I am referring to oranges and you are referring to apples.

2005 AWD Escape Hybrid
Best tank trip MPG 39.02 (scangauge II) for 402 miles on I-70, 10.3 gallons used over mostly flat terrain.

Best tank trip MPG 34.6 for E30 for 271 miles along I-80 in Indiana and Ohio.

Or just resistant to paying $$$$$ to be 'beta testers' for technology 'not ready for prime time'.

From a way-cool tech standpoint, the Honda FCX Clarity is right up there. There is also no way would I spend my $$$$$ for the current generation. If and when an appropriate fueling infrastructure is developed, or a on-board reformer/H2 generator is provided, maybe, provided the cost is reasonable. The appeal of 0 direct CO2 emissions, no HC, NOx. or VOC emissions, although quite compelling, isn't enough to overcome the day-to-day livability compromises.

I recently purchased a TCH, and did so because the model, the hybrid system (HSD) and all the various components have been around long enough to establish a track record of reliable performance, at least up to 5 years/100K miles. I still have a concern around 10+ year battery durability, and the ability of the field techs to properly diagnose things as they wear. The factory warranty takes the financial uncertainty out of the equation; if Toyota didn't warrant the HSD and the batteries for the anticipated ownership duration, I'd have passed. Given the inherent complexity of the system, the software, and the control systems, the quality of after-sale support is critical to a good owner experience for folks (like myself) that simply want a car that runs reliably, is ready to go every time, and doesn't consume much fuel doing it.

The issue, IMHO opinion, isn't so much an aversion to new technology, it's a voice of experience of half-baked ideas getting out to the field and causing never-ending frustration to the end-user.