This connects to bwilson's insult thread too.

The Prius is a "boutique" car for many people. I mean, think about it: it's a $30,000 "economy" car. Uh-uh. "Rich" people buy Prius's very often to make a statement or "do their part." Did you ever hear of a Hollywood movie star driving their HCH to the Oscars? Why not?

Because unlike the boutique Prius, most people buy the $21,000 Civic as a very well appointed but comparatively inexpensive econo-car. I don't have firm evidence for this outside my buying experience and talking with friends, but my sense is that the HCH isn't seen as a "hybrid" *first*. Look at the Prius, in contrast, and you can *only* see a hyrbid because that's all it's ever been.

Add in the fact that it's not a "mild" hybrid, and the fact that it was the "prototype" and thus paragon of a superbly successful dedicated drivetrain technology.

The hype holds up on closer inspection, too, since the Prius has enough electric to not just not-slow-down-so-fast in EV mode like the HCH (mostly) does -- the Prius is actually a fully functional EV over a reasonably wide range of driving loads and conditions.

And, rightly or wrongly, the Prius has those EPA numbers that make it *look* like an EV -- truly high-impact numbers. The HCH isn't too shabby either (hell, I think it's fantastic, given what its system is), but just about every other hybrid out there simply isn't truly a "high mileage" vehicle -- their systems just slightly take the edge off the mileage pain (115% of 25 realworld mpg is still only 29 mpg).

Last but not least, specifically as to the lack of awareness of the HCH: Honda is already known as a high-mileage automaker, always has been (and not in every case deservedly) -- but they've always had the most efficient cars, and they've had "normal" small-gas cars that busted 50 mpg. So, you hear about a Honda that's EPA rated 49/51, you think, so what? But when you see a Toyota -- not known as gas-guzzlers, but they're no Honda -- with *60* mpg -- man, *that's* what a hybrid should do.

Some possibilities, anyway.
cheers --
doug

2007 HCH: lovin' every minute of it