Perhaps you’ll read that title and think, “Well, I guess he’s finally just given up. Certainly slippers and some sort of muumuu can’t be far behind.”
While those things are appealing in their own right, I want to present a far stronger case for why the Toyota Prius is worthy of appreciation in our world. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that the Prius is the Miata of derp cars.
[Is the Prius the Miata of derpy cars?]
I mean, all you have to do is look at production numbers to see that both of those iconic marques have owned their respective niches since introduction. Mazda has churned out over 1.1 million Miatas since the car’s debut in late 1989 as a 1990 model, while Toyota has built around the same number of second-generation Priuses–like the 2005 model I just added to the fleet.
But if you need an even more stark example of the ubiquity of each car, put down this magazine and go to your computer–unless you’re reading it on your computer, then just make a grunting sound of acknowledgement or something.
Now go to Wikipedia, open the page on hybrid vehicles, and tell me the first picture you see. Yeah, it’s a Prius. Now browse over to the Wiki entry for roadster (automobile). Do I even have to prepare you for the fact that the image at the top of the page is a Miata? No, I don’t. You knew before you even clicked.
The Miata legitimized the rebirth of the roadster into modern times–not simply by existing, but by being really, really good. Likewise, the Prius’ success legitimized a new automotive category. It was the first mass-market hybrid to be delivered to consumers (in Japan), and while the Honda Insight beat it to market in the U.S., the Prius that dropped as a 2001 model could seat five to the Honda’s two and was priced right in…
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