Ah, yes, it must be about time for another outburst of Prius stereotyping.
Three, two, one ... there! Did you hear it?
Over there, in the slightly shrill tones of the ever-shrinking but still testy New York Observer (still printed on orange paper, so Nineties)?
The paper attempted to survey New York City Toyota Prius owners as to whether or not they were concerned about the car's purported "life-threatening flaws," which have given the "ultimate cuddly totem of the smug liberal elite" an "ominous aura practically overnight."
2010 Toyota Prius side
2010 Toyota Prius
(For more details, see our guide to Toyota Prius sudden acceleration and brake safety recalls.)
So of course the Observer visited Park Slope, the progressive neighborhood of Brooklyn brownstones known for "eco-fanaticism," where of 14 grocery shoppers exiting the Food Co-Op, six were Prius drivers. The reporter counted dozens of Prius models on neighborhood streets.
Prius owners being mostly a sensible lot, the writer found few tales of hysteria, little weeping and wailing and gnashing of the teeth.
Instead, he compared their reactions to that of a parent "discovering that his child has a behavioral disorder," saying that they have simply accepted the possible flaws "and hopes they won't erupt at the wrong time."
Frankly, we like the comment attributed to one Ronni Horowitz, an elementary school teacher.
"Statistically speaking," she told the reporter, "I'm more likely to get hit by lightning."
[New York Observer via Motor Trend]
For more information ....
Visit our summary, Toyota And Lexus Recall: Everything You Need To Know, to get full details on all the recalls in North America. The article also includes what to do if your accelerator pedal sticks.
