[elhigh]

Where I live, the dominant behavior is to drive like you want to get somewhere, and the vehicle in which people do that is a secondary detail. I think a lot of people purchase the Prius so they can get good fuel mileage and they don't have to think about how it happens - which is a defining characteristic of how they drove before they had a Prius.

To their credit, they chose a Prius. That they leave a tremendous amount of potential unrealized is unfortunate, but that's a product of their habits. They nevertheless opted for a thriftier vehicle.

When you think about it, there aren't many vehicles out there that will do more for you automatically than a Prius. Is it any surprise, then, that they aren't driven in a mindful manner? The vehicle itself doesn't encourage mindful behavior.