Oil Consumption is Rising, Imports are Skyrocketing, and Our Vehicles Are to Blame

On the Road to the Future: Interviews with Happy Hybrid Owners

Larry David: My wife -- she's a strong influence on me. But I liked the idea of getting the benefits of a hybrid vehicle without having to plug in a battery. And after I test-drove the car, I liked everything about it. So now I'm a big fan of the car. Mine's aqua.

Bob Epstein: I needed a new car and heard about the Prius from NRDC. I looked also at the Honda Insight to compare, but preferred the Prius.

The panel in the center of the dashboard gives really useful feedback on the fuel efficiency. Also, it's sort of like a thank-you panel that continually reminds you of what you're doing. My car is silver.

Arianna Huffington: Laurie David [NRDC board member and Larry's wife] threatened to kill me if I didn't. But it was love at first drive between me and my dark blue Prius.

George DiCaprio: After meeting people at NRDC, my whole family became aware of the different emissions standards for SUVs and we wanted to feel as though we were contributing to a solution.

Leonardo got rid of his SUV that week. He and I both now drive a Prius -- silver for both of us -- and I've convinced three of my friends to buy one as well.

NDRC: And the Honda Civic Hybrid? Why'd you choose it?

Kay Schrenk: We knew we wanted a hybrid, and we found the Prius mid-dash display quite distracting. The Honda's mileage indicator and battery-charging indicator are down where the speedometer is, behind the steering wheel. You do watch, because that's the fun of it. Our car is blue.

Greg Wetstone: I wanted to get a hybrid, provided it was big enough to cart my two girls around, and that it performed pretty well. I'd driven both the Insight and the Prius before, and liked the way they both drive.

The Insight was too small for us. But I was excited about the Civic even before it came out. I like the way the 5-speed drives. It's very responsive, fun to drive. It's a bronze-gold color.

NDRC: Was finding and purchasing a hybrid easy or difficult? Did you have to wait long for delivery?

Epstein: It was easy -- a call to the local Toyota dealer in Berkeley. I ordered on the first day they accepted orders and received the car eight weeks later.

DiCaprio: We waited a little over two months from the time we ordered the cars until they were delivered.

David: I got the "Larry David treatment," so I only waited about two or three weeks.

Huffington: It was quick and effortless. Santa Monica Toyota brought it right to my driveway.

Wetstone: Surprisingly hassle free. I bought it from the neighborhood dealer in Bethesda [a Washington suburb]. The car was stock.

Schrenk: We waited all of five days. The dealer was terrific. They didn't try to load us up with options. We had to go back and get floor mats! We had to take it someplace else to change the CD player.