We Have Drunk Deeply From the Hybrid Kool Aid Again

Some of you will remember my undying love and passion for hybrid cars. I think they are very very cool machines, represent an incredible technology, and are a real and tangible way to save the planet and win the war on terror.

If those claims sound like overly dramatic to you, you can read this to at least understand my reasoning. You may or may not agree with me. And I realize that some folks think the whole hybrid-thing is a bit of a scam. I get that.

But you're talking to a hybrid evangelist here. And so it probably will not surprise you to hear that when we bought a new car this week it was another hybrid.

We got the Toyota Highland Hybrid, one of the three main hybrids that Toyata's been hawking the past few years. Got it at Toyota of Dallas the other night.

Here's a little video I just put together:


Click here if you can't see the player.


Ever since we got our Prius in 2004, we've been pretty confident that this would be our next car, to replace the Jeep. We bought the Jeep used, back in 1999, after Dennise had her bad car accident. She felt like she needed a larger vehicle, and it suited us well for low these many years.

The Jeep's been paid off for some time, and the Prius got paid off earlier this year, so it dawned on us that we could probably afford the payment.

We're definitely looking forward to the gas savings. I've got it figured that we'll save $80-100 bucks a month in gas, at current prices. That helps mitigate some of the sticker shock.

We estimate we've already saved upwards of $13,000 in gas by driving the Prius these past few years. (For the math on this, go here). Obviously, you're talking much less total saving in the much larger Highlander. Still, $80 bucks a month is nothing to sneeze at.

And, as I wrote before, we like the idea of supporting the Hybrid technology with our dollars, and thereby encouraging the development of increasingly more environmentally friendly cars. Remember, it's not just about saving money on gas, it's also about driving cars that emit fewer and fewer CFCs.

So, we've got a new car. It's the fanciest car we've ever known, probably by a factor of two. Right now, it's kinda like driving a rental...we're being very careful, and sort of imagining that somebody's gonna take it away.

Trust me, after being in the Jeep --with no FM radio (forget about CD!) a crumbling interior and paint job, and upwards of 150 K miles-- this new car feels like a Rolls to us.

If you get the chance, hope you'll consider getting a Hybrid. And if you want, we'd be happy to take you for a spin.