Pain at the Pump
Gas prices, as I’m sure everyone is aware, are completely ridiculous right now. And gas companies are profiting. This doesn’t really make me very happy. However, it has been prompting me to do research on the next car I want to buy, because the time to put the Subaru to rest is drawing nearer and nearer (*sniff* 
).
I’d been eyeing the car that I can earn with Mary Kay — a bright, shiny, red Pontiac Vibe — except that, even with the break in payments, it’s still going to be fairly painful to gas up on a regular basis. It gets decent gas mileage, but not great gas mileage. With the direction gas prices are going these days, I would much rather own a car that gets great gas mileage.
Which is why I have my eyes on a hybrid of some sort. A couple at church recently purchased a gorgeous 2003 Toyota Hybrid sedan, which looks perfectly normal for a car, especially for a Prius — and gets about 60mpg, which would make my old Subaru, and probably even my hyper MR2, cry. I’m beginning to lean in the direction they took, and will be picking their brains about their purchase at my next available convenience.
The other option was to turn my little MR2 into an electric car, which seems like it would be easy, in theory, but does not seem to be very likely in reality. I’ve been scouring Google for any hints that someone sells electric kits for a 1988 Toyota MR2, and not getting a bite. It seems like it would be a specialized task, since the MR2 is a mid-engine vehicle and already light enough to pick up and put in your pocket. There is limited space in the engine compartment — which, to my untrained mind, seems like it would be ideal for an electric engine — and any less engine weight might make for an unsafe vehicle.
Hard to say. Especially for me, because I really don’t know what I’m talking about. 
Most of my ramblings about the subject are theoretical, except for the part where I would REALLY love to turn the MR2 into an electric car.
I did run across this neat little piece of information, though, when Googling: Toyota to Develop Hybrid Systems with Subaru. A hybrid Legacy! That would be awesome! But how long can I hold out? I’m not sure I want to. The gas prices are painful now, and they’re saying this car would be showing up in the next two or three years. It just might not be practical to wait at this point.
I’ve been reading reviews over at www.hybridcars.com, and finding out some interesting stuff. However, I’m pretty darn sure there is a sedan version of the Toyota Prius that doesn’t look like that weird hatchback model they have. The couple from church have a very normal-looking 2003 model car, with “Toyota Hybrid” on the back (but I only got to see the left side, not the right, where the name usually is). It’s confusing me greatly, because I’m not having any luck finding a non-hatchback Prius sedan that early in make.
I was a little intrigued by the Toyota Highlander Hybrid, because it offers lots of space for cargo AND passengers, lots of power, and a hybrid engine. It’s still an SUV, to which I am philosophically opposed, but it’s an SUV that gets 27 to 31 mpg. It’s great mileage for a heavier passenger and cargo vehicle, but on a scale of spending, the mileage is on par with what my Subaru gets on the highway. However, I have a feeling that one of those numbers is for in-town driving, which is, on the same scale, significantly better than my little station wagon can manage.
I’m drawn to the Highlander, because I really love having the option to carry lots of cargo, or seven passengers. I want a big dog someday, and that would be rather uncomfortable to cart around in a tiny little hatchback. Dog+child seat(s) would be even worse.
Choices, choices . . . It’s kind of a daunting possibility, but I’m leaning very heavily toward purchasing a hybrid vehicle, possibly even a — *gasp* — hybrid SUV.
Unless Toyota and Subaru speed up their developments. But I’m not sure I’d want to buy something that was rushed onto the market.
This kind of thing is a nail-biter’s nightmare. But I’m kind of having fun with it. 
It’s still all speculative at this point, because I’d have to do much more research and then whip the budget into shape, but I’m liking the idea more and more the longer I spend thinking about it.
April 28th, 2006 at 6:47 am
Toyota has 3 models planned with the Hybrid drive this year, Prius, Highlander, and Camry.
April 28th, 2006 at 7:48 am
Hybrids aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. You won’t see 60MPG w/ a Prius without modifications. The “total energy cost” (cost of energy to produce the car, operate, maintain, etc.) is much higher than most conventional cars – the Jeep Wrangler is actually the best on that list.
Kiplinger’s broke down the total cost of a number of hybrids over a 5 year period, and all but one or two came out more expensive than an all-gas equivalent.
Look at diesel vehicles. If it weren’t for the maintenance costs, I’d suggest a VW TDI, as they tend to get mid-low 40s for mileage. The Jeep Liberty CRD (also diesel) gets mid to high 30s, after break-in – not bad for a 5-passenger SUV!
I’m very anxious to see what Toyota & Subaru do w/ hybrid Subies. I’m hoping they’ll have one out by the time my wife’s car gets replaced.
April 28th, 2006 at 2:53 pm
I am now interested in looking at a Hyundai Sonata. Lots of room, four doors, #1 Son would let me put the girls’ carseats in it, unlike my current car. One of the ladies in NC with me last week had a rental car–it was a Sonata and had tons of room in the back seat, huge trunk and “got up and went”. In one day, we spent $75 on gas for Pop’s small pickup truck and my car. AUGHHHH.
April 29th, 2006 at 2:34 pm
The very few people I know with Hybrids have reported some problems and repairs are VERY expensive. Our Saturn SL1 does very good on gas mileage (43 mpg) but it is incredibly expensive to repair. The cost of parts is so much that we are planning on getting rid of it soon and going to a Honda or Toyota that will be affordable when repairs are needed and still get good mileage.
Though if you really want a Hybrid, Toyota is supposed to have Camrys this year, Honda makes a Civic Hybrid, and there is a smaller cute-ute is the Ford Escape Hybrid.
April 30th, 2006 at 2:44 pm
My wife has a Hyundai Elantra and we can’t wait to be rid of it. Part of the trouble is the dealer, I’ll admit. Service is rather expensive (transmission fluid service is more expensive than on a full-size, heavy-duty Dodge truck), and the really expensive stuff is more frequent than I’d expected. It’s due for a timing belt change at 60K, to the tune of $384. My Subaru is due for the same service at 105K, at about the same price – but amortized over mileage, that’s 40% cheaper!
I’ve also been less than impressed with the fuel mileage, especially on the highway. It gets only about 1-2 MPG better than my Subaru Outback, though it’s MUCH lighter, and is 2WD compared to the Subaru’s AWD.
You’ve had a terrific run with your Subaru, you may want to stay in the family. An Impreza or Impreza Sportwagon should turn in about 30MPG on the highway. If you want the ground clearance, the Outback Sport is the same vehicle, you’ll give up 1-2 MPG. If you want to go bigger, an ‘03 Legacy/Outback with about 52K on the clock would be a pretty solid buy, or an ‘04 with slightly less mileage. I mention those 2 years because they’re relatively recent, and used ’05s will be pretty pricey still as it was an all-new design that year.
If you want to go really, really new, check out the Dodge Caliber. Which should also come in diesel soon. Unfortunately you have to load it up to about $24K to get anything but front wheel drive.