The Wall Street Journal’s Holman Jenkins‘ provocative column from a couple of weeks ago on the economics of the Toyota Prius hybrid automobile prompted a considerable amount of criticism from Prius owners, all of whom seem to be quite pleased with their decision to buy the vehicle. In response to that reaction, Mr. Jenkins pens this column ($) in today’s WSJ in which he defends his position that it does not make economic sense to overpay to save gasoline, but concedes that there are good reasons to buy a Prius:
Several Prius partisans emailed to say they purchased their cars not to save money but to save the earth, or at least make a statement about doing so. That’s a perfectly good reason to buy a car (as is wanting to meet girls). However, we doubt their Hollywood coreligionists would be so keen on solidarity if it meant driving around town in a Ford Fiesta.
I can just picture all of these WSJ readers nodding their approval of the article while sipping Starbucks coffee, with their Escalades, Hummers and Navigators parked out front. The point is that there may be cheaper ways to get work, such as a Corolla, but the Prius makes the statement that they CARE about using less war inducing gasoline. And, let’s face it, the tree hugging version of conservation does not play well in the US. If it takes a more gadget laden vehicle like the Prius and the new Lexus SUV hybrid to get us into less thirsty vehicles, so be it.
I have also noticed a stepped up attack on the Prius, reminiscent of the attacks on tree huggers on yesteryear. I suspect there is a guilty conscience at work here. Maybe the inherent smugness of the Prius owner contributes to these attacks, but really, is there anything more smug than an H2 owner bragging that he can afford the gas?
Face it: people buy vehicles for transportation, but we choose the type/model we buy based on many emotional and psychological factors, not the least of which is the feeling of superiority we get from owning a particular model. Happy Prius owners feel superior because they are saving the Earth, or gasoline; or they are intelligent or technically savvy enough to understand and appreciate what’s going on under the hood. I, on the other hand, feel superior because I understand the economics involved and have sense enough not to own one. It’s a miracle! Everyone feels superior!