I always thought it was strange that the Toyota Prius was nearly universally scorned by FReepers when it has some of the best automotive engineering ever.
The problem with the Prius is not the engineering, it is the appearance (they are butt ugly) and the majority of the people buying them are liberals who break their arms patting themselves on their backs to congratulate themselves for saving the planet.
I will tell you why: UGLY. And the early ones were just so slow from a standing start.