Quote:
Originally Posted by admranger
So are you recommending a 3.5 or a Prius to the OP? 
I agree that the payback is going to be a long time based on mpg, if that's what you're getting at. However, upon further review, it doesn't seem that hard to get the 3.5 up near $60k and with the $4500 eco credit plus the tax credit for the diesel, the delta is smaller than it originally appears.
OP, I'd drive both and buy what fits your lifestyle best. |
The mess in the gulf (and similar messes in other locations) are there because North America is addicted to cheap oil. No one person or purchase or vehicle choice caused it, but disasters like this will continue to happen if we continue to plunder our planet's resources as we are doing now. One way that excessive use of oil is evidenced is through the purchase of expensive (diesel or gasoline) 5000 lb vehicles for one person to commute a short distance to work in. Those commutes are necessary in many cases because we have built a driving culture based on suburban living. But they don't all have to be in these types of vehicles. Look at the figures for annual energy consumption per person in North America, compared to the rest of the world. It is embarrassing, and simply not sustainable.
It doesn't mean we have to drive Prius and Smart vehicles, although having them in the mix isn't a bad thing. It does mean we should think about our choices, just for a moment or so, before carrying on. That may or may not be what MD was saying, but I'll suggest it if not. Now, if someone is going to tow a trailer on the weekends, or has a large family, then vehicle choices are somewhat dictated. But do we all need an X5 for short distance single person commutes? If so, great, carry on. But one can't help but wonder how long we are all going to be doing this for, and what we will look back and think about it 30 years from now.
Vehicles like the diesel X5 are getting lots of attention right now. But they are reported by the US federal government to consume more barrels of oil at the wellhead (due to diesel fuel production issues) than their gasoline counterparts. They are artificially cheap right now, as the federal government is giving out subsidies (go team!) and BMW is adding 'eco' incentives to encourage consumption. I understand that the federal government is in the business of giving out money now, so that one makes sense. BMW is in the business of creating demand, so I get that. The only stakeholder group that will change our direction here is the consumer.
/end rant
I agree with admranger that the OP should drive several vehicles and buy the one that fits his lifestyle best. I would just modify it slightly and suggest that we should all buy what best supports the lifestyle we would like to have in the medium term, and not just our short term (current) one.