Just last week, I had to take a trip in the Chevy Metro.  It’s large enough that it will seat four people, but it doesn’t feel very large when you are face to face with the rim of a truck tire going 75 mph.  It feels very small.  Suddenly, gas mileage doesn’t seem all that important. 

I read recently that the automotive industry is working hard to make the energy efficient choices crash test worthy.  The guy that I saw being interviewed made this statement:  “When a little car collides with a big truck then the odds are the truck will win.”  His basic point is that no matter how safe the smaller, more fuel efficient cars might become, they will probably never be as safe as the larger, fuel gobblers.

The automotive industry needs to find a way to combine the safety of the SUV with the fuel efficiency of the hybrids.  The outcome may not be 200 mpg, but if you aren’t around to drive the car does it really matter how far it can go on a gallon of gas?

For a brief moment, we were seriously considering purchasing a new hybrid.  The initial cost would be more, but surely the savings in the long run would make it worth it.  Not being impulse buyers, we decided to sleep on it for a few days (and do some more research).

It was surprising to find out that because of the fairly low gas mileage difference compared to his current compact car (a Chevy Geo).  There was no way the hybrid would ever make up the difference in its additional costs. 

The government must have figured this one out, so they offer a tax break to new hybrid owners - but only for the brand new cars.  If you are trying to be money wise and environmentally friendly, you don’t get a tax break on your used hybrid.

Even with a tax incentive, there is just not enough enticement to bring our family over to the hybrid side.  If the prices find their way down in the future, and if more used models find their way into the market, we might take another look.  For now, we will stick with what we have (and look for a job closer to home).

For so long, cars were looking all the same.  While the gas mileage may have improved, the character disappeared completely.  Muscle cars of the past were designed to stand out.  Aerodynamics was only considered because of the ability to make the car go even faster.  But the lack of aerodynamics was countered by bigger, stronger, louder engines, instead of stripping the cars of their standout qualities.

Now Toyota is finding a way to combine the muscle character with the modern mileage.  The new hybrid has it all - looks, speed, gas mileage, and even affordability.  Toyota introduced the sleek, sure to be industry defining, FT-HS concept car at the 2007 North American International Car Show. 

This would be the car for our family, without a doubt or hesitation, except that it isn’t a family car.  The two-seater is sports car, 100%.  At least there is hope that if the automotive industry can create something like this, then an affordable hybrid family car (hopefully with some character of its own) can’t be too far behind.