Car Journalist: Why I Don't Drive a Hybrid

Jim Motavalli is editor of E/The Environmental Magazine and writes car reviews for the New York Times. You could easily assume that he drives a Prius or some other car commonly perceived to be green. However, he drives a normal car with a normal combustion engine. And his reasons make a lot of sense.

I have long been annoyed how any car that is hybrid is thought of as ecologically sound - drive a huge luxury hybrid, get 15 mpg and you will be congratulated for saving the environment, but drive a small, sensible gas car and it won't be mentioned. Motavalli mentions that he was recently approached by Forbes for advice on luxury hybrids and was, "hard-pressed to offer a glowing assessment," for just this reason.

He actually drives a Honda Fit, which achieves 33 mpg in town and 38 on the highway, better than many hybrid vehicles. "With automotive green scores, it’s the numbers that count. Take a look, there’s the Fit at number four in the ratings, just above the Ford Escape Hybrid. There’s nothing magical about the word “hybrid.” In the end, it’s about fuel economy and emissions." ::The Daily Green