It's not surprising that over the last 2 weeks people have been inquiring more about hybrids. They are coming to the reality that we hybrid owners have known for some time..........and that is that the price of gas is going to go up. It has done that on record levels here in the US recently. Even if gas goes down for a bit, we still have no control over what price we pay for gas. The only control we have is to make wiser choices on the type of vehicles we choose to drive!!

Yes interest picking up all around. I was waiting for diesels (had one in Europe) as were my car nut buddies, but at $4.59 per gallon I thought a gas powered HEV car made sense ($3.70). Even if a diesel could do 40mpg the extra up front cost would negate things.

Here in CT buying a hybrid was a no brainer. I got a Nissan Altima after test driving it and getting nearly 40mpg (filling it up myself). No sales tax (1650) , rebate (1250), discount (2500) and federal credit (2350) . Loaded with every option the cost to an equivalent car is 25500 as a result. Thats with Leather, NAV, Moonroof, Bluetooth, XM, Bose and Toyota electrical components. Nissan was a better driving car to Camry by quite a bit.

Car is very fast and does really well in suburban driving (not city) 80/ highway 20.

Friend has one with 9000 miles and commutes from Northern NY suburbs to Suffolk County Long Island Sections of trip at 80mph and then countless miles of stop and go - 34mpg in a big, safe car. 200 miles per day. That put me over the edge to buy a HEV. Thought too complicated.

Wanted Saturn Vue (dual mode), Ford Escape, but none available (when will Detroit get it right)????

I was at a farewell to bachelorhood party for a co-worker and someone bought up paying "$20/day in diesel" to commute into work. In Alabama, I pointed out that folks really need to have a weekday car that is separate from the work truck. But I was on the way out so I told the honoree to remember that when his future wife accuses him of being unfaithful, the instant answer should be, "Baby, why would I want two women mad at me?"

The next week it turned out the "$20/day" guy had been driving his horse trailer, dual-wheeled diesel into work. Unfortunately, he visited my least favorite car dealer in North Alabama to get a small, commuting car and they tried to jerk him around. I shared my similar, bad experience with the same dealer and suggested visiting the Decatur dealer or any dealer in a rural area. I explained that my engineering studies started with mechanical engineering before I went in the Marines.

Friday as I was coming into work I ran into a couple of fellow engineers and we started talking about car mileage. I started talking about things that work for anyone and later sent the team my 'top ten' list of things that save fuel for any car:

1. tire pressure between max side wall and door jam with a graph showing the rolling drag effect
2. oil level between "E" and "F" with 3/4 th being best but NEVER over the "F" and why
3. 65 miles per hour looks to be an efficient speed plateau and 70 miles per hour the knee
4. engine filter change now that "yellow season" is over
5. wheel alignment and minimizing rear wheel toe and camber
6. predictive braking, slowing before a red light so you can keep some rolling momentum and win if the light changes
7. slow speed for first 1-2 miles to let engine warm-up before putting a load on it
8. tune-up including PVC, linkages, throttle cleaning and Rain-X
9. clean it out for neat freeks and wash it for clean queens
10. nothing really since the above are the big ones

I am not too worried about how my fellow workers see my hybrid. My tag, "C-52MPG," and willingness to take anyone for a test drive has pretty well isolated me from the remaining skeptics. I don't doubt they are there but they don't seem interested in chatting about their fears out loud.

I have a good working relationship with the pony car owners, the dirty finger nails crowd, because we share a genuine interest in vehicle performance. The same things that make their cars go fast make our cars go cheap and I don't have to explain torque and specific fuel consumption. They tell me about their transmission ratios and I understand.

The price of gasoline is the most powerful corrosive of all skeptic claims. Furthermore, the hybrid community has the counter arguments at their finger tips so anyone who repeats old arguments gets buried in the accurate counter claims. Other than the blind trying to 'bell the cat,' there are no new arguments especially since GM has branded hybrids "a good thing." Ford had already lead the way. Now with diesel higher than gas, the diesel-only advocates are trapped.

The real problem is availability, getting manufacturing to catch up. Sure there will be more and better built small, gas-only cars, but the hybrid transmission systems have fundamental advantages that over the long term, are the way to go. Filling out the short-range gap with PHEV, this is the wave of the future.

Bob Wilson

Operation Iraqi Oil Freedom:

Automatic, stock, project car.

My other 1500 cc car:

Automatic, stock, backup car.
Free speech, dialog and knowledge thrives without the poison of SPAM.

Today I saw an unusual sight.
My house is situated on a street near a park where the kids play Little League baseball every spring/summer. Usually when I look out the door I see SUVs parked all along both sides of the street. I always got a chuckle watching the people exit their vehicles: 2 little boys, 2 baseball bats, a couple of gloves, maybe a folding chair for the mom. Nothing that wouldn't fit in my car's trunk, but whatever.
This morning I looked out the door and there was a Prius parked across the street. A few houses down there was a Honda Civic hybrid. All the other cars were small-sized, mostly foreign cars. I only saw 2 SUVs farther down the street.
Most unusual. Either it was their "eco-team" playing, or things are changing around here, vehicle-wise.

If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.

Encouraging sign

Steve

STOP terrorism - Drive a HYBRID

Vehicles:
350 miles a week ------------ 2006 HCH II, Magnetic Pearl, w/NAVI (born on May 25, 2006)
350 miles a month ---------- 2003 Mazda Tribute ES-V6
350 miles a year (for now) - 1986 Mercedes 560SL

There were a ton of Yukons, Tahoes, Explorers, and Suburbans sold from 03-06 due to huge manufacturer rebates and relatively cheap gas. Those cars are now 2-5 years old and gas has tripled in the meantime. I suspect there will be a lot of people dumping them for Cobalts, Focuses, and various hybrids. Gas will be $5/gal before it goes back to $3/gal.

2008 Galaxy Gray Honda Civic Hybrid

These volatile times require a vehicle designed for $5 gasoline.... I'm glad I am driving a HCH II .