Dear Valued Hybrid Customer...
 

Dear Valued Hybrid Customer...
The Wall Street Journal

By Holman W. Jenkins Jr.
Nov. 30, 2005

We at the Toyota Motor Corporation are writing to address certain misconceptions that have arisen about your Toyota Prius model, which we are proud to note is driven by many celebrities, including Prince Charles and HBO's Larry David.

Our pioneering gasoline-electric hybrid, introduced in 1999, has become an object of adoration to the world's enlightened car buyers. Our competitors, including America's Big Three, are rushing out hybrid vehicles of their own. Unconfirmed media reports say that we at Toyota intend to double our hybrid output to 500,000 vehicles next year. Along with other members of the auto industry, we will be lobbying for tax breaks and HOV privileges for hybrid vehicles.

However, any romance entering its seventh year tends to go stale. Some purchasers have begun to question the practical value of our Hybrid Synergy Drive technology. You may be aware that a survey by Consumer Reports found that our vehicles achieve considerably less mileage (some 26 percent less) than the sticker rating implies. This has led to some unflattering media stories.

Let us assure you that the Prius remains one of the most fuel-efficient cars on the road. Toyota applauds your willingness to spend $9,500 over the price of any comparable vehicle for the privilege of saving, at current gasoline prices, approximately $580 a year.

And should the price of gasoline rise to $5, after 10 years and/or 130,000 miles of driving, you might even come close to breaking even on your investment in hybrid technology.

We recognize that our customers have an "emotional" relationship with their vehicles. This transcends even the regrettable truth that driving a fuel-efficient car does not yield any substantial benefits for society if it doesn't save the owner money.

Contrary to any loose statements made by our marketing partners in the environmental community and media, petroleum not consumed by Prius owners is not "saved." It does not remain in the ground. It is consumed by someone else. Greenhouse pollutants are released. Also, please note that the warranty and owner's manual say nothing about reducing America's dependence on foreign oil. This is not an oversight. The Prius is an "oil-dependent" vehicle. It runs on gasoline, supplied by the same world market that fuels other vehicles.

The Toyota Corporation regrets any misunderstanding our marketing may inadvertently have caused (or may cause in the future).

We share your belief that the days of the internal combustion engine are numbered. Further research by our economists suggests this will happen when the price of gasoline rises high enough to make alternative technologies cheaper than gasoline-powered cars.

We at Toyota want you to know we recognize this effect and have taken steps to compensate with the rest of our vehicle lineup.

Our 2006 Tundra pickup will be equipped with Toyota's new eight-cylinder engine, making it every bit as much of a gas guzzler as any American pickup. We are also redirecting our efforts to use our Hybrid Synergy Drive to increase power output rather than reduce gasoline consumption.

Take our new hybrid SUV, which produces 38 more horsepower but gets the same mileage as our conventional version. A New York Times reviewer wrote, "One question lingers after driving the 2006 Lexus RX400h: How did it come to this, that Toyota is now selling a hybrid gas-electric vehicle with no tangible fuel economy benefits?"

We hope this corrects any misimpression caused by our latest slogan ("Commute with Nature"). Hybrid technology is not "green" technology. Like heated seats or flashy exterior trim, it's merely an expensive option that generates large markups for the Toyota Corporation and its dealers.

You will share our pride in the latest figures from J.D. Power & Associates, which show that the Prius continues to move off a dealer's lot in just eight days, compared to 36 days for a Honda Civic hybrid. Clearly, our customers are willing to pay handsomely for the privilege of showing themselves behind the wheel of so conspicuously virtuous a vehicle.

But we are also a far-seeing corporation. We recognize that the Prius's distinctiveness may be a wasting asset for reasons outlined in this letter. Other motorists may see the Prius operator and think "sucker." Our lawyers advise us this may affect your car's resale value. Toyota regrets any inconvenience.

We want you to know that Toyota remains committed to advancing hybrid technology just as long as our customers are willing to make it worth our while. Our esteemed competitor, Nissan's Carlos Ghosn, was recently quoted saying, "There's such a buzz today that no CEO of a car manufacturer dares to say his real opinion of hybrid because he's accused of being retarded."

Another esteemed competitor, GM, has suggested that hybrid technology is best deployed in city buses, where large fuel consumption and stop-and-go driving might actually make it economically sensible.

These are just two examples of the short-sighted, stick-in-the-mud marketing instincts of our fellow automakers that are helping to make Toyota the largest car company in the world.

Yours Truly, the Toyota Corporation.

bwaaahahahaha....... thats a good one...:D

Read that at lunch today,,,, a lot of truth there.

Yeah....people don't buy them expecting to save money around here....they want to drive in the HOV lanes without actually carpooling with anyone...

I use less fuel per person per mile in my Benz driving into DC with my wife riding along than some blowhard in a Prius driving alone......

Hybrid is a scam compared to diesel. Sorry, but drive a Golf TDI with a TRUE 50+MPG and performace and THEN come back and talk to me. That is, of course, AFTER you spend time in the dealership getting the batteries replaced when they no longer hold a charge.

Sorry, I looked into buying one, and they are suckers bet.

That's my IMHO.

:)

I agree with you..you are far better off with the VW TDI than the Prius or any of the other Hybrids 99% of the time.


Hell the prius will make the Newer Benzes look easy to maintain when the milage starts to get up there.....

Can it be... has the world stopped turning? Gotta, WE AGREE! :grin:

-Chris (loving my 98 TDI)

when i get my license and i ever pull up next to a hybrid and they have their windows down im just going to yell out suckers!!! and leave them in a cloud of biodiesel... caring for the enviroment and riding in sweet sweet comfort

Oh come on, we all know hybrids are for status, not for fuel efficientcy.

Kind of a chuckle to watch them squeal over at www.priuschat.com - the original poster wondered why Toyota was slamming the Prius in the WSJ...

http://priuschat.com/Dear-Valued-Hybrid-Customer-t13086.html

I know she is hoping to anyway....

in 5 years costco will be selling the batteries for those by the pallet :)

did you go to the performance mods section.. all i see are stuff about block heaters head lights and loser crap like that.. soooo funny.. you can tdo anything to those cars at all... people are such suckers.. i say toyota change their slogan to PT Barnums "a sucker is born every minute"

and i was in the appearnce mods section and their is a thead on lambo doors.. one guy says in reply to the thread before him "that model is a classic year 2001-2004" classic.. wtf my car is a classic

The batteries have proven to be pretty reliable, its just the cost of the Prius seems counter productive to saving money on fuel. You can get a civic or a corolla and drive just as comfortably and pretty efficiently in that for way less money.

not a math major, but....
 

If you go through 2 tanks of Diesel per month.
That's roughly, $100. / month in fuel = $1,200 / year.
Buy an '85 W123 for say $2,500...and drive it for another 20 years....

and it will still be cheaper than just the purchase price of a Prius hybrid...

And if you compound your savings at a reasonable rate you can afford to reach in your pocket and buy almost anything made. The real trick is when you can make your wife understand that those new shoes are really worth $5,000 and she likes it.:D You see my poor stable below, but you just wouldn't believe the wife's.