We got a new car this week -- NEW new -- and it is... an SUV. A "crossover" SUV, but an SUV nonetheless. How do two people who think so politically about their consumption justify such a choice? Well, a few things.

Firstly, we're actually using the "U" part of "SUV" -- the main reason we wanted this vehicle was to more easily haul Emily's stuff to craft shows. Loading it all into her Jetta worked, but she was restricted in how much she could take and the car itself was significantly affected by the load. Still, we'd planning to stick with it until it gave out, which finally happened last week.

Perhaps the biggest concern with this car is the gas mileage. Since we've yet to take it on the highway or fill the tank, I don't know what we'll wind up with exactly, but according to the official reports I think we'll be right around where the Jetta was, maybe a little under it.

Also, I can drive this car, which wasn't really the case with the Jetta. That car was a manual transmission, which I can drive but am not comfortable with; it was also really small and didn't have cruise control, which meant I physically couldn't deal with more than an hour in the driver's seat. The new one is an automatic, it's bigger and it has cruise. If we need to drive home after Emily would be tired, or if she's had some drinks, we don't have to worry about whether my beat-up Grand Prix can make it.

Still, I find myself continuing to sneer at other SUV drivers and occasionally sneering at myself. So it's a bit weird.