Save gas, drive a Vespa
Chris Blanco
Issue date: 4/28/09 Section: Opinion
Seventy-five miles per gallon is something to buzz about. It's not a car, it's definitely not a truck, it's a Vespa!
What is a Vespa you may be wondering? It's a scooter that was manufactured in 1946 by Piaggio, an aircraft manufacturer, to help Italians get around in a war-torn Italy. The word "Vespa" means "wasp" in Italian.
With a recent spike in gas prices and the higher awareness of environmental concerns, the Vespa has made huge sales everywhere, even in North America. I recently purchased my 150 cc Vespa here in Augusta from Triumph Ducati off of Wheeler Road, and I have been in love with it since I left the showroom.
My model, the LX 150 (LX being the Roman numeral for 60 to celebrate Vespa's 60 years) runs at a maximum speed of 60 miles per hour, and sips gas at 75 miles per gallon. It's perfect for inner-city travel.
When I filled it up at the pump, it cost me $2.36 on empty! It beats the $35 to $40 that it takes to fill my Tundra up every week.
If you are at all interested in these two-wheeled wonders, I suggest you do your research on which model will be right for you. Vespas have various engine sizes and price ranges to fit any budget, ranging from around $2,000 to $8,000. When riding one, you may get a feeling of being abnormally trendy, but that's OK because, well, it's a Vespa.
I remember before I even began driving, my dad asked me what kind of car I wanted to drive. I basically wanted anything that was a SUV or a truck. When he suggested I get a Vespa, I laughed and asked him what that even was. He told me, and I laughed. I couldn't imagine driving one of those little machines.
After a few years of paying for gas on my first cars, which were a 1990 Cadillac Fleetwood V-8 and a V-8 Toyota Tundra, I realized those scooters couldn't be such a bad idea.
My first trip out of the country really opened my eyes, too. Everyone drove scooters in Greece. It was really great. There were Vespas everywhere. You had to watch when crossing the street, or you may very well have been a victim of a scooter collision.
After doing some research over many different brands of scooters, I had to go with the original and iconic company. Piaggio's Vespa is known to "last forever," and if you look online, people are still driving Vespas from the 1950's around. If that's not a testament to quality, then I don't know what is.
Now that I've bought my little red wasp, I can't go on one ride without someone asking me questions at red lights like, "How much do those cost?," "How many miles per gallon does that thing get?" and "Where can I get one?"
The Vespa is definitely a head-turner anywhere you go.
Despite the limitations that come with any two-wheeled vehicle, it's still a great fair-weather vehicle to have in an urban area. For anyone who needs a secondary vehicle to avoid the price of a SUV or truck, I would highly recommend any of the Vespa models.
What is a Vespa you may be wondering? It's a scooter that was manufactured in 1946 by Piaggio, an aircraft manufacturer, to help Italians get around in a war-torn Italy. The word "Vespa" means "wasp" in Italian.
With a recent spike in gas prices and the higher awareness of environmental concerns, the Vespa has made huge sales everywhere, even in North America. I recently purchased my 150 cc Vespa here in Augusta from Triumph Ducati off of Wheeler Road, and I have been in love with it since I left the showroom.
My model, the LX 150 (LX being the Roman numeral for 60 to celebrate Vespa's 60 years) runs at a maximum speed of 60 miles per hour, and sips gas at 75 miles per gallon. It's perfect for inner-city travel.
When I filled it up at the pump, it cost me $2.36 on empty! It beats the $35 to $40 that it takes to fill my Tundra up every week.
If you are at all interested in these two-wheeled wonders, I suggest you do your research on which model will be right for you. Vespas have various engine sizes and price ranges to fit any budget, ranging from around $2,000 to $8,000. When riding one, you may get a feeling of being abnormally trendy, but that's OK because, well, it's a Vespa.
I remember before I even began driving, my dad asked me what kind of car I wanted to drive. I basically wanted anything that was a SUV or a truck. When he suggested I get a Vespa, I laughed and asked him what that even was. He told me, and I laughed. I couldn't imagine driving one of those little machines.
After a few years of paying for gas on my first cars, which were a 1990 Cadillac Fleetwood V-8 and a V-8 Toyota Tundra, I realized those scooters couldn't be such a bad idea.
My first trip out of the country really opened my eyes, too. Everyone drove scooters in Greece. It was really great. There were Vespas everywhere. You had to watch when crossing the street, or you may very well have been a victim of a scooter collision.
After doing some research over many different brands of scooters, I had to go with the original and iconic company. Piaggio's Vespa is known to "last forever," and if you look online, people are still driving Vespas from the 1950's around. If that's not a testament to quality, then I don't know what is.
Now that I've bought my little red wasp, I can't go on one ride without someone asking me questions at red lights like, "How much do those cost?," "How many miles per gallon does that thing get?" and "Where can I get one?"
The Vespa is definitely a head-turner anywhere you go.
Despite the limitations that come with any two-wheeled vehicle, it's still a great fair-weather vehicle to have in an urban area. For anyone who needs a secondary vehicle to avoid the price of a SUV or truck, I would highly recommend any of the Vespa models.
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