> Good to see you finally decided to turn off the automatic delete:
Minor typo but it is good to see you're finally tweaked your USENET
setting to keep them around. That automatic delete of their insults
after about a week is so childish of trolls. Still, we can have fun
with the self-deleting messages.
Bob Wilson
> . . .
> It estimated last fall that hiking fuel efficiency to 56 mpg by 2025
> would boost the average vehicle cost by $,100 to $,600. But the
> administration said the rule would save car owners $,500 to $,000
> over the vehicle's lifetime in fuel costs, and owners would recoup the
> additional up-front cost within 2.5 to 3.5 years.
> . . .
Our first hybrid, a 2003 Prius, was bought even though it was more
expensive than the Scion xB we were considering. We kept careful
records and the Prius came within $0 of parity in the first year. The
replacement tires pushed us over but it also gave us LLR, excellent
tires that paid off over the following years. But it also reignited a
love of cars that I last felt with my 1966, VW MicroBus.
Prius studies, especially those inspired by fuel savings, have a
direct relief to our household budget. Compared to ordinary gasser and
diesel owners, Prius owners learn to exploit subtle aspects of warm-
up, driving profiles, lubrication, tires, and aerodynamics to save a
buck. This earns our self-confidence, our smug knowledge that we know
more than those stuck with inefficient transportation.
One of the ironies is we often shop in the same 'speed shops' and a
few technical publications as some of our lead-footed coworkers. But
instead of buying stuff to burn more gas, we buy stuff to save gas.
Bob Wilson