Fuel Efficiency Versus Comfort and Safety

I guess we didn't learn our lesson over the 4th of July Holiday, when we were paying $4 for a gallon of gasoline. How quickly we forget how that affected us all, at the pump, at the grocery store and in our wallets.

Now that gas is under $2 a gallon, we are back to our old habits. I wonder how many people changed their holiday plans from staying home to taking that drive to "grandma's", all because now, it was more affordable.

My husband is in the car business, and no, he doesn't sell those super fuel economy cars. He sells a quality car, one that is built with safety AND fuel economy in mind. Yes, it is a foreign built car - and if you had to buy gas where this car comes from, you would understand that this car maker has been concerned about gas mileage longer than just a few months.

Now that gas prices are falling, he is seeing many of these economy cars being traded in so the owner can have a car that is actually comfortable to ride in, as well as safer to be in. Unfortunately those little cars have lost about 1/3rd of their value - something that happens when you drive it off the lot. In order to get into a car that is comfortable, safe and fuel efficient, the owner of the hybrid will take a beating in finance. They will have to "roll over" about $10,000 from the hybrid to the new car. And for what?

A few months of having saved on gas costs, and the "feeling" that they were doing a good thing for the environment. But the feeling of doing good, versus the feeling of being safe on the road, wasn't enough. They want to be comfortable again, and drive a car that has a substance to it, some weight, some attachment to the road.

So I ask, do you think the owner of the economy car saved that $10,000 in gas, that they are now going to be paying interest on in a new car loan for the next 5 - 6 years? I wonder. Will they even be able to finance that loan, with the state the banks are in? Or will they have to cough up that extra 10 grand, plus another 5% or so, just to get out of their hybrid?

The even bigger question is - why are they getting rid of it? If it was such a good idea six months ago, how has that changed? Do they really think that gas prices will stay this low - forever? And, aren't they still saving money getting 30 miles to the gallon, even with gas at $2 a gallon?

And then, what are we going to do with all those little cars? I see a new museum in the making.

Bottom line people, just because we can afford to fill up the tank again, doesn't mean we should go back to our old habits. Keep your consumption to a minimum, and just maybe we'll keep the big oil companies from raising prices again. We need to stop our addiction to oil!