For the past two years of ownership, I haven't had any negative responses while driving my hybrid. However, the word hybrid is in really small print on the trunklid of my car. I kinda like it that way. I enjoy what I drive and don't feel I need to advertise it. I still get a chuckle out of the other drivers that have the make and/or model of their car plastered across their windshield/rear glass. Like, people need to be reminded what kind of car it is. For example, the window decal that goes across the whole top of the windshield that would say something like Toyota on a Corolla. Or a large badge in the back window of a Mustang that says... Mustang. How funny.

 

Here in Phoenix I drive in the carpool lane (by myself) on my way to work at 6am. I drive the posted speed and maybe a 2-3 mph over from time to time. This is why I get 61.5 mpg on my wat to work and 45.5 mpg (with AC on 100+ degrees out) on my way home. The funny thing is I see the same people when I come around the US-60/I-10 inter change every morning. These are the same people that pass me up going 80+ mph buring gas like it is 10 cents a gal.

 

For what ever reasn I've not had any problems with drivers in 3-1/2 years, except for two days straight when I had a bumper sticker that said:

"I get 65MPG...YOU?"

Everything was back to normal after I removed the sticker for my life.
I drive the speed limit with traffic on single lane roads, slower without.
I drive 60-68 on 70MPH 2 lane highways, always to the right. Traffic doesn't bother me, except I usually speed up a bit when I see a group of very congested cars coming up from behind.
I'm happy when there is a slow lumbering truck, as I can stay behind at a safe distance and it's only the truck that's noticed.

On a 5-7 lane 65MPH limit again, I'm always on the far right going 55-65.
On a 5-7 lane 55MPH limit I'm going 51-58.
Driving rush hour traffic, I'm usually getting between 750-800 miles/tank for my effort. (I do many other things to conserve fuel as well)
I commute 98 miles round-trip.

The lead-foots who invade the Right lane almost always just go around.

As far as dings go, the side of my '04 is 100% ding free. It's because I don't park it where anybody can smack it with a door. I'm very careful about it and don't mind a little exersize hiking across a parking lot.

Oddly, there's a 1/2 dollar size, 3-ding area on my trunk where the cable guy's machine tossed cement in the air and landed on my trunk.

I'm about to cross 100,000 miles and the front have maybe a dozen sand-size, and 3-4 somewhat larger rock pits.

The car looks about as good as when I got it- it took considerable effort to keep it that way. I always minimize the possibility of damage- heck, I even drive with my Right shoe off to keep the carpet mat from wearing out. I still wax 2x a year with good quality wax.

Obsessive? I dunno.
-Steve

 

I am sure everybody appreciate that you are saving fuel and helping us all by doing so... but it's the gloating that probably rubs most people the wrong way.

Try a sticker that says... help me save fuel. I sure you will get no negative reactions.

 

I like my hybrid badge. It only cost 6000.
Don't let other people control how you live. "F" em.

 

The gloating/smuggness thing is overated - many assume that everybody that drives a hybrid is like that. Mabye one of these days some of the people that think that way will be more rational and conclude there an alternative to paying extra for aggressive driving.

 

I have had the same experience a few times since I bought my hybrid. People will tailgate or honk their horn at me because I'm coasting a few yards to a red light. I did the same thing in my non-hybrid and didn't have as much aggression. It's unfortunate that people have to be so ignorant.

 

I have yet to have any kind of incident due to my hybrid and I've owned it for a number of years now.

 

I have had a guy in a F150 spit on my car while we were stopped at a light (once) and been given the bird (once) for no obvious reason other than the hybrid badge.

 

maybe you winked at him the wrong way. i just don't buy that it comes down to the car being driven. i'm sure non hybrid owners will have their own stories too.