Leave it to The Car Connection's Marty Padgett to dream up a list including seven good reasons for buying a hybrid — we were surprised to see that many. Being professional cynics, we're far more interested in, and familiar with, the six bad reasons he detailed in a piece for PR Newswire. But with the super-exciting hybrid wars on the way at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, we suppose it's about time to bone up on the rationale for hooking up with the hybrid clan. Brief summaries of the points after the jump.Seven "great" reasons to buy a hybrid
- Your old car is busted and you need a new one anyway
- You get a tax break with some hybrids
- Your employer is a hippy and offers hybrid drivers perks
- Hybrids can drive in the high occupancy lanes where you live
- Better mileage than your gas guzzler
- Hedge your bets against gas prices skyrocketing
- Buy a hybrid to send a message to automakers
Six "lousy" reasons to buy a hybrid
- You think it will save money right now
- By some delusion, you think a hybrid is cheaper to own
- You think there's no difference in performance against a normal car
- You think you'll get the claimed fuel economy
- By some delusion, you think you'll never have to service it
- You're buying it as a fashion accessory, thus garnering the full vitriol of the Jalopnik community
Okay, so maybe he didn't say that last part exactly, but you know what we mean. If people are seriously buying hybrids for some of those lousy reasons, we weep for the future of humanity. (Ed: Here's a tissue) [Full article at PRNewswire]