Hybrid Cars

[2moretrees]

I will be needing a new car in a year or two. What is your opinion on the hybrid cars? Are they worth the extra money in the long run for better gas mileage?

[Optsol]

I saw a post on another forum that it still isn't worth the switch (from a pure money aspect), even with the tax incentives. IIRC, it had the math to back up at ~2.50 a gallon, you'd have to drive 250000-300000 miles before you started to save money with the hybrid.

That's only from a pure cash standpoint though.

[Ima saver]

According to Clark Howard, they are worth switching. However, we love sports cars (two vettes and a hot rod) so I know we would never switch. Fortunately, I don't work, so I don't put many miles on my car. My husband has a work van which he needs!

[kashi]

My boyfriend has had a Civic Hybrid for a few years, and he absolutely loves it. It's a great car, gets great gas mileage, oil change every 10,000 miles, etc. I think it's worth it. I wish there were more hybrids out there, because I'll be needing a new car soon, and it's so much better for the environment.

[Bruce Wayne]

I'd say a definite yes. Oil prices are likely to continue rising so a hybrid car will prove increasingly good value over time.

[PRICEPLUS]

THe DW and I will look at them next time around but I am going to run the present vehicles till they can't run before I buy any new vehicles.

[Fern]

It's a wonderful thing to do for the environment. After your choice of whether or not to have children, your choice of the car you drive has the most impact on the environment.

From a financial perspective, tho, don't expect to save money as hybrids are still a bit pricey, and you'll have to count on replacing the battiers after about 100,000 miles or so. They're not cheap.

[abowers]

Hybrid cars are worth it if you sit in traffic alot, because that's when ithe gas engine turns off and switches to the electric part of the engine. But the Toyota Prius is pretty expensive for other cars of its size, starting around 22k with few options. If I were to have gotten a Prius with the same options I ended up getting on my 2006 Ford Focus (~$17k), the Prius would have cost about $25-26k. I get 24-27 mpg city, and about 36mpg highway, which I'm happy with. Sometimes I wish I had a hybrid because my 4 miles commute to work can take 20-25 minutes if I leave at the wrong time -- that's where the hybrid is efficient. I have a friend with a 2 year old Prius and it gets about 40mpg highway. Maybe they've gotten better in the past 2 years... but I don't know if it's worth that much extra money (especially as a recent college grad).

[CRFSaver]

So here is something I have been wondering about when people say buying a hybrid is good for the environment. Or in particular, net/net how much oil is being saved from purchasing a hybrid vehicle or instead of having a fairly fuel efficient yet older car.

Plastic is a petroleum product and as such all the plastics on these new vehicles are using a ton of oil. And the process of creating those plastics is adding pollution to the environment. Add in the chemicals used in the batteries and you have another waste product

Is it possible that it would actually be more environmentally friendly to actually hold on to a fuel efficient yet older car versus buying a brand new one? My car gets about 32 miles to the gallon (HWY) so a hybrid would be at most (I think) 20 miles a gallon saved. At what point would it actually be a net reduction in the use of petroleum or a net reduction in pollution.

This could be a load of malarky but something I always was curious about. I am sure Toyota and Honda would not want us to think that.

[jmjj215]

It's an interesting question - but now my head is spinning! I would hold onto the older car so I wouldn't have to buy a new one (a financially-driven point) - not so I would save on the plastics and other petroleum-based materials they use to build it. I had never even though about that!

[abowers]

"My car gets about 32 miles to the gallon (HWY) so a hybrid would be at most (I think) 20 miles a gallon saved."

That's an overestimate I think. Our friend with a toyota Prius gets about 40mpg highway

[abowers]

There was just some big auto show in Detroit this weekend, and I saw on the news that they will be changing how they estimate the EPA ratings for Hybrids, and that the new way (the correct ratings) will be about 30% less than what they currently are, on Hybrids... so... 60mpg = 48.

[PRICEPLUS]

Okay! That's It! I am now officially confused. I will stick with the hydro carbon based motor vehicles!

[DivaJen]

If we needed a new car, we'd get a hybrid. But until we need a new car, we'll keep driving our VW. It's about 7 years old and has 50,000+ miles on it. It ought to last us for a good while longer still.

[Ima saver]

How do you have such few miles on a car 7 years old?

[DivaJen]

Originally Posted by Ima saver

How do you have such few miles on a car 7 years old?

I either walked to work or drove about 5 miles roundtrip, and DH bikes to work. Later, as a SAHM who lives near most everything we wanted to do, I didn't have to drive far. I drive more now, taking DD to her school, than I have since I taught school in Los Angeles, I think.

Our other car is about 11.5 years old and has just under 60,000 miles on it, if I recall.

[Ima saver]

Wow, that is great!!I stay at home too, but I just seem to drive to the store everyday. I really need to plan my trips better.

[GrimJack]

Hi,

I just got here (logged on for about an hour now) and the Prius question has intrigued me also; first thing - I would wait until the crush is over, I mean used Prii (Priuses?) sell for more than a new one, this makes no sense at all. I heard there is a mod out that allows you recharge the Prius batteries from household current, which should up the mpg. The other thing, in order for purchasing a new car to make sense, you have to keep it for at least 10 years (my personal calculation, not official). I bought a brand new car in '88 and I still have it - it is a Toyota Corola All-trak with almost 200k miles.

Oops, I walked away for awhile - I had better post this.

GJ