SOV countdown

LDOMAJ
The red herring comment didn't hurt (especially since you're a hybrid driver). Comparing me to NOSUV stung a bit. Since you're part of the problem in the HOV lanes because you drive a hybrid, your comments are only 1/3 as important as mine since I have three people in my car (which gets 29 mpg and burns 20% soybean oil) Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

NOSUV,
The exmption is not based on emisssion, environment, or efficiency. The exemption is based on the car manufacturer's association rattling the zippers of our general assembly. Did anyone else catch the fact the the exemption was passed unanimously?

quote:

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Originally posted by scottt
[br]NoSUV,

So, just how much money do I have to spend on "the world" to make you happy?

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Enough to dump your current non-environmentally friendly vehicle and get a SULEV.

You could make others happy by wasting less at home, composting, solar panels, and more.

Luddite - are the emissions the same? Remember, the exemption was NOT based on fuel economy, but on SULEV.

You are right, however, in that most people, and particularily slugs, are looking for how to save money over the world.

I'm pasting this here from an online exchange I had last night with a TX hybrid driver.

There are about 360,000 hybrids on U.S. roads today. They've been available for around 6 years. I'm not a mathematician, but that's not a success story.

Let's start by comparing the gasoline costs of driving a $21,000 Civic Hybrid with a $16,500 Civic LX. The Civic Hybrid with a manual transmission gets something like 46 miles per gallon in the city and 51 mpg on the highway (we know these numbers are bogus anyway). The Civic LX gets 32 mpg in the city and 38 mpg on the highway (see note above).

Let's say gas is $3.00 per gallon and you drive 15,000 miles every year.

Will you be able to rack up $4,500 in fuel cost savings with your Civic Hybrid? Not unless you plan on keeping the car forever.

After five years, you'd save $2k at the pump. After 10 years, you'd save $4k.

To drive 15,000 miles in a year with a Civic Hybrid, you'll need to pump in about 326 gallons of gas. Pay $3.00 a gallon and your yearly fuel costs will run about $1000.

To drive 15,000 miles in a year with a Civic LX, you'll need to pump in more than 469 gallons of gas. Pay $3.00 for each gallon and your yearly fuel costs will run about $ 1,400 just $400 more than the Civic Hybrid.

So let's say gas prices shoot up to $5 gallon. Yearly fuel expenses with a Civic LX will run about $2345 compared with $1630 for a Civic Hybrid. That's a savings of $715 a year. After five years of high fuel prices you'd save $3575. But you're still a grand away from recouping the extra $4,500 you paid for your car. So, I exaggerated and said you had to drive 100k at $5 gallon. I was trying to be dramatic. Still doesn't change the fact that hybrids are a joke on the rich. Even the government is taking back the tax break they had to offer for folks to buy them. Even with the tax break, the status symbolism, and the free ride on HOV, hybrids only account for a small fraction of cars sold in this country. Hybrids are an automotive footnote. Big 3,800 lb. diesels are here to stay. Respectfully submitted.