For many years, both my husband and I drove large gas-guzzling SUVs, capable of carrying a few weeks worth of luggage and gear for a family beach trip, or every imaginable baby item for a visit with grandparents- highchair, stroller, portable baby gates and more, or even able to transport the results of a $600 Costco shopping spree.
There were a few drawbacks though. In Northern Virginia, where every other automobile is a black SUV, finding my Ford Explorer in a crowded parking lot could be quite a challenge. The greatest challenge, however, was being able to withstand the damage at the gas pump- watching the total rise to a figure higher than my weekly grocery costs I had more than a few irritated moments when I wished I could feed the dang car for the same amount I fed the family. Heck, I could pay cash for groceries, but I always needed an American Express card with it's no limit policy in order to brave the gas station.
Then, when the time came to replace my aging SUV, I had the good fortune to test-drive a brand new Ford Escape hybrid. Not only was it NOT black, but instead a lovely "Dune Pearl" (the manufactures name for the color which I seem to be the only one capable of remembering- even my dealer refers to it as tan!) but I could get into the driver's seat without needing a step-stool. Advantages numbers one and two.
As the salesman demonstrated the features to me, I was focused on the luxurious interior- heated leather seats, oh yeah, I was in heaven. While taking my test drive, I was sold before I even returned to the lot, and I left that day in my brand new Ford Escape Hybrid driving, as my husband said, under a cloud of smug- luckily this was able to be released via the easily controlled sunroof.
There are a few things the driver has to get acclimated to when driving this fabulous vehicle for the first time. For instance, the way the engine shuts off, and the battery-controlled electronic motor runs silently in stop and go traffic, or when waiting in the left turn lane. That first turn left in front of oncoming traffic requires a true leap of faith! Then, you have to learn to re-plan your weekly schedule, since there is no longer a pressing need to visit the gas station every Monday morning on your way to work. And as the gas prices skyrocket, the cloud of smug, which, by the way is absolutely harmless to the environment and the ozone layer, continues to soar.
It didn't take long for my husband to abandon HIS huge SUV and purchase his own Ford Escape Hybrid as well. Perhaps someday soon it will be hard to find our smaller SUVs in the crowded parking lots, as more and more drivers realize the advantages of these wonderful automobiles.
