Hybrid ... cont

I've posted a few times about Hybrid Hype, such as Toyota Prius.

Now here's one that makes more sense... real world vs. image and video game.

Autoweek on Saturn Vue Greenline:

"It’s good to see that people building these vehicles are working toward simple everyday use, with hybrid in mind. This is no super-high-tech setup—just a belt assist via a starter/generator, regenerative braking, a battery pack, fuel cutoff, and some electronic gear to keep it all working together. But overall, it just does its thing—auto stop/start, belt-assisted acceleration, a gauge to report whether you’re using electric power or generating it, and a little green “ECO” light to tell you whether the vehicle is exceeding the EPA mileage estimate. Otherwise it works like a normal gasoline-engine SUV. It doesn’t call attention to fuel economy with some readout on the dash—that’s just the kind of thing that has greenies driving their hybrids as 49.3 mph in the California HOV lanes as they try to squeeze another mile per gallon out of their average miles per gallon readout. That may be green in the extreme, but it’s equal part stupid, and unsafe as well.

Overall, the Vue Green Line is a smart package at a great price for a hybrid with this much utility. This one was decked out with quite a few options—heated power leather seats, DVD entertainment system—and still cost $4,000 less than the last Ford Escape Hybrid we drove. And you’d be well on your way to buying a second Vue Green Line for the money you’d save over a Toyota Highlander Hybrid, which starts at $33,635.

This hybrid trucklet may not thrill the techno-geeks, nor will it calm the hardcore enviro-whackos, but it should please anyone looking for space for five and cargo room, a nice sticker price, and a lot less stress at the gas pump with the big $3.09 per gallon staring you in the face."