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Is A Hybrid Car For You

You may have seen one zipping past you in the high occupancy lane, a lone driver at the wheel. It's a gasoline-electric hybrid car and driving in the HOV lane is just one of the benefits of ownership in many states. But what is a hybrid? How does it work? Is it the right car for you and your family?

A hybrid car has a both a gasoline engine and a battery. The battery is recharged by energy from the gasoline engine that would normally be lost during braking or decelerating. The car uses either the battery or the gasoline engine depending on several factors including how fast the car is traveling. Sometimes, both will work together to provide an extra boost of power without using too much extra fuel.

The result of this technology is cars that get significantly better gas mileage and produce less carbon dioxide emissions that traditional gasoline powered cars. For example, according to Honda, the 2006 Civic Hybrid gets 50 miles to the gallon on the highway, 14 miles to the gallon better than the 2003 regular Civic. When driven the national average of 12,000 miles, that represents a savings of 69 gallons of gas and 258 pounds of carbon dioxide per year.

In the early days of hybrid cars, there were few models to choose from. People desiring to purchase a hybrid car were stuck in tiny cars with little cargo space. Today, however, manufacturers produce hybrid cars and light trucks in nearly every category including family-sized sedans, sport utility vehicles and minivans. The smallest cars still get the best gas mileage, but larger hybrids consistently outperform their regular siblings in gas mileage and carbon dioxide emissions.

Unfortunately, hybrid cars cost more than regular models. In the case of the 2006 Honda Civic, the hybrid model costs almost $7,000 more than the regular model. Congress passed a law providing tax credits for hybrid car owners that took effect on January 1, 2006 that would save the buyer of a 2006 Civic Hybrid $2,100. It would take several years to break even on the purchase of a hybrid counting gasoline savings alone. However, many hybrid owners are as dedicated to the environmental benefits of driving a hybrid as they are to the money they save.

One of the fears when hybrid cars first became available was that maintenance and insurance costs would be prohibitive. Research has shown that regular maintenance costs for hybrid vehicles are no higher than for regular vehicles. Additionally, hybrid car owners are less likely to be involved in accidents and some insurance companies have begun offering discounts to hybrid car owners.

Kadence Buchanan writes articles on many topics including Automotive, Outdoors, and Recreation.

posted by ujzboi @ 5:41 PM 0 comments

The Pros And Cons Of Having A Small Wedding

It's been in every girl's dream to have a great wedding someday. And I know all of them have the perfect wedding all planned out. But putting your dreams into reality could sometimes pose some problems and you end up with the next best thing. If you won't settle for the next best thing then you might want to choose having a small yet divine wedding.

Having a small wedding doesn't mean that it should be simple and not be the dream wedding you want to have. Unless you really dream of having a big and very expensive wedding then this just won't satisfy you. I think it's more practical now to just hold a small yet chic wedding. Most famous stars choose to have a very intimate and simple wedding. Just having the close family members of both parties and a few close friends are just invited. The important thing is that you're sharing the most important day of your life to the persons that are also dear to you. Just have the people who really matter. Small weddings could be practical because you'll save a lot of money. I know that most people are willing to spend money just to have that perfect wedding. But having a perfect wedding doesn't mean it would cost you. And planning out the wedding would be easier compared with having a large wedding. Besides, if you dreamt of having a wedding out of town, then keeping your guest list short would be to your advantage also. And you could also have a wide variety of after the wedding party because of your small number of guests. You can spend the money you'll be saving from the wedding to your honeymoon and enjoy your new life together.

There are some down sides on having a small wedding also. It's not all good like everything else. It got some catch to it. First thing is that if you belong to a large family then you have to decide who gets invited and who doesn't. Then you'll be in an awkward state after the wedding when a certain relative learned about it and ask why they didn't get invited. Having a small wedding would also mean that you really have to have a hands-on to every detail of the event. Although you also will have to do these on all forms of weddings yet it could cause some problems. Having a small wedding could also mean that there will be fewer gifts which the couple would receive. But you'll still have the last say on what or how you want your wedding to be. After all, this is your wedding, right? This would only guide you to make the right decision. Having a small wedding have its own advantages and disadvantages also so know what you really want and let the rest be taken cared of. It's a battle of intimacy and extravagance, practicality and luxury. The most important thing is that the most important event of your life would be worth remembering.

Find more information on planning a wedding plus get some small wedding ideas.

posted by ujzboi @ 2:19 PM 0 comments