Dems Reach Deal on Energy Bill

My 2008 Mercury Mariner Hybrid has been running around 27.6 MPG over the last few weeks. On a good freeway run it can peak around 29 MPG. Those figures compare to the 2003 Ford Escape V6 3.0L with an average around 23 MPG. I figure it cost me an extra $5000 to get an extra 5 MPG. If the costs follow in similar fashion, its going to hike the price another $12,000 to make that 12 MPG increase in this bill. I don't see that happening in the real world. My summer MPG is lower due to power required to run the air conditioning.

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Not really a fair comparison as the Mariner non hybrid starts at $2,000 more than a Ford Escape does. So your $5,000 difference is really $3,000. Also, did you adjust for inflation from 2003 to 3008?

Also, did you adjust for inflation from 2003 to 3008?

I'll be replacing the vehicle before 3008 :-) Considering your adjustment, it's $3000 to improve 5 MPG. Here's the really good news...I purchased the vehicle in time to qualify for a $3,000 credit on my taxes. I put $5,000 down on top of a $13,000 trade-in for the 2003. That tax credit goes back to the savings account that supplied the $5,000. I got 70,000 miles of good service for the $10,000 difference between the acquisition cost of the 2003 Escape and the trade-in.

Assuming I keep the Mariner for 100,000 miles, I'll save 776 gallons of gasoline. At the current $3/gal, that translates to a savings of around $2300. That just repaid the rest of the $5,000 down payment after getting the tax credit. Essentially, I just paid $4,000 to purchase the creature comforts in the Mariner and started with a brand new vehicle. The tax credit and gas savings made the upgrade to a hybrid a wash.

BTW, the 2008 Mariner we purchased was being actively considered by Dawn Wells (Marianne from Gilligan's Island). We purchased it before she committed, so they had to order another one for her. Wells runs a film school in Driggs, ID and intended to use the vehicle to commute between Driggs, ID and Jackson, WY.

How do you like the Mariner out of curiousity? The wife looked at that but ended up choosing the Nissan Altima last year.

This is do-able. All we need is for Ford & Chevy to start producing 2-wheeled cars with 125cc engines, and for Pelosi to require us to buy them.

The obvious answer to increasing fuel efficiency is to make lighter vehicles. Lighter vehicles will lead to more highway deaths during accidents. Has anyone computed what the increased fuel efficiency will cost in terms of human lives?

I like the Mariner very much. It could be a little more "peppy" compared to the Escape 3.0L V6. It won't host a Class II trailer hitch like the Escape, nor will it permit some of the high end electronics due to the HEV power system. It's very comfortable and gets really good mileage when we go crawling around Yellowstone National Park. It's really nice to slip into the very silent electric mode and cruise by buffalo, elk and deer without spooking them. I especially appreciate the leather seats and the "seat heat" feature on a cold morning. The sun roof is electrically powered and has multiple useful positions...mostly good for ventilation.

In the summer, you have to select the "ECON" mode to preserve the hybrid functionality with the air conditioner engaged. If omitted, the vehicle runs like standard cars with the engine driving the air conditioner all the time. ECON cycles the engine on/off as necessary to keep the inside comfortable. The heating/air conditioning system has the ability to select separate temperatures on the passenger and driver side. The NAV system works very well. It in DVD and GPS based. The Sirius radio is fine, although I would have selected XM if given the option. The "line in" jack permits playing an iPOD or my XM myFI to remedy my preference in satellite radio.

The Mariner is essentially an Escape with much nicer trim and interior. The seats are adjustable and permit me to bring my 3 sons (6 ' 2.5" tall) in the back seat with plenty of leg room. The rear seats drop flat when I need extra cargo space. It's just about perfect for all the kinds of driving we do. The 4x4 capability with large wheels makes it very nimble in the snow...that was a requirement in this area.

I have a 1999 F150 4x4 SuperCab XLT as well. It does the heavy work in snow and carts my collection of garden tools to the second house all summer long. I don't put lots of miles on it. It was purchased in August 2003 with 22,500 miles on it. It just turned over 28,200 last week. My "commute" is zero miles. A 33 foot walk from where I sleep.

BTW, my wife looked at a Nissan Santa Fe just before we purchased the 2003 Ford Escape. We got a better deal on the Escape as it had 20,000 miles on it vs a new purchase. After 50,000 miles of good experiences in the Escape, we opted for the Mariner as a replacement.

“Has anyone computed what the increased fuel efficiency will cost in terms of human lives?”

The calculations have been made. I think Rush has discussed them.