[billhilly]

"I am never going to buy a car that gets anything over 14 miles a gallon, on average, because it's going to be too small. It's going to be too risky."

That was Rush speaking, and while I agree with him about the Prius, he obviously does not know about another Toyota product, the Avalon. A full size car, it has all the luxury one could expect, tremendous safety, lots of power from its 260-70 HP V-6, and 31 mpg highway miles. The top of the line Avalon sells for about $35,000, not much more than the Prius, but twice the car.

[goldstategop]

Exactly! To break even on the premium battery, gas prices would have to double in the next ten years. They've only doubled in the past twenty! So if you're a hybrid car owner, you may be waiting a long time to recoup your investment. But if you're a liberal, the symbolism is more important any way even if you don't end up making the planet cleaner. What's important is you're making a statement of moral superiority. So that's why, like with electric cars, there exists something of a market for these vehicles. In purchasing one, you can make it clear you're better than any one else and you're the smartest person on earth. Even if the whole thing, from a purely rational perspective, is stupid. Don't ask why liberals do things differently. They just do.

(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie.Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")

[B Knotts]

The Avalon is considered full-size, but it's not really. It's more 3/4 size.

A Crown Vic is full-size, IMO. Although it gets better than 14 mpg.

Heck, my F-150 4x4 gets better than 14 mpg.

[Wheens]

Think Rush has a Maybach.