One of the great things about living in a free country is having the luxury of a choice of products and services.
We may not always agree with someone's choice of car, but at the end of the day it's easy to appreciate their freedom to choose it.
So when our friends at Jalopnik write about the joy of daily driving a big, gas-guzzling truck, we'd rather offer an alternative viewpoint than scorning them for their choice. What about the joy of daily driving a clean, green, gas-sipper?
As many of our readers know, there's a lot of joy to be had from driving a hybrid, diesel, range-extended vehicle or even an electric car--even if it's not about carving corners or showing off to friends.
Aaaaaaand relax
Firstly, there's the relaxation. Sometimes it's psychological, as people who drive fuel-sippers are more likely to try and get the most from them by setting off earlier, traveling a little slower and driving less aggressively. The low heart rate at the end of every journey will tell its own story.
Sometimes, it's just how the car is--anyone who has ever driven a Prius, Volt or similar, will know how easy they are to drive, how smooth the power delivery is and how great it is sitting in silence in traffic, while everyone around you is sitting there wasting gas.
And that's another reason gas-sippers are relaxing--knowing that even in the worst traffic jams or the longest, most tiring journeys, less of your hard-earned cash is being burned away in the engine bay.
Get-up-and-go
Then, whether you're driving a regular hybrid, plug-in, electric vehicle or diesel, there's the torque. It's one thing that links many gas-sippers, albeit in different ways. If you drive anything with an electric motor feeding the wheels, you'll be acutely aware of the get-up-and-go they have from every green light, thanks to the way electric motors deliver power.
And in a diesel, or the latest generation of turbocharged gasoline engines, there's always a big hit of torque waiting in each gear to catapult you at the horizon. It's not just trucks and muscle cars that get to enjoy some spirited acceleration!
Latest gadget
For some, it's the technology that appeals. Driving around in a Leaf or Volt is like driving around in the latest gadget. If you're the sort of person who queues for the new iPhone, tablet PC or HD, 3D, 5.1 surround-sound internet-ready waffle iron, then there's a lot of joy to be had driving around in a high-tech car.
So that's why we think there's joy to be had daily driving a gas-sipper.
But we're aware our readers own a wide variety of electric vehicles and cars with great gas mileage--so what joy do you get from driving around in your car of choice? Share your experiences in the comments section below!
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