Jim Johns and Jan Necessary may be forgiven if they're feeling a little pleased with themselves at a time when gas is nudging $2 a gallon.

	VWH Campbell, Post-Gazette Felix Noy, of Indiana, Pa., examines the engine compartment in a Honda Insight hybrid that was on display yesterday during a show and test drive event in Point Breeze. . Click photo for larger image.

The Bethel Park couple are getting 40 miles per gallon in the Honda Civic hybrid they've had since July.

"We like waving at gas stations as we go by," Johns said yesterday at an event that tried to sell more motorists on cars fueled by gas and electricity.

About 60 people took test drives and many more heard the testimonials of happy owners at "Drive Cleaner, Drive Greener," held at Construction Junction in Point Breeze. The event was organized by the Group Against Smog and Pollution Inc., or GASP.

Johns and Necessary took the opportunity to debunk myths about hybrids. (No, the cars don't have to be plugged in at night or juiced at some new-age "filling" station.)

While the name of the event was meant to reflect the environmental benefit of hybrid cars -- reduced emissions -- some motorists arrived with another kind of green in mind. They were seeking higher gas mileage to save money at the pump.

The Toyota Prius (liftback), Honda Civic (sedan) and Honda Insight (coupe) are the only hybrids available now. But by GASP's count, manufacturers are rushing 15 other models to market, in part to meet demand caused by soaring gas prices.

Yet curious motorists yesterday expressed an unwillingness to save money at any cost. Denise Plaskon of North Huntingdon wanted to know about the cars' reputation for sluggishness.

A representative of Rohrich Toyota started to explain about horsepower and torque, but Plaskon opted for the abridged version. She hit the accelerator, and the Prius leapt up the Construction Junction driveway.

"Sorry," she said. "I drive for a living."

At low speeds, the car is powered solely by electricity, making for an unusually quiet ride. Plaskon, a sales representative for a grocery company, liked that.

A screen to the driver's right provides a running analysis of the car's use of the two power sources. Plaskon said the wizardry was pretty cool.

But she disliked the lack of trunk space and what she considered the car's fragile appearance. Also, she said the car didn't have enough get up-and-go for a person who logs nearly 40,000 miles a year.

"I'm always merging, merging, merging," she said.

But Johns and Necessary had no complaints about their car's pickup.

"What do you need?" Johns said, before acknowledging that he had, in another vehicle, at another time in life, driven 120 mph through one of the region's more famous tunnels.

Today's hybrids may not stir the desire of sports-car and pickup truck enthusiasts. But for some, the cars are a perfect lifestyle fit.

"I'm an environmental law professor. I figured if I won't buy it, who will?" Edgewood resident and proud Prius owner Tom Buchele said.