Hello. My name is Jason and I reside in the Akron, Ohio area. I must come clean, I do not own a hybrid. Yet. I await better financial times. However, I just bought a gas saving Scion xA named Ziggy Stardust P.A. I will admit that I used to drive a '68 Fairlane that was tweaked out, 8 miles per gallon :blink: ; however, since then I have been more concerned with pollution and conserving fuel. Last year I had to depart with my '91 Escort Pony which had seen most of the mid-west and was getting 44 miles per gallon. I swore that I would find a replacement when I could and ended up with the Scion xA. I like small cars and although I dig gadgets and such I rather drive something utilitarian and realistic. I come from rural Iowa and know what trucks are used for; to see such vehicles on the highway (SUVs and the like) sickens me. Cars get you from one place to another when you cannot walk or bike there and my car does that, and makes me comfortable, but that is it. At the same time it has excellent control and pumps out some nice tunes. I put my bike gear in the back, pop in the tent, and am off to an excellent road trip. As for the name, I am a huge David Bowie fan and I find the car as original as his music and as spacey as his Ziggy period so I named it Ziggy Stardust. The P.A. stands for Pennsylvania, the state I had to buy it in since they were not available in Ohio at the time.

Welcome aboard, Jason!
I would love to see a pic of your car if you've got one. It sunds very versatile. At one of our hybrid car events, the non-hybrid owner put on his name tag "Poser" to describe his hybrid-car owner status.

I know what you mean about seeing SUV's and Trucks being used as commuting vehicles.

I really try hard not to become frustrated when I see someone driving and SUV and there is only one peson inside. Why bother expending the negative mental energy, though. Instead I justify it in my mind by thinking more positive thoughts like
- they must be going to pick up their new gigantic boat and trailer
- perhaps they just dropped off a carload of rideshare passengers
- they must be going to pick up their new septuplets at the hospital

Really anything positive so that the negative frustration doesn't ruin my day.

Actually, I know of one person who is an undertaker. Most people don't realize that he is driving around with a coffin or two in the back of his suburban. So although it apears he's driving alone... he actually isn't. (I wonder if he can get in the HOV lane this way?)

Welcome from a fellow non-hybrid owner! I really like the Scion xA and xB, a lot of space and features for the money.

Kiwi,
As the non-hybrid rep, i'd like to personally greet you to the site. I really like the poser idea for the tag...I might just have to pull that out one day. NEway...great news for the Scion! I've been looking at replacing the Corolla with one...but decided time is better spent making the rolla more efficient. Welcome to the board!
Cheers,
Steven

Hi! welcome to the boards! i dont have a hybrid either but I'm working towards one!
Congratulations on your new car :) i like the xA and the tC

Welcome, hybrid or not you are helping lower the use of oil and reducing emissions!

Hi Kiwi:

___Welcome as well …

___Here are a few tidbits about your new vehicle that you might be interested in if you haven’t seen them already?

http://www.epa.gov/autoemissions/E-T...ScionXA-04.htm

___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net