i agree.  the prius is an amazing car, no one can deny that. but it has turned into a status symbol.  *im not generalizing about all prius owners by any means, im speaking about those select smug individuals who think buying a car makes them a better person that the everyone else.

those wealthy people (not only celebs) buy one and stick their nose in the air, "im too good for all of you 'regular' people, i care about the planet, im better than you, im so conscious of the planet, im so cool"

as if the simple act of buying a car will magically turn you into an environmental activist and save the rain forrests.  buying that car is the only environmental conscious thing most celebs will ever do.  but thats not why they do it.  its cool to be p/c these days.  they buy one in hopes of helping their image, not the planet.

if you want to help the planet, go out there and do something about it, dont buy a car that still puts gas in its tank.  ride a bike, lobby for change... im not going to rant, but you get my point, buying a car doesnt make you Mother Teresa.  

i've never really had a problem with hummer drivers really, a few weird encounters with prius owners that think there hybrid can move like a supra though.  i guess generalized they're pretty alike, each one thinks their vehicle can do more than it actually can...but who doesn't think that way?  

As much as I don't like people that buy a car just for the image, I have to say that Hummer drivers are still way worse. Sure it may get on my nerves that someone thinks they are better than everyone else because they Drive a Prius, but it doesn't have an impact on me. The Hummer driver however, takes up way more space on the road, contributes more to polution, endangers other drivers with crappy brakes and handling plus when they hit something with their 3 ton monstrosity it does tons of damage, its headlights are at just the wrong height so they shine directly on my rear view, they contribute to high fuel prices and overall just make the world a worse place.

If someone feels better because they drive a Prius, at least they have reason too. It's like religion, believe whatever you want, just don't force it on me.  

well said.

has anyone seen that southpark where one of the guys gets a hybrid, and he  becomes so smug he likes to smell his own farts? i didnt watch it but saw the commercial, i think its along these lines.  

littledrifter:
well said.

has anyone seen that southpark where one of the guys gets a hybrid, and he  becomes so smug he likes to smell his own farts? i didnt watch it but saw the commercial, i think its along these lines.

I saw that episode.  It was Kyle's dad who got the hybrid if I remember right.  Kyle's dad was thinking he was so great that he had a hybrid that he couldn't live around other non hybrid owners so they moved to San Francisco to be around people just as smug as he was.  Kyle and his brother ended up on drugs as a way to cope with their dad's newfound smugness.