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Pity the SUV owner
What the SUV drivers in this article fail to recognize about the apparent choice between burning cash in their present tanks and buying a new hybrid is that they’re just punting the decision down the road. Temporary fluctuations in price aside, the days of cheap gas are over, and hybrids aren’t going to get cheaper. And the longer you wait to make the switch, the harder it will be to unload that guzzler in the driveway.
The Waveflux household gets by on its little Hyundai Elantra; while filling the tank doesn’t make me cartwheel in joy, I probably feel better about it than most SUV drivers, and I don’t have to take out a loan to fill up the tank. We could certainly use a larger vehicle, what with all the hauling needs we have. The finances don’t allow for such an upgrade soon, but when they do, it’ll certainly be for a hybridized vehicle of some kind.
I sympathize with SUV owners caught up in the gas price bind, but these drivers made choices and now the costs are coming due. This has been in the cards for a while; it puts you in mind of the quote from Jurassic Park:
“Story of our species,” Malcolm said laughing. “Everybody knows it’s coming, but not so soon.”
And now it’s here.
Incidentally: One of today’s headlines from the NY Times:
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Parts and service
Spot the fake alterna-car!
Missouri gas prices lowest in nation
Quick! Let’s be seen to be doing something!
This is why we filled up the tank this morning
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We could certainly use a larger vehicle, what with all the hauling needs we have.
Easy fix. I’ve thought that problem through. Currently I drive a very old Ford Ranger that first literally belonged to everyone in the family. When the last person no longer wanted it, I took it. Almost free car. I mean, really. I’m nothing if not pragmatic.
Anyway, sometime later this year I’ll be replacing it (I think), and I’ve thought about the problem of no longer having a grubby truck to haul around things bigger than a sack of groceries. The solution is U-Haul, which rents out pickups and vans for a pretty small daily fee. You (and I) can have the advantage of a “hauling” vehicle once a month without the burden of having to gas it up the rest of the month.
Of course, it helps me that I have a U-Haul dealership about 3 miles from my home…