Oil Consumption is Rising, Imports are Skyrocketing, and Our Vehicles Are to Blame

DiCaprio: Oh, sure. I've had five people fit comfortably in the car.

Huffington: Absolutely. Why not?

Epstein: Sure -- as long as you don't have a lot of luggage.

David: Well, I'd never be in a car for longer than one hour anyway, but if we were to take a car vacation, I'd take this car. But if my wife were coming along, she'd probably rather take the kids in our station wagon.

NDRC: What trash items are currently on the floor of your car?

Epstein: None. It is the first car I actually clean and wash regularly.

DiCaprio: The only thing in mine is the box from an underwater Frisbee I bought (they work great -- it's like playing Frisbee in slow motion).

Leo, on the other hand, is like Pig Pen in the "Peanuts" cartoon -- among other things, the floor of his car is covered with stacks of unopened mail and movie scripts he's supposed to read.

David: Tapes, CDs, hats, phone messages, water bottles, parking stubs, empty bags. But no fruit.

Huffington: My girls' scrunchies, soy latte containers, and Detroit Project scripts.

Schrenk: It's neat and tidy. I sometimes have a pair of riding boots, and there are some dog hairs. But we keep it looking respectable.

Wetstone: The odd snow scraper, but the soccer cleats have been removed!

NDRC: Arianna, what do your friends and neighbors think about your car -- is it cool, or a curiosity, or what? And what do your kids have to say?

Huffington: Definitely cool... they ask a lot of questions, and more and more of them are joining the Prius parade. My kids were resistant at first to "trading down" from our old Lincoln Navigator. "Golf cart" jokes abounded. But now they are ready to make it their first car when the time comes.

NDRC: Larry, what do your Porsche-and-Jaguar-driving Hollywood friends and neighbors think about your Prius?

David: At first they were kind of surprised, but I've gotten really great reactions from everyone. In fact, I've already sold a few to friends.

NDRC: Bob, what about your Silicon Valley neighbors? Is it sliding from hip to cliché?

Epstein: Jealousy is the principal emotion they express. More cache. In Berkley in the '70s, the VW was the car to have, and these days it's the Prius.

I've referred about 10 of my friends who have bought one, and my neighbor is waiting to buy my used one, when I replace this with the new model coming out soon.

NDRC: Greg, what's the coolness factor on your Honda hybrid?

Wetstone: Well, I travel in different circles than Larry and Bob. My kids think it's intensely cool, and so do their friends. They're really the arbiters of cool in my life, so I'm happy for their approval.

NDRC: Any differences in the way you drive your hybrid?

Wetstone: Particularly because I got the 5-speed, it took quite a while to get educated to how it works best. You shift at a lower RPM than normal, so you have to adjust.

Also you really want to keep it in gear longer when it's coasting or braking, to recharge the battery. You don't put it in neutral until you're about to stop.

Credits:
We spoke with these hybrid owners in 2003, with the exception of David, DiCaprio and Epstein, who were interviewed in 2002.