Hybrid Cars

[Pat Cannady]

Speaking only for myself: let's just say I like to give the maniacs a little more reaction time before they drive up my tailpipe. I can't stand feeling like a sitting duck, doing the speed limit or slightly faster, while people blow past me on either side while a tailgater in a much larger, heavier vehicle hangs on my bumper. It's not about needing speed in a competitive way as it is self-defense, i.e. if I'm going a bit faster I can see the maniacs coming so it's a) safer to change lanes (they have more time to see me and I have more time to see them BEFORE I make my move) and b) the aforementioned tailgater backs off a bit. I try not to tailgate. I do make assertive moves sometimes to avoid being trapped in a long line of bumper-to-bumper traffic. In my experience, slowing down only gets you cut off from your exits or turn lanes by faster moving, decisive drivers, or run off the road in Chicago. The police have better things to do than enforce traffic laws, it would seem.

[jim stone]

St. Louis has some freeway entrances which are long
circles, insuring that when you finally reach the freeway
you're going maybe 22 miles an hour.
Other automobiles are crossing in front of you
to make the exit, and the vehicles in the
outer lanes are doing 60. You really have
to find a hole and go, and the old car
didn't accelerate fast enough from 22
to make that safe. In the new more powerful
car, I just drive away. Best

[Paul]

Hybrids are cool.

[Penguin_Whistler]

I say definitely get a Prisu if u can afford it, if not look into a Scion too, I've heard great things about them and the mileage looks nice.

[Rando7]

In my experience, slowing down only gets you cut off from your exits or turn lanes by faster moving, decisive drivers, or run off the road in Chicago.

Chicago is definitely an experience. I remember doing 75 north of Chicago and being the slowest one on the road. I would think an underpowered car would be a definite liability in that town.

Last year I was driving west between Chicago and Aurora when suddenly a blue Dodge Caravan of all things passed me driving in the left service lane. He bounced off the concrete divider taking off his mirror and continued for a mile or so, occasionally bouncing off the divider throwing off sparks and steadily causing more parts to fall off his van. I was worried he was ill but finally he came to a stop and seemed OK. Come to think of it, if he'd had a Prius he just might have made it.

[Dale]

I say definitely get a Prisu if u can afford it, if not look into a Scion too, I've heard great things about them and the mileage looks nice.

The rumor is that this is the last model year for the Echo, which is being replaced by the Scion, apparently. Even this year, it's a bit hard to find a new Echo because Toyota is thinking that every Echo they sell now will be one less potential customer for the Scion when they roll them out.

[Dale]

Memphis had some interesting traffic. I perfected a way to make a left hand turn when the stream of oncoming traffic was heavy. I'd just close my eyes and turn. People honked their horns and got upset and I hated that part.

But, nothing compares to Atlanta at rush hour.

[sturob]

Or you could get one of the latest Chinese-made Hybrid Trucks... Excellent gas mileage, low emissions, but the 0-60 is a bit disappointing and reverse parking is an issue.

IRONIC you should mention that, Gary . . .

Actually, there are more greenhouse gases emitted by draught animals (like oxen) than by all the cars and trucks in the West. Much of the deforestation and mobilization in the third world uses these animals, and they produce a, well, crapload of methane.

So go with the hybrid car.

Stuart

[bradhurley]

The rumor is that this is the last model year for the Echo, which is being replaced by the Scion, apparently. Even this year, it's a bit hard to find a new Echo because Toyota is thinking that every Echo they sell now will be one less potential customer for the Scion when they roll them out.

Maybe true in the U.S., but the Scion isn't even available here in Canada, and Toyota just brought out the new Echo hatchback here last year (which isn't available in the States). So I suspect the Echo will have a few years of life left north of the border, kind of like the original Volkswagen beetle did south of the border, in Mexico.

[Walden]

Normally I'm wary of this sort of newfangled California-type stuff, but I say yeah, go for it! Let's learn them stinkin' oil companies a thing or two about packing up and leaving the Oil Capital of the World for Texas.

P.S. Buy Citgo, unless and until they pack up and move to Texas, too.

[burnsbyrne]

Memphis had some interesting traffic. I perfected a way to make a left hand turn when the stream of oncoming traffic was heavy. I'd just close my eyes and turn. People honked their horns and got upset and I hated that part.

But, nothing compares to Atlanta at rush hour.

You all should move to Cleveland. Our rush hour lasts about 15 minutes unless you are on the east side where it lasts 35 minutes. One of the perks of living in a dying rustbelt city.
Mike

[Paul]

Memphis had some interesting traffic. I perfected a way to make a left hand turn when the stream of oncoming traffic was heavy. I'd just close my eyes and turn. People honked their horns and got upset and I hated that part.

But, nothing compares to Atlanta at rush hour.

I'll vouch for that. No rushing about it actually. 20 miles down highway 400 is often 2 hours. We moved close in because of it 2 years ago.

[Caj]

St. Louis has some freeway entrances which are long
circles, insuring that when you finally reach the freeway
you're going maybe 22 miles an hour.

Back in silicon valley around Mountainview they have this problem, except it's small tight circles rather than long ones---getting up to speed on a ramp is genuinely impossible, except for the last stretch right before you plow into 80mph traffic.

You combine this with the sheer number of cars out there, and plenty of new drivers, and you have some pretty amazing traffic problems.

Actually, there are so many people and cars out in silly valley that when I first drove there, I had the weird impression I was being followed. Wherever you want to go, there's three people behind you with the same idea.

Caj

[DCrom]

Caj, I *live* in Silicon Valley, and I'd have agreed with you until I started travelling on business.

1) LA is worse. Much worse. At least in the SF Bay area you have some hope of getting out of the congestion.

2) Houston. Most of the traffic weirdness of the SF Bay area, and toll roads too.

But the current example is the most scary

3) Seoul, Korea. I'm writing this from Seoul. Major, MAJOR, congestion. Even though they drive on the right and have US-like traffic laws, I'd avoid driving here unless I had no other option. Gridlock that makes LA look like the Montana interstate. Air pollution that I thought was fog at first. And drivers that add new meaning to the word "aggressive". My hotel is about 2 kilometers (~1.25 miles for the metric challenged) from where I'm working this week. Traffic is bad enough that I've found that I can walk it almost as fast as I can go by taxi, at least during working hours. Taxi, door to door: 15 minutes. Walking: 20 minutes. And gasoline costs roughly the same per liter as it does per gallon in the US.

I don't know if any Korean makers produce hybrids. But if I lived here and needed a car I'd seriously consider one - in this situation, they *would* pay for themselves.

[antstastegood]

WE HAVE A WINNER.

My dad is now the proud owner of a Honda Civic Hybrid.

He seems to think it will suffice for his driving situation, especially since in the afternoon the freeways are seldom moving above 40 mph. The gas savings (and the tax break ) will justify the purchase, and it has ample room for the stuff he sometimes hauls around.

(so don't try to get away with any more of that "Conservatives don't care about the environment!" claptrap.)