Miley Cyrus Trades In SUV For Prius, Calls Prius A "Chick Car" (POLL)

It's nice when people trade in SUVs for hybrids, and nice when that trade-in gets some press, I suppose, but... "a chick car?"

Pop star Miley Cyrus traded in her sporty Porsche birthday present for an eco-friendly Toyota Prius , because she felt like a hypocrite behind the wheel of a gas guzzler.

But, after selling the sportscar to a family friend, Cyrus' dad Billy Ray decided to take his daughter car shopping -- and, at first, he wasn't sold on the idea of buying her a Prius.

Miley adds, "He thought it was a chick car, so he didn't like it that much, and it is a chick car."

So... how 'bout it?

Quick Poll

Is a Prius a chick car?

No, it's a car for anybody who wants to reduce their impact on the earth.

Yes, it's a car for anybody who wants to reduce their impact on the earth.

Yes, a real man drives an electric motorcycle.

I find your question to be fundamentally flawed and cannot believe I'm participating in this poll.

Comments

[daedelus]

He'd be happier with the Prius if it came with a gun rack.

[JScott]

Don't forget the Dodge La Femme
http://img.motorpasion.com/2008/05/1956_dodge_la_femme.jpg

[laucarlson]

We love our Prius. It can haul half a ton of livestock feed (in sacks). Maybe it IS a chick car--we raise chickens, too.

[matthewhusseinsmith]

Don't know about a chick car but it sure is not pretty; looks like a platypus.

[redhot200822]

New stimulus package will replace the entire federal fleet of cars with Prius.

[michmudder]

Huh? Have you been hanging out with Michael Phelps?

[JScott]

I thought a 'Chic' car was the Mercury Cougar or if they were Miley's age an old Mercury Comet-cheap an reliable transportation.

[RegularEinstein]

The concept of a "chick car" is little more than a marketing gimmick from the good ol' boys at GM, Ford, Chrysler, etc. In the good times the big 3 wanted men to believe that fuel-efficient subcompacts were for women and "girlie men". They convinced us so through gimmicky advertising which showed macho, cowboy type men driving H3s, Explorers, and Wranglers and that any man who drove less might as well dress up on mommy's clothes. To a lesser degree Toyota and Honda are just as guilty but it was primarily the American Big 3 that started us on this path.

[Luxvonborn]

Well, to the point of Chick car vs. Male car as engine output I agree with you. Efficiency and such can be a hallmark of a male car. However, to say that there chick cars don't exist... that's, I'm sorry to say, wrong. A Honda CRX hatchback, which is plenty fuel efficient, is a car most women won't drive. Women can drive "male" cars, they just generally don't, which is what separates them. Generally, male cars call for higher performance in some regard, that is true. Generally, styling on a girl car is a little less aggressive; i.e., no upswept headlights, rakish styling, etc.

http://www.forbes.com/2006/06/26/car-sales-gender_cx_dl_0627featA_ls.html?partner=alerts
http://www.forbes.com/2005/05/23/cx_dl_0523feat.html
Again, you can have smaller cars that are guy cars, but generally their performance has to be higher, or they have to be uncomfortable/impractical. Not trying to be antagonistic, but pointing out there is a wide gulf between guy and girl car preferences (if they have enough flexibility to choose).

[degenerate1991]

Yeah, Chrysler was really big on that. Take the Dodge Daytona/Chrysler Conquest/Plymouth Laser Vs. a Chrysler Sebring (better yet, a convertible).

[RichDavid]

Call me what you will.....I have $18.00 fill ups and a tank lasts me for 2 weeks.
Maybe we should all be girls!

Butch Boss

[redhot200822]

Love my Prius. Hope gas goes to $ 50.00 per gallon. LOL. Go Detroit !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good bye.

[michmudder]

see "Test Drive: 2010 Ford Fusion is best gas-electric hybrid yet" http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/reviews/healey/2009-02-05-2010-ford-fusion-hybrid_N.htm

[goodgravy]

same here, butch. we traded an infinity FX 14mpg for our prius. couldn't be happier.

[degenerate1991]

I call a Prius an expensive car. If one actually cared about the environment, they would buy an early 90s/late 80s subcompact car ( e.g. Geo Metro) and drive that; many (hint: stick shifts) get gas mileage as good as a hybrid, sans batteries. If safety is your primary concern, then don't drive; driving is dangerous whether you drive a Ford Pinto or an Expedition. Personally, I'm still hunting for my perfect subcompact (one came close, but was an automatic, which get about 10MPG less and are dangerously slow), so I drive a '91 Accord for now, which gets 30 MPG, still not bad for a relatively large sedan.

[BLinCincinnati]

Late 70's early 80's Dodge Colt. 45 mpg highway, 29 city.

Friend had one in college... filled up the tank once a month.

[degenerate1991]

I like the Plymouth version (Champ), but good luck finding one of those in your local paper.

[Luxvonborn]

Of course it's a chick car... It's about the statement and style, NOT the actual savings.

REAL men, who work on cars... build their own. Or get the conversion kit. Or buy a Tesla or something.
Or, do a George Clooney: http://www.electrifyingtimes.com/ClooneyTango.html

To get the basic idea... http://auto.howstuffworks.com/electric-car7.htm

Note: My point is not that Prius are bad inherently, but the smug, sit on your butt consumer attitude that comes with them is. If you have millions, at least do more than buy a standard prius. BAAA go the sheep consumers.

[Tim303]

I don't have a million. I have a Prius. I am a man. It's by far the most popular car where I live.

[Luxvonborn]

That's cool. I was primarily responding to Miley, who could afford to be transported via litter if she so desired. However, I am responding to you in part. Buying a Prius can be fine- but the entire "I'm such a good liberal, with my Prius, etc." gets too simplistic. Retrofitting a car to go electric costs $5,000-10,000 for most cars. The range sucks, but then, if you wanna go green, why not have a dedicated green car, and a milder SUVish alternative? The green car is for within ~50 miles of your home, which is the majority of trips. The SUV is when you have to go, and you have lots of things. Can be cheaper, and pragmatic. In fact, it costs about 10 grand to retrofit a Prius to better than double your mileage, to about 100 mpg. My problem is people being complacent with cars. Far better to slow down production of cars, and use the ones we have, to RECYCLE them, rather than let 'em rot, buy new ones- if you were to retrofit older cars to be more efficient, it's far more efficient than all buying Priuses.

Plus, I REALLY dislike their appearance. Personal thing, I know. But, it is what it is. I'm just trying to give alternatives here- I celebrate diversity in all things.

[RoseMerry]

I was surprise - I thought this comment was by someone with large testicles than a brain. Ms. Cyrus makes me think of that song she sang in her last movie, "War, Inc."

[Bitsko]

Please, in about thirty years, remind me to care.

[flymic]

miley has spoken... it shell be written.

[walk0nwalls]

Uh no, Prius in my towns signals "liberal". They usually comes with Obama stickers standard too.

Chick car indeed.

[Egalitare]

GM said "thanks, but no thanks" to some grad students at UMich who suggested prior to the recent oil shock that they could load the Hummer with 400 or so pounds of electric motor and batteries and roll out a hybrid version that would exceed 20 mph. Anyone who owns a Hummer knows that essentially cuts fuel costs for that vehicle in half.

But that would have risked it being derided as a "chick car"....