| I gave up my five-cylinder Volvo SUV a couple of | | | | percent increase for Toyata. Imagine that. The car |
| years ago. While it was relatively fuel-efficient, I no | | | | dealership I first went to only had one Prius to test |
| longer needed such a large car. I looked then at hybrid | | | | drive, no hyrbrid SUVs and no hybrid Camrys on the |
| cars, but was dissatisfied with the trade off of | | | | lot. They said they would sell most of them before you |
| fuel-efficiency for poor acceleration. I have to drive | | | | could test drive them. Now who would buy a car |
| over a lot of two-lane mountainous roads with passing | | | | without test driving it? Desperate Americans that's |
| lanes the length of a small back yard. | | | | who. You know in most areas of technology, it's there |
| The car I replaced it with was a much smaller Volvo | | | | before we are ready for it, with cars, the environment |
| with the same five-cylinder engine. I was led to believe | | | | has been, perhaps unalterably destroyed, due to some |
| it would get 30 mpg, but it only only averaged 23.5 | | | | very powerful people holding back the technology. |
| mpg over the mountainous roads I drive. So, recently, | | | | Well I found finally found the perfect car for me after |
| with a little time on my hands I drove a couple of | | | | several weeks of shopping and research. It's stylish, |
| hybrids. The Honda Civic was disappointing and | | | | roomy and you'd never know it was a hybrid to look |
| handicapped by the fact that the batteries needed for | | | | at it or to open up when you need to pass a car. You |
| a hybrid obstruct cargo space. It was slow and | | | | don't feel like you are driving an experiment, rather a |
| sluggish, this from a previous Honda owner. | | | | luxurious automobile. It's a 2009 Toyota Camry. |
| The Toyota Prius I found was actually quite surprising, | | | | And boy am I having fun watching those biofeedback |
| and if I could get over the jelly bean look of the little | | | | displays that are teaching me how to most efficiently |
| car that could, I would have to go for that awesome | | | | drive this car. I have never owned a Toyota until now, |
| 45-48 mpg promise. It was also very satisfying to | | | | and now, I'm very impressed with Toyota's hybrid |
| watch the computer screen tell me if I was using | | | | edge. Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive© is the most |
| electric or motor power. It validated my need to do | | | | advanced type. Full hybrids run on electric drive at low |
| something about this petroleum holocaust. | | | | speeds, on gasoline and electric drive in traffic, and on |
| Then there is diesel. Volkswagen has an '08 Jetta, not | | | | gasoline alone at highway speeds. Computers |
| yet available in my area, that promises to get as much | | | | automatically control the electric motor and gasoline |
| as 50 mpg. From what I have read, they are utilizing | | | | engine for an optimal balance of responsive |
| new technology now used in Mercedes as well, that | | | | performance, fuel economy and lower emissions. |
| reburns the particulates. Performance is up and the | | | | The electric motor adds extra power during peak |
| clean/green factor is up. Very interesting, but they | | | | demands, enabling the use of a smaller, lighter and less |
| didn't have anything for me to test drive and I seemed | | | | polluting engine. The gasoline engine provides most of |
| to know more about the technology than the | | | | the power. It recharges the hybrid battery for hundreds |
| dealership did. Combined with the fact that diesel fuel is | | | | of miles of range. The batteries also get energy back |
| skyrocketing, I had an uneasy feel for going there. | | | | from the drivetrain in a process called regenerative |
| This morning's news talked about sales being down for | | | | braking. The cumulative effect is a vehicle that |
| American car manufacturers. They reported a 4 | | | | recycles its own energy. I'm sold on Synergy! |