PriusChatter Featured in the Orlando Sentinel

Dr. Sultan Rahaman, aka rahamanmd on the PriusChat community forums, is featured in an article in today's Orlando Sentinel. It's an interesting article about Dr. Rahaman moving from being a long-time BMW owner to a first-time Prius owner.

Hybrids stay popular -- even after gas prices fall​

Steven Cole Smith​

Sentinel Automotive Editor​

October 12, 2009​

HEATHROW​

A year ago, the average price of a gallon of gasoline in Orlando was $3.45. This week, it's $2.39. Why would anyone, then, feel compelled to buy a hybrid?​

Having a hybrid isn't just about saving money on fuel. The gas-sipping vehicles are good for the environment, fun to drive, maintain their value and can even be considered a "fashion accessory," owners and auto-industry experts say. That's why sales of hybrids have held up well, even as gas prices have plunged and the automotive industry struggles through the recession.​

Dr. Sultan Rahaman of Heathrow bought his first BMW in 1991 and has owned a succession of them since. But this year, he replaced his BMW with a 2010 Toyota Prius. And shortly before that, he replaced his wife's minivan with a 2009 Prius.​

And though he does miss the BMWs — "the ride, the handling," he says, "I thought, how often do I really need 300 horsepower?"​

Rahaman, who's in family practice, is averaging about 50 miles per gallon in his Prius. And in doing so, he feels he is making a difference.​

"In the 1970s, during the first oil embargo, I was going to school in Canada, and I remember hearing about how we needed to reduce our dependence on oil," he said. "And for 35 years, we've basically done nothing. In a small way, I feel like we're doing something now."​

He also got something he wasn't expecting: a hobby.​

Rahaman, like other hybrid owners, admits to embracing his car's complex technology and to falling under the spell of the color graphics on the dashboard that give the driver instant information about fuel mileage.​

As he drives to and from his office in Longwood, he tries to maximize that mileage, seeking out downhill routes and avoiding stoplights.​

"And then I'll get stuck in traffic," he says, laughing, "and I think, 'There goes the day!' I'm totally involved when I'm driving this car."​

... Jesse Toprak, vice president of industry trends for TrueCar, a California-based automotive analyst firm, says there's also a star factor in owning a hybrid.​

"Hybrids [are] a fashion accessory," he said. "It's appealing to be able to drive the same car that, say, Leonardo DiCaprio drives."​

But that, says Rahaman, has nothing to do with his decision to own a hybrid.​

"I went from an $80,000 car to one that costs under $30,000, and I don't think I'm the only one who has gone from a much more expensive car to a Prius," he said. "And that totally blows away the idea that people are buying these cars just for the mileage.​

"It wasn't really a decision based on economics," he added. "I just thought, 'This is a car I can live with.' I really can't remember being more excited about driving a car." Orlando Sentinal ​