Prius Pondering

“Say the word and you’ll be free – say the word and be like me – say the word I’m thinking of – and the only word is” . . . Prius.

Cars – what does it mean and what does it say about you? If I drive a VW Jetta, everyone will think I’m gay. If I drive a Honda CRV, and they think I’m a lesbian, I will be the guy. If they thing I’m straight, I’ll be controlling, strong and difficult. If I drive a Prius, they will just give up on me immediately. So why am I drawn most strongly toward the Prius.

It’s very simple. Gas is currently hovering between $3.05 to $3.19 a gallon. For simplicity, let’s assume everyone’s gas tank holds ten gallons. In my car now (a Saturn Sports Coupe 2 rom 2002) I manage to get about 24 miles to the gallon (not complaining, I’m pretty lucky). In a Prius, I have the realistic capacity to get 54 miles to the gallon. So I buy 10 gallons at $3.05 ($30.50) and this tank will last either 240 miles or 540 miles depending on the next car I buy. So either I’m spending an additional $30.50 a week (roughly) which adds up to $1586 a year and if I take off 4 weeks for vacation or just staying at home, an additional $1464 a year. The Prius is priced about $6000 more than the car I thought I might buy (Matrix). But I get a tax credit on my income taxes for buying a fuel efficient car and I save over a thousand dollars in gas over the next four to six years. An added bonus is that I checked my car insurance, and the Prius is about $60 less per year. So you may ask, why am I hesitating?

Here is the question that is troubling me: Who am I? If I drive a Prius and go to a restaurant, do I have a stronger obligation to go to a restaurant that is eco-conscious? Do I start buying free range chicken? Do I have to give up my additional minutes in the shower? When I say to everyone “I’ll bring some wine,” are they going to expect a better year than this years Yellowtail Shiraz? I don’t know if I can stand the expectations.