The Other SUV Sticker Shock

Regarding the hybrid SUV/fuel question, just think how disappointed actor Luke MacFarlane would be if he had spent the $49,000-plus on a Lexus RX 400h, only to max out at 20 miles per gallon on city and highway driving as I did (“Whither the SUV?,” by Patrick J. Kiger, Aug. 28). Perhaps that would give new definition to the term “sticker shock.”

I can only hope that on subsequent tanks of gas, and without running the air-conditioning, the mileage improves so I don’t feel like a total idiot for justifying spending that kind of money on a new SUV because of the potential fuel and environmental savings. Twenty mpg saves neither fuel nor the environment, and certainly has not saved me any money.

Niki Good

Newport Beach