Rant

You know, Lilah and I have been looking for an economic hybrid vehicle to replace our truck. We looked at the Ford Hybrid Escape and we like the way it looks, but the price was just more that we felt justified in paying since most of it is going to the dealer in markup. No bargining on the most popular vehicle on the lot...

But I don't fault Ford. If you make a good product and put it in a sexy package, well you should get a good price for it. But what I don't get is The Honda Insight or The Toyota Prius. These are two of the highest mileage vehicles by almost double what anything else is getting. But style? Design? Are they intentionally trying to limit sales? Toyota and Honda both have a very nice lineup of attractive vehicles, but these two particular hybrid powertrains (they are different powerplants and technology) are packaged in what has to be the ugliest looking vehicle since the Pacer X.
Why wouldn't a manufacture try to sell these hybrids to the mainstream market by putting them in a more conventional shell?
Well, Honda and Toyota aren't listening to my little rant, to be sure; but there will be some other dealership that hears my words as we write out a check for their vehicle. And that's just it--how many people are willing to pay more and sacrafice mileage and environmental standards just because these two manufactures have chosen to put great vehicles in butt ugly packages?

If i could stick my tongue out at Toyota and Honda in print i would... maybe: 8^P

:jnl