Fuel efficiency, quiet ride draw drivers to new hybrids
by Jason Holt, Reporter

    (Final in a series on hybrid cars)
    Have you ever driven a hybrid car? Would you ever buy a hybrid? What kinds of people drive hybrids?
    These are questions people who have bought a car within the last couple of years have been asked.
    According to various car dealers, the older a person is, the more likely he is to buy a hybrid.
    Most young people prefer sporty or dirt road type vehicles to economy type whereas more mature people would rather save money and the environment.
    "I selected a hybrid because it appeared to me the best way to get fuel economy without sacrificing power/acceleration and comfort," Richard Shepard, owner of a Toyota Prius, said.
    "With other economy cars, including totally electric cars, power and comfort go out the window," he said.
    Shepard, 45, really likes his hybrid.
    "I like its fuel economy most," he said. "I get about 45 mpg. I like not having to consider the cost of gas whenever I want to drive someplace."
    Jeannine Van Noy, former TCC English teacher, enjoys her hybrid.
    "I like the feel of driving it and how it responds. Its peppiness reminds me of a Honda Accord Hatchback with stick shift I had years ago," she said.
    Van Noy bought a Prius.
    "We looked at the Honda and found absolutely no room for luggage," she said. "We did not like the two-seater, and the inside would not accommodate our family and our dogs."
    The Van Noys actually were wanting to replace her Nissan Maxima and were looking at several different mini-vans as well.
    Van Noy and her husband asked to see a hybrid, but the dealership did not have any on the lot.
    The dealership did, however, have one in the shop, so Van Noy and her husband went to see it.
    They put down a deposit on one that was to be delivered in about a week in Houston, but made the dealer promise to give them their money back if they didn't like it.
    They loved everything about it.
    "Many times people wait by the car until we get outside of a store so they can ask us about it. My husband loves to show it off," she said.
    "I just believe Americans need to be more aware of their choices and be responsible. This area will be as bad as Los Angles with smog if something does not change," she said.
    Barry Lipman, a car dealer for Toyota of Fort Worth, described the typical hybrid buyer.
    "The people who buy these cars are those who care very much for the environment or who want the car for its fuel economy," he said.
    Lipman said that all of his customers are really excited about their new cars. He said that many times people who do not own a hybrid would approach those who do and ask them about it.
    The people who own the hybrid will then explain how the hybrid works and even give a demonstration.
    "It is certainly a car of the future," he said.
    Lipman does not own a hybrid because his family needs a bigger car, but he would consider buying one if Toyota would come out with a bigger hybrid vehicle like a Camry.
    Lipman said that within the next couple of years, Toyota will be putting its hybrid engine in Mini-Vans as well as SUVs and other cars.