[ba] My trusty old '91 200Q

[Buchholz, Steven]

... don't get me started on "hybrids" ... I suppose if your driving matches the strong points of the hybrid it is OK ... but it bugs me that people have gotten in their minds that hybrids run on anything other than fossil fuels ... my brother in law just bought a Camry Hybrid ... sorry, I don't see it.  OK, off the soap box ... 

One interesting alternative is a TDI ... there's a lady here at work who drives a Jetta TDI, and it works very well for her needs.  Lately it seems like Diesel fuel has not shot up as high as gasoline.  Of course if you want to be true green you can consider bio-diesel.  

I too have been contemplating a new (or newer) car ... but for now I will satisfy myself that I'm continuing to do my part by using the motorcycle as a year-round commute vehicle, and knowing I'm cranking a few dozen KW-HRs to the grid on sunny days ... 

I'm waiting for true alternate fueled vehicles ... hey, a Tesla'd look good in the driveway!  :-)  You do know that CNG-powered cars get a free carpool lane sticker, right?  There are also hydrogen fueled cars ... not sure when they'll be real though.  Shoot, I'd almost rate a flex-fueled car higher in terms of Eco-friendliness over a "hybrid" ...

I've got an idea for you Arun ... convert your 200Q to electric!  :-)  There can't be that many electric AWD cars out there!  :-)

Good luck with your decision!

Steve B
San José, CA (USA)
> 
> What with gas prices the way they are, and my own new-found
> environmental consciousness, I'm contemplating replacing my 200Q (now
> with just a tad over 200K on the clock) with one of them new-fangled
> hybrids. Too bad there isn't an Audi, or even VW, that fills the bill ...
> 
> Needless to say, I'm not exactly cock-a-hoop with joy about driving a
> dish-cloth around (although I have to confess that a mid-sized popular
> sedan made by a large Japanese company is actually quite nice).
> Besides, my 15-year-old son is quite bummed: he's quite looking forward
> to driving that car starting next month.
> 
> Anyone care to offer arguments to dissuade me?  The 200Q looks great,
> and runs essentially perfectly, but I can't get more than about 21 mpg
> if I drive .. ahem .. normally.  Besides, I suspect I'll have to fight
> emissions battles again next year, and I find that replacement parts are
> already getting hard to get.
> 
> Aargh.