It's interesting to see the people with so much emotional fanfare (or hatred), for the Prius and almost none for the Honda hybrids. (The first hybrid sold in the U.S. was the Honda Insight).
Speaking of emotional reactions, much of the reason our society loves cars is because of the joy we derive from driving them. And let's face it, the joy of driving a car goes beyond saving
gas....it also derives from the handling, or going around a corner with
zeal.
The Prius is a wonderful little car for saving gas and it is quite well-designed. Yet despite its fuel economy...it is not a fun car to drive, i.e., it's not a "driver's car".
If you reference side-by-side comparisons and ratings of the the Prius with the Honda Civic Hybrid done by Car & Driver, Motor Trend, Road & Track, the Civic won the comparisons every time. It won on the basis of being a more enjoyable car to drive.
