AutoblogGreen

"The woman was hassling a someone for driving a Geo Metro. Does she not understand that particular model gets better fuel economy than ALL current hybrids? Also, a hybrid doesn't make sense for everyone."

You know, it gets easier and easier to get sick of having to correct everyone's imaginary mileage for earlier gasoline and diesel vehicles. The fact that the EPA used to use totally bogus mileage numbers could explain part of this phenomenon, but people usually even outshoot those.

Let's just pick a year -- how about 1990? There was a manual and an automatic; let's go with the more efficient one, the manual.

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/calculatorCompareSideBySide.jsp?column=1&id=6513

Mileage: *41* mpg. That's *lower* than a Prius and a Honda Civic Hybrid. Which are both bigger, more powerful cars with automatic transmissions. It's 11mpg worse than the 2006 Honda Insight manual. And on top of that, there's the fact that an older a car gets, the worse it's mileage gets. Keep it in good shape and it won't change a lot, but it will drop over time.

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Too bad there wasn't a Lexus LS600H on there. That'd be funny. You drive a hybrid and get 1/4 the gas mileage of the lady with the 3 cylinder non-hybrid! How do you feel? The Lexus is truly just an image car. GM's full size hybrid SUVs are much more impressive. It's just a shame that you can't get a stripped-out Silverado hybrid on the cheap. Many companies that actually need capable full-size pickups could save tons of money if these were available. Unfortunately, GM is already eating some of the cost on the luxed-up versions. Hopefully the cost of the two-mode system will go down as it spreads throughout the model range. I can't wait to see the two-mode combined with a small diesel!

Also, anyone else think it's funny that they ripped on GM's Hummer when the thing was sponsored by GM's Saturn?

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41? Last I checked our fleet of Prii was only getting about 45. My boss complains he could get that from a TDI Jetta, and not feel like you are driving a golf cart on the interstate. The 3 cyl Geos did get 50+....and don't even talk about the Insight...that is only 1/2 a car. We have THOSE abominations at work too, and I can hardly fit in it. I agree if they would stop making hybrids so freakin wierd they might sell better.

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dowdaytrader, you are very misinformed. It has absolutely gotten hotter in the past ten years.

Of the past ten years, 1998 was the hottest, IN THE US. But it's called GLOBAL warming, not US warming. Globally, 2005 was even hotter than 1998. Comparing individual years is not the way to measure anyway. If you look at the 5 year moving average, the world has steadly been heating up, not cooling, not even leveling out.

It's time to turn off Rush Limbaugh, get out of the conservative fantasy bubble, and learn about the real world.

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Gahh. I like the Prius. Practical car with great gas mileage. But anyone going around saying hybrid like it is a magic word, deserves a boot to the head.

Results matter, not how you get them. Sticking a hybrid on Escalade doesn't make it environmentally friendly. Dropping down a size to Rav4 V6 would get you better gas mileage and cost less and be better for the environment.

Another thing that pisses me off is where are all the mileage boost for non hybrids. How about an aero designed body, light weight, optimized gearing and low rolling resistance tires on a normal efficient 4 cyclinder. That get you have the gains for much less than half the money.

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Don't go to Target, target typically has a higher income compared to a K-Mart or Wal-Mart. Try one of those or an even lower income shopping center and start asking questions. You'd be in for a shocker that most folks can't afford hybrids, and do just fine in a guzzler, because the offset of dollars saved at the pump isn't greater than how much more the hybrid is. And i thought the guy in the hummer said he lived in the mountains? Who are we to say he doesn't need AWD?!

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I WOULD HAVE SMAKCED HER

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"I WOULD HAVE SMAKCED HER"

Boy, the dum dums come rushing into this blog when anything controversial gets posted. If you don't like it, why are you reading this blog?

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> 12.
> and the Answer to why do you drive a hummer?
>
> Because I bloody well want to. I earned the money
> for this car I should be able to drive what the
> hell I want.

should you also be able to pollute the air as much as you please? Have you considered the social and environmental costs that may come with driving 'what the hell you want' ?

> 16. This is the dumbest reporting I've ever seen.

Dumb how? not smart reporting or reporting that you don't like?

> 18. and there is nothing wrong with buying a
> Suburban (or Hummer) because they need it,

please tell me who _needs_ a Hummer. Thank you.

>This just reinforces my belief that most of the >"environmentalists" out there aren't interested in >actual conservation, but instead just asserting >their moral superiority.

so you feel that the environmentalists are morally superior? Is it wrong to act morally?...even when choosing a car to drive?

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Good job Lindsay,
I've also always wanted to ask Hummer and Suburban and F1,2,350 and Escalade and ....what they were thinking when they bought their vehicles. Did they think of where the 35 gallons they will need to pump into their gas tanks twice per week comes from? Did they think of what they could be doing with their money instead of pumping it into their 35 gallon gas tanks?

on the flip side, perhaps we should be grateful to all the gas-guzzler owners....the faster we use up all the gas in the world the faster we'll need cars that run on alternative energy sources (i.e., all electric).

cheers

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