>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Too bad they can't make a hybrid (or any other high MPG vehicle) that competes with Toyota or Honda.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>Prius came my country last year. Sorry but it's so ugly car. Honda Civic hybrid we selling there from years. It's a more beatiful car.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>I got used to its look. First it looked like a tennis shoe to me. But then I liked the concept - this is not a hybrid car pretending to look like a regular car (as in case of the Civic), but a computer with engines and wheels, which proudly refuses to imitate a regular car. It's a car with an OS, no less.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>But it's still too expensive. I briefly considered it last time I was buying a car, and 1) there were hardly any used* ones for sale, 2) the ones that were, were about 50% above the price I eventually paid for a Matrix.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>I paid about 23K out the door for my Prius II new last summer. The gas savings make it a much better deal for me than a $5k less vehicle that gets 33% less MPG - I put a lot of miles on my cars.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Interesting. The base Prius here is about £21K - which would equate to around $33.5K
>>>>>>>>A friend of mine had one. I liked it but couldn't justify it on economic grounds.
>>>>>>>>I bought a little 1100cc car that is surprisingly nippy and fun to drive, cost under £6K, and is supposed to achieve 65mpg.
>>>>>>>>Could have bought five of them for the price of a Prius......
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Most people I speak to around here seem to think the Prius is expensive until I tell them the actual price. List prices start at about $21.5K USD IIRC. Of course, when gas prices spike, dealers have a habit of tacking on a premium $$ because suddenly the supply dries up.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>I almost coughed up my cereal an hour ago when I read that gas prices went up 6 cents a gallon yesterday, a one day record. It is blamed on turmoil in the Middle East, which of course is at a boil. The explanation did not convince me, though. It said pump prices go up in response to anticipated refinery prices, not current ones. Oh yeah? Do they go down the same way when oil prices are going down?
>>>>>
>>>>>Standard BS for oil and gas prices.
>>>>>
>>>>>Jake will come up with excuses for it.
>>>>
>>>>I wasn't aware that the most basic of market principals was an excuse. Supply/Demand, end of lesson.
>>>
>>>Yep. Oligopoly with strategic resources. Hold the nation (or more) hostage.
>>You are correct except for one point. The majority of the oil/gas reserves are controlled by Governments. So the hostages are the people and the hostage takers are the Governments. The Oil companies are just a puppet. Jake's comment is correct in a FREE market but we don't have a FREE market any more.
>
>The price to the consumer is controlled by the Oil companies.

How so? If they can't control the raw material how can the control the price to the consumer? If the price of wheat doubles, does the bread make still have control of the price to the consumer?

I agree with the concept of what you are saying but you need to channel your anger at the problem. What do you think would happen to the price of gas if the US government opened up the US for gas and oil exploration? Further, if most of the regulations where lifted so the permit process wouldn't take year? Last, streamline the permit process for nuclear energy.

What



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>>>Good stuff.