The American Spectator

Reader Mail

(Page 3 of 13)

p>That settles it: I'm getting a Cadillac. br> -- Bryan Frymire br> Louisville, Kentucky /p> p> Couldn't agree more with Lawrence Henry's take on the relative high cost of hybrid ownership. Just wait 'til the battery packs start needing replacement! From what I've read, this little item could easily set the owner back anywhere from $3K to $5K! This Fifties boy hotrodder can see it now: someone's battery pack crumps just after the warranty expires, so they switch to driving on the "gas" side of the powertrain only. Good luck in unloading any used hybrid that needs said pack replaced; talk about a throwaway vehicle! I'm quite comfortable driving my fleet of elderly restored Eldorados, Toronados, Corvairs and a lone '90 Hondo CRX with 275K on the odometer (engine's never been apart) and still gets 42 MPH on the road. And oh yes, Mr, Henry, my Diamond White '98 Deville is a daily driver, too. br> -- Phil Brandt br> Austin, Texas /p>

Re Lawrence Henry's Eldorado, an even better option in the second-hand auto market is a used Mercedes diesel. I've had two of them, a 1985 300SD (purchase price $16,000 in 1991) and a 1997 E300D (purchase price $15,500 in 2001). Highway mileage was often well above 30mpg and the cost per mile driven -- everything included: purchase price, insurance, fuel, repairs, and so on -- averaged about 32 cents a mile for each vehicle. The recent fuel cost spike will probably drive up the cost for the still-owned second vehicle, but of course it will do the same for Mr. Henry's Eldorado.

p>I hasten to add that one should consider a Mercedes only if he can find a competent non-dealership repair shop, as I have. The typical factory Mercedes dealership seems to regard the sale of the vehicle as a loss leader for the profits to be made in their service department. br> -- Jameson Campaigne br> Ottawa, Illinois

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