>>>>The huge vehicle thing is always a puzzle for us. We live 25 miles from >>>>the closest town. We need a vehicle that will haul hay and a horse trailer. Additionally, we have four teens who use wheelchairs, even in the car for transport. We own a Dodge diesel truck (25 mpg) and a Ford van (15 mpg).
Not everyone can justify driving an "environmentally responsible" auto - and I'm sure your special needs make you one of the ones who shouldn't feel guilty for what you drive. I still look back with fondness to the 4-speed Toyota Tercel hatchback that got me through college - vinyl seats, no carpet, but 40 mpg, and plenty of room for my stuff, and plenty of pep! I always drove smaller cars, even ones with manual transmissions to get the very best mileage, until I took a sales job a few years ago. To get the car allowance/company gas card the company provided (and I drove WAY too many miles to turn it down) I had to buy a car that met their specs...I still own the last vehicle I bought during those years, a 2003 Honda Pilot. It's a pretty big SUV, not the very biggest, but it gets about 19-20 mpg for the kind of driving I do, which is pretty good for its genre. I love my Pilot, but now that I'm self-employed, I know I SHOULD downsize, and get something that gets more responsible gas mileage. I'm really tempted by the Toyota Prius...but man, I HATE having to deal with car salesmen, so I keep dragging my feet. But, about 80% of the time, I'm the only person in my SUV, and even 20-ish mpg is a waste for one person. I need to be nagged by someone like Janice all along - I'm one of the ones who SHOULD feel guilty. Karen Thomas, NC No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.488 / Virus Database: 269.15.3/1081 - Release Date: 10/19/2007 5:41 PM
