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Trying to help make a difference
I have always been somewhat environmentally minded, but I have enjoyed driving a full size truck or SUV, which has been more suited to my life-style. With the current stage our environment is in, I can no longer live with the guilt factor of being one of those who is a large contributor to global devastation. I feel that there is now an alterative technology that I can be a proud of taking part in. While we are still a long ways from a fossil fuel free society, I believe this is at least a start in the right direction that can only encourage manufacturers to build yet cleaner burning cars once they are shown that such vehicles are in high demand.
I have always felt guilty for owning and driving a full-size SUV, but I am finally doing something about it. My wife and I just placed an order for a Mercury Mariner Hybrid. While this is still a SUV, it is a scaled down model that does not have that same guilt factor of being a gas-guzzler. My wife is the main driver and drives across town, to work, in city traffic 16 miles each way. This was not only a quilt factor for one person to be burning that much fossil fuels, but was also taking a big toll on our wallets at the gas pump.
I found that I had some misconceptions to exactly what a hybrid was. I admit that I thought that it still required having somewhere to plug in the electric motor in order to recharge the batteries, which could not be further from the truth since the batteries are always kept charged from the braking of the car and the gas powered engine.
The estimated mileage for this vehicle is 34-mpg city and 30-mpg highway. You will notice that the city mileage is actually better with a hybrid then the highway mileage is. This is because the electric motor is put into use more in city driving with the stopping and going then highway driving. I have also read that once people get the hang of driving this car with gradual accelerations, then they can get as high as 45-mpg. This to me is not only a big plus mileage-wise, but will, hopefully, teach my wife and myself to be better and safer drivers.
This car not only looks good, but it has some high tech features that provide us guys with some new toys for that cool factor. As an optional package we got the DVD Navigation Radio System (6.5" screen) w/AM/FM Audiophile MP3 & Satellite-Ready CDx6 In-Dash w/7-Speakers and Sirius radio.
If you think that there will be a lot of maintenance on a hybrid due the electric motor and it's batteries, then think again. The batteries have an 80,000-miles warranty and the brakes will last 90,000-miles before needing changed. This will not only save money, but is just another contributing factor in helping the environment.
I could say a lot more about this new SUV, but I am not writing to promote the Mercury Mariner, but instead I am promoting the idea of the new hybrids. This to me is a step in the right direction and hopefully you will also consider switching over to a hybrid when the time is right. One of the big incentives that I did not mention above is a $3,000 tax credit on the 2-wheel drive. On the 4-wheel drive it is closer to $2,200. Mercury is also currently giving an instance $500 rebate. These incentives combined and the fact you will save a lot of stops at the gas pump, make it an ideal time to switch over to a hybrid and help rid yourself of that quilt you may be harboring due to owning a gas-guzzler like I did. I look at this as a win-win situation for both the environment and myself.
To quote from the movie "Gladiator":
or my own way of phrasing it would be:
No matter how you say it, the choices we make in our lives have and will affect us all. Many of these choices will make a change that will last for decades to come. Let's make sure that those choices are good for all and will be in balance with our spiritual integrities.
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