[johnunit]

I know you said "don't try and convince you of small cars" and all that;

But my summer car is a 2ton 351W powered land yacht, so I think I can speak as someone who sees the appeal in a bigger vehicle.


Some food for thought:
You mention your long-term experiences with smaller cars being a Horizon (K-car) and an 80s Mazda. I don't think it's a stretch to say those are ****boxes compared to any modern economy car, in terms of NVH, handling, safety, etc. Get in even a 10 year old compact car for a test drive and I think you'll be VERY surprised how much better they are than your old K car in crosswinds, ride, etc. Plus they've got a billion airbags and other safety features something like your wife's Bronco (and I'd love to have a 351 bronco) doesn't. Something like an 8 year old Civic or Focus or Corolla will be FASTER than just about anything V8 powered and not named "Camaro" "Firebird" "Corvette" or "Mustang" from the mid 70s to early 90s, too. This includes my own cherished 351W powered Crown Victoria. It sounds meaner, but nearly any "rice rocket" beyond a slush box base-model will hand it it's lunch at a stoplight. I'm not saying go and buy yourself a Metro, but I'd bet money on you being pleasantly surprised all around by something like a first gen focus, 02ish Corolla, etc. If that's too small even a Taurus, Malibu, etc. will be a huge improvement in economy and a far cry from the K-car you understandably maligned.



Personally, I think that your expectations for battery range are unrealistic. 118 miles MIGHT be doable on a straight road on pure electric with some smart engineering, but 118 miles towing, or up steep hills, that'd be significantly better than the claims of any even working prototype electric vehicle of any size.


Speaking as an owner of the car that sort of set the template for hybrids, I've basically accepted that the hybrid concept in general is better suited for stop-and-go and shorter trips than long distance runs. For running around downtown Toronto a hybrid is unbeatable. When I wanna blast down the 401 (busiest and, at one point, widest highway in the world) for 3 hours there are better, or at least equal, choices.


A hybrid of some sort may be a good idea for you on days where you WON'T be towing/hauling, but I have a lot of trouble imagining a system you'd ever make your money back on if we're talking a 1 ton truck with cargo.