Howdy all, I have to put my two cents in on this one also. I thought for some time about my next vehicle, considering birding from it among other things and am very pleased with my Jeep Wrangler. Aside from the mileage it is a great birding vehicle.
Four-wheel drive to get about anywhere. Very tight turning radius. High clearance. Small to fit some places larger vehicles cant. Flat front windshield ( no bowed vision ). High visibility especially when the weather is nice. Having the top off is awesome. And actually it stays plenty warm in the winter. I have a soft top but real doors with windows. And yes Air and Cruise for the longer trips. It is a bit of a stiff ride but they have come a long way. The soft top does have it's downfalls with security though. The only thing I enjoy birding more from is my Harley :-) ...... Blaine Seeliger avoce...@cs.com In a message dated 3/7/03 9:46:34 AM Pacific Standard Time, mi...@cadence.com writes: << I've had the pleasure of driving my sister's gas/electric hybrid Toyota Prius this past week. Its so cool that I just had to tell somebody about it. Birding features: 1. 40-50 mpg. Save money on long bird chasing drives. 2. To my knowledge it's the only car you can get in MN which meets the California SULEV standard (super ultra low emission). Minimize adding to greenhouse gases which has the potential for dangerous changes in habitat, food sources, migration patterns, etc. 3. Large windows, front and back for viewing and for holding most large scope window mounts. 4. Now, for the coolest birding feature: when you pull over and stop at side of the road, the gas engine automatically shuts off-no noise, smells, or vibration to disrupt your viewing. Then, when you want to pull ahead a little for a different viewing angle, the electric motor silently moves the car-no ignition noise to scare those skittish shorebirds. Only when you push harder on the accelerator does the gas engine automatically start up for more power. As long as you move under 20 mph (depending terrain) and don't accelerate too much, the gas engine stays off. You can run on just the electric motor for quite awhile with no engine noise to interfere with hearing what's singing along the roadside. Mike Engh Wayzata
