Too green or not too green

Have you heard? Toyota is going to offer additional incentives for people to purchase their hybrid model, the Prius. Something along the lines of two-years, no-interest financing and prices closer to the actual sticker, vs. a few thousand dollars over, which is what eager buyers were paying in recent past. That is, when they could get a hold of one of these sleek little enviro-gems.

I looked into purchasing a Prius in the summer/fall of '05 and was told the waiting list was over a year. My local dealer didn't even have one for me to take out on a test spin. I was so gung-ho on the idea (and so vocal about it, as I tend to be) my sister bought me a great bumper sticker in anticipation: "This car gets 40 mpg. So who's the patriot?"

For several reasons, my new car purchase has been put off, and I'm still driving my 1999 little black Toyota Tacoma pick-up. (Just took her to the car wash to get rid of all that nasty salt, which, I'm sure, was stinging her delicate paint job. Now she's napping on the street in the sun, all clean and shiny. Curled up next to the curb like a giant black kitty cat.) Not-for-nothin' she gets a good 30/35 mpg.

So do I really NEED a Prius? I work from home so I rarely drive, and when I do, I'm in a fuel-efficient car already. I'm NOT really contributing all that much to ozone depletion. But does my lack of emissions come close to making up for all the evil SUVs in my extended family? Or is it a wash? Should I get the Prius anyway. Every little bit helps.

We have a friend who drives a tow-truck who tells us hybrid cars can be troublesome when they breakdown. Something about having to let the battery drain before someone can even touch it to charge or tow it. My regular mechanic told me that as well. With a road trip planned this summer, there is a reluctance to put our faith and trust into this big UNKNOWN.

But c'mon... a bargain's a bargain.

And I REALLY want to put that bumper sticker on something!

ny times:
Waiting List Gone, Incentives Are Coming for Prius