Test driving GM's hybrid fuel cell car

My first question when I test drove the Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell, the much-hyped hydrogen fuel cell-powered SUV: "Why's it so -- big?"

Didn't really get an answer to that one. I tend to like smaller cars -- more fuel efficient, easier to maneuver, easier to park. From what I've been reading lately, others increasingly feel the same way. Even Texans are getting into Mercedes-Benz's itty-bitty Smart cars -- 1,800 pounds light and still safer than some massive cars. And David Lazarus of the Los Angeles Times says domestic dealerships selling big cars are sitting empty, while interest in Priuses grows.

But even as it tries to get into the green car market, GM is pushing big cars. As you may have heard, GM is letting a few hundred people from SoCal, New York, and Washington, D.C., try out these cars for three months at a time -- an initiative called Project Driveway.

The signup list is long; after all, it's like getting a free three-month lease on a car. And I'm sure people get into the nifty factor of new tech, like I did, sort of. I turned the key on the Equinox, and held it waiting for that noisy engine sound to start -- until the guy accompanying me on the test drive finally was like, "It's on."

Sure enough, a little green light had gone on -- as had the air conditioning. But the engine made no sound --

Other than that, driving the Equinox felt like -- driving a car. The guy said something about improved torque at low speeds -- but I really don't drive enough cars to be able to tell the difference in the way they handle. Also, I'm not sure how I would benefit from knowing about torque.

I suppose if you really must drive an SUV, it's better to drive one that just lets water out the tailpipe than the usual exhaust. Except the Equinox Fuel Cell doesn't even have a target date when it'll be available to the public. If you're not one of the people selected for Project Driveway, you're out of luck.

Of course, Chevrolet has many, many other SUVs available. It's just that the rest of them just burn gas like crazy.... More on that and the L.A. Auto Show in a bit.