Thursday, May 21, 2009

No, we won't be driving glorified lawnmowers!

This is not our only option!



There are folks out there who say that environmentalists want us all driving glorified lawnmowers. They say that hybrid cars are slow, ugly, uncomfortable to drive, unsafe, impractical. They use cars like the one in the picture above to scare the average Joe away from a bonanza of savings in his wallet and an atmosphere that doesn't come with a daily smog alert chart.

American's love their cars. We love fast cars, sharp looking cars, roomy cars. We want a car that will tow the boat to the lake on Memorial Day and the soccer team to the game on Saturday. We want to express our individuality in the car we chose. When we hear that the electric "toy" shown in the picture above is what we can look forward to if we listen to folks who say we need higher fuel efficiency and lower harmful emissions out of Detroit, it's understandable why we shy away from making responsible auto choices.

Here are a few of the current choices that we have. All these are hybrids with varying fuel efficiency rates, but all of them increase mileage and reduce emissions:

Toyota Prius


Honda Insight



Ford Fusion


Mercury Milan


Chevy Tahoe



Dodge Durango


Yes, there are even SUVs that are hybrids. Granted, the SUVs aren't as fuel efficient as the Prius, but they are a step in the right direction.

So the next time someone tries to fill your head with visions of cramped, slow, ridiculous looking glorified lawnmowers, take a trip to the local car dealership and test drive a car with style and responsibility.

2 comments:

Mike O'Brien said...

I think hybrids are a wonderful idea, but a little over priced. The Henry Ford ideal has all but died for the average American. Affordable cars no longer exist, let alone when they cost extra for the environmentally friendly version. Maybe I'll get one someday...but its probably not gonna happen before I retire.

Eric said...

Actually, as Americans decide they want higher mileage and lower emissions, the cost difference will drop, since there will be more people buying them. It will work just like it does for all new technology. You can buy a lap top for a few hundred dollars when not too many years ago, you would need to mortgage your house to buy one.

But even now, the difference is not as great as we think.

Take the difference between a 2010 Ford Focus and a 2010 Ford Fusion, hybrid. The base sticker price for the Fusion is around $4,000 more, but after you apply the federal tax credit that is reduced to a little over $2000.00 and if you had a 2 yr loan, we are talking paying appox. $48.00 more a month for a car that gets from 10-30mpg more. And most new car loans are actually for 5 or 6 years, so that drops the difference down significantly.