I am the very proud owner of 2009's green car of the year. It's not a hybrid. It still counts. It's a Volkswagen Jetta TDI. TD means Turbo Diesel. It's the new diesel and the 2010 green car of the year will not be a hybrid either - it will also be one of these new immaculate diesels. Why do you care? You probably don't, I'm just pissed so you're going to get a little bit of an opinion about the almighty hybrid that is suppose to save the planet and why I, the proud owner of 2009's car of the year should also qualify for the little contest going on at work. My car is the greenest car of the year - have I mentioned that yet?
The fact that I am getting the same gas millage in my non hybrid, green car of the year as you are getting in your Prius hasn't seemed to be enough for you to stop and consider that there may be more than one way to skin a cat, or that there may be more than one type of new green vehicle. Gas millage aside, and even the fact that I spent $1300 less than you did, the Jetta has several other things that I see as superior to your damn Prius. First, if you got the sport package you have leather! Really? A full leather interior somehow equates in what is suppose to be the ultimate in green cars? Volkswagen was a little smarter than that - they developed a "green" leather like material for the seats in my car. I can't tell the difference except that I know my car contributed less to the cruelty of animals and the pollution that cruelty emits than your loaded Prius did.
Next is that I have a full size Sedan I actually feel like I am sitting in a car, rather than a shoe. My car says Vroom! Vroom! while yours says Whaaaaaaaa. My car will beat yours off the line every single time. My car feels sporty and fun. My passengers have plenty of room. But, none of that has anything to do with being green - just cool.
The biggest difference between your car and mine as far as the green factor goes, is that your Prius has an HV battery that is going to die at some point and need to be disposed of in a way that does not undue all of the good you were trying to do in the first place. My car currently emits almost no emissions and it can be converted to Bio-diesel at some point which means it could be even more earth friendly looking forward. I am waiting until they figure out how to convert my doggie's poop into fuel before I convert - I think we're getting there. Your Prius, at some point, will cause another kind of problem when we need to figure out how to dispose of your dead battery. The whole thing kinda reminds me of the new curly cue light bulbs that are so efficient - until you break one and have to have haz-mat come clean it up. In some states, you literally do.
They gave Jetta TDI buyers the tax credit this year, but not the Prius. Hmmm. Could it be because this new diesel technology is awesome and they want to support more of it?
So, I am going to log onto the little contest page and I am going to give myself credit for driving myself around in 2009's green car of the year - even though it is not a Hybrid. I don't care that you bought a Prius and spent more money than I did for your goofy looking car. I don't care that you still feel you have an argument against me taking credit for doing my part. I will fight it all the way to the CEO. I am confident he will agree with me. Either call him now or get over it.
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