The Toyota Prius is more than just a successful vehicle offering. Newsweek has said that the "hybrid may just be the biggest thing in cars since the combustion engine"

More importantly, the Prius changes the way we look at fuel economy. Much of the current fuel economy regulation is based on the unstated assumption that Americans don't want fuel efficiency vehicles. After all, if the market was demanding fuel efficient cars, the government wouldn't need to set fuel economy reuqirements. Instead, the market has been demanding bigger, stronger, faster vehicles and the industry has met demand.

Public interest in the Prius suggests that the marketplace may be demanding greater fuel efficiency. Thus, higher fuel prices coupled with newer technologies and good PR may succeed where federal regulation failed -- increasing demand for higher mileage vehicles.

See story (http://msnbc.msn.com/id/5830015/site/newsweek/)

I believe the underlying point is that the U.S. is a very greedy nation. Caught up in really insignificant unimportant junk(fast production cars, sports(players wages to be a little more specific. It's a 'freaking game). And breast sizes of 'no talent pop/rock stars, big time wrestling etc. But when you hit them in the 'pocket book' you at least get their attention. But their reaction time is still very slow. 'Pocket book' not only meaning the price of fuel, but the unstable(which we have been told numerous time is on the upswing HA!) economy. The loss of jobs and the greed of auto manufacturers. Someday we just might 'get it'. But I do have my doubts.

Toyota donated a prius to my college as part of their technical education network. I got to drive it, it did alright... I wasn't impressed by the design, it was slow, didn't manuver well, and there was hardly any leg room or head room. About the only good thing about it was the gas mileage. I tried to get as bad gas mileage as I possibly could. Managed to get it down to 32. Toyota will have to greatly improve the car if they want to be able to sell many.