New Hybrid Car

Well, I up and bought a Prius. Leased, actually. A 2008 Magnetic Gray Toyota Prius with option Package #6. This package adds smart key, backup camera, vehicle stability control, really good JBL sound system, Bluetooth, satellite navigation with voice control, high intensity discharge headlights, very nice leather seats, and a few other things. Really cool!

OK, so this is no high-performance car. It does not have head-jerking acceleration or road-racing steering. It certainly is no luxury car (though it has many of the amenities--see option package above). But this car is an engineering marvel. Try Googling "Hybrid Synergy Drive" and learn more. It's actually more complex than the simplistic portrayal of an electric motor supplementing an internal combustion engine. Much more complex. Read up if you’re interested.

Truth be told, greenhouse gases are a serious problem. Global warming is a reality. Politics and economics related to petroleum resources is creating a lot of death and suffering. It's easy to talk about these things at tea parties, but I as an individual want to do a little more. I want to at least reduce my energy consumption. I use energy-efficient light bulbs in my home, I only buy Energy Star compliant appliances, I don’t waste paper, and I recycle plastics. And now I drive an extremely fuel-efficient car.

When I'm on the highway surrounded by thousands of huge trucks and SUV's, I have no illusion that I'm making a big difference in reducing greenhouse gases. However, one more person buying a very fuel-efficient car may influence one or two others to do so. One person can contribute to creating more of a market for fuel-efficient cars influencing manufacturers to make and sell more of them. This is already happening. You may have read in the financial sections that Toyota is kicking butt with their hybrid cars while GM is having a hard time with little more than TV commercials promising them in the near future.

However, to my surprise, there’s no big sacrifice. Sure, I could have bought a Cadillac CTS or Acura RL and had a little more luxury and prestige, but as it turns out the Prius is actually quite fun to drive. You can watch the hybrid system status screen and see exactly when you’re using the internal combustion engine, the electric motor, or both, when you are generating electricity to the battery, and your average miles per gallon. The car is completely silent when it is running only on electricity. Even wind noise is minimal due to an extremely low drag coefficient (i.e. it’s very aerodynamic). I’m no expert on sound systems, but the JBL system creates crystal clear music with excellent thumping base. There are steering wheel controls for just about everything. The navigation is awesome. It’s pretty cool to just press a voice command button and say “Home” to have the voice-guidance system direct you home. My cell phone connects automatically via Bluetooth when I start the car allowing me to make and receive calls with the press of a button using the sound system as a speakerphone This car has a lot of goodies.

As far as prestige, there are different kinds. I’m not particularly concerned with what others think when I’m driving, but I’ve noticed a lot of heads turning especially around universities (there are many where I live) and in places like Whole Foods parking lots. People sometimes respect consciousness more than wealth. I’m all for that.