Hybrid Cars

It's now 2009 and every car company has their eyes set to the future, or maybe to their wallets. Which fuel efficient cars are for the environment, and which are for the companies' profit? Should you buy American or Japanese? Where do I find these cars? I'm here to let you know.

In 2009, We will see more fuel efficient cars than ever before. Almost every car company will be providing environmentally safe and money saving automobiles. From Ford to Toyota there is at least one hybrid or fuel efficient car in the upcoming roster. This is the progress we need to see. However, buyers beware of the hybrid logo, in some cases it can be deceiving. For example, Cadillac has come out with an Escalade hybrid, an over sized luxury SUV. The Escalade will still only receive 21 mpg and will cost you nearly 80,000 dollars. It seems for Cadillac that the cost for saving the planet must be one that only the wealthy can pay. Companies that are first starting to develop fuel efficient cars are ones most likely not to succeed. It is the smarter choice to invest in a company that has been producing these cars for a longer time.

When considering a modern fuel efficient sedan Toyota,Honda,and Volkswagen offer a reliable, affordable ,and a truly fuel efficient car. While Ford and Jeep are making very adequate SUV's with increasingly improved mpg, American sedans just don't compete with those of Toyota, Honda,or Volkswagen.

A company that has made many headlines and become very popular due to the recent concern for the environment is Smart Car. What the Smart Car lacks in size makes up in saving money and the environment. The Smart Car can give you 36mpg, and a parking space anywhere you can fit, which is practically everywhere. While Smart Car is a relatively small company and doesn't mass produce like Dodge's or GMC's, they can be found easily. Many dealerships around the state have made investments on Smart Cars and make an effort to keep them on the lot. You can also join a waiting list on their website at www.Smartusa.com. Smart Car produces cars for two for as low as 12,000 dollars and as high as 30,000 dollars. This is a small price to pay when the Smart Car can save you over 2000 dollars in annual fuel cost. Though the previous projected number of cars that will be made this year was only 25,000, Smart has said production will be increased due to high demand.

We must remember that in our race to the future we have other problems besides the ozone layer. For example, Space. America is all about being bigger. While the rest of the world has realized that space isn't everything. Do you really need the six extra seats for you and your wife? Why spend 80,000 dollars on a SUV when you only have two in your family. It is not quantity but quality, and despite their price very few luxury cars have great quality.

These cars will change the entire way we live. They will change our cities and most importantly the heart of cities,the historic Downtown. The dirty rundown pictures of downtown communities are quickly changing in a movement called New Urbanism, which is the revival of our lost art of place-making, and promotes the creation and restoration of compact, walkable, mixed-use cities and towns. If this movement continues and succeeds our downtowns will lead the way for a better community and ultimately a better life.