gratuitous snark for the day
I wonder how much the water, detergent, and energy required to keep a white Prius looking anything other than completely grungy affects its overall eco-soundness? I keep seeing white ones everywhere, and they all look like they get washed daily.
(note: I do realize that the much bigger question is whether a new hybrid represents any advantage over a decent, small used car, given the carbon footprint of making a car is as big or bigger than that of driving one. See above, gratuitous snarking.)