Defenestrating Thoughts from the Bivouac

So I’m getting planning on getting a new car. I know I’ve been saying this for a while, but this time I’m a lot more serious and motivated. My car (a 1992 Honda Accord) is still going strong and would probably run fine for 5 or 6 more years, but I worry how I would fare in a collision with a newer car or truck.

Last time I said I’d get a new car, I couldn’t decide between a sedan or compact SUV. This time around, I need to decide between a hybrid and a regular car. I’m not too concerned about the price premium with the hybrid, the technology’s goal (of reducing oil consumption) is one I support, but my current car is going strong after nearly 16 years on the road with negligible repairs. I’d like to get close to that value with my new car. :-)

So I test drove the Civic Hybrid and to be honest it didn’t drive all that much differently then a regular car. I did notice one thing that really bothered me though. When the gas engine would turn off when I came to a stop or when it started again, the car would lurch slightly.

The salesman told me that once you learned how to drive the hybrid the right way, the lurch wouldn’t happen. But it did remind me that the gas engine turns on and off a lot and that makes me very uneasy about how long the car would last without needing major repairs.

I’ll probably go test-drive the Prius, to see if it is similar. But I don’t want a Prius. I’d rather have a car that doesn’t scream, “Hey look at me, I have a hybrid.” I suspect that there are some Prius drivers who really want everyone to know how much they “care about the environment”. :-)