is the hybrid car worth it?

[jabumbo]

while looking for a new car, i came to the realization that if i drove a prius hybrid with a 10 gallon tank, i could make it to/from work for a month without having to fill up again


the downside is that i was hoping to keep my budget under 20k, but it appears that these things start at about 22k.



so is it worth the extra cash now to get one? anyone know about how well these things seem to hold up compared to a regular car?

[TurdBerglar]

dude, i think driving around on a moped or one of those mini bikes where your knees are up in your arm pits because of gas mileage is less douchey than a prius.

[b i o n i c]

still douchey, the 1995 toyota tercel has better mileage than a hybrid

http://www.epinions.com/content_138627223172

[-T-]

VW TDI Owns hybrid cars. Especially if you actually need to get out in traffic. Especially a Prius. Most hybrids are waay overrated. Older TDI's are slow but the newer TDI cars(Mk4-5) are not bad. Plis you don't look like a douche.

[Alli]

http://clubs.ccsu.edu/Recorder/editorial/editorial_item.asp?NewsID=188

a little thing to think about when buying a hybrid

[ScarySquirrel]

Yeah, buy a Scion xB. I love mine... but I'd love a Mini Cooper better. I'll give you a hell of a deal on mine, actually...

[King PSYZ]

http://clubs.ccsu.edu/Recorder/editorial/editorial_item.asp?NewsID=188

a little thing to think about when buying a hybrid

that's pretty funny, and completely unsubstantiated on many fronts. but my favorite is the part at the end where they claim toyotas lifespan on the Prius is 100k miles and somehow the box on a chevy tahoe frame has a 300k lifespan... wow, considering most Toyotas are engineered to last well over 300k and the H2 (the more popular version of the Hummer) can't seem to hit 100k before hitting major issues, well you can figure it out.

anyways, what kind of hybrid you get depends on how you drive.

if you're a lead foot, you could go with the Camry Hybrid for around 27k and enjoy the high tourqe.

if you're a more conservitive driver, you can go with the Prius. If you can wait til next year there's talk of the new design getting 80mpg based off the new standards,

[jabumbo]

as far as my driving habits go, most of it will be city driving since thats where i live and work. i do tend to drive fairly fast though, but usually thats reserved to the highway.


i'm looking for something now because i am currently bussing it to work every day and it takes 45-60 minutes each way, which drives me crazy. if i could drive, i'd be able to get up at the same time as i do now, start working a lot earlier and then i would be home before i even finish right now

[HEIRESS]

*admires daintiness of ecological footprint*

I refuse to own a car until I can easily afford atleast a hybrid or something else with disgustingly good mpg

I probably could easily afford a brand new fuel-efficient car now, but I like how not having one forces me to walk or bus everywhere

fair enough I spend a fortune on shoes cause I wear them out so quickly walking everywhere but atleast mother nature probably wants to make out with me, hard.

[jabumbo]

fair enough I spend a fortune on shoes cause I wear them out so quickly walking everywhere but atleast mother nature probably wants to make out with me, hard.


will you make out with me if i ride my bike over? its got freshly pumped tires!

[Whatitis]

but my favorite is the part at the end where they claim toyotas lifespan on the Prius is 100k miles and somehow the box on a chevy tahoe frame has a 300k lifespan

The Toyota engine might go over 300,000 miles but the battery will not. And when those batteries go, what will people do to safely get rid of the batteries? The cost of replacing them will not be cheap. Probably so expensive that it would not be worth it to keep the car.

[ScarySquirrel]

The Toyota engine might go over 300,000 miles but the battery will not. And when those batteries go, what will people do to safely get rid of the batteries? The cost of replacing them will not be cheap. Probably so expensive that it would not be worth it to keep the car.
I personally don't know, and I'm not making any claims on the accuracy either, but I remember reading somewhere that the battery replacement would cost around $5000.

Like I said, I don't know how accurate that is, but it sounds feasible to me.

[-T-]

^^ I do not doubt it.

[Whatitis]

I personally don't know, and I'm not making any claims on the accuracy either, but I remember reading somewhere that the battery replacement would cost around $5000.

Like I said, I don't know how accurate that is, but it sounds feasible to me.

Most people that have a 80,000 -100,000 mile car and need to put $5,000 into it to keep it running will start looking for a new car. Especially 'economical' cars.

[yeahwho]

I just traded in a Toyota Corolla with 185,000 miles (ran perfect) for a Toyota RAV4. These Toyota's run forever. I was so close to the Scion XB it's ridiculous. Those Scion's are very cool cars.

I also have a 3 cylinder GEO metro that averages 40 MPG. I don't know why i keep the damn thing but I do. It has 85,000 miles on it. It's my Ace up the sleeve if oil goes to all shit.

Anyway I ended up spending more $$$ than I figured anyone should spend on a car, but justified it by having relatives who just moved to Alaska and having something that could easily plow through AlCan hiwy.

My parents have a Prius with 40,000 miles on it. They love it. My boss at work bought one this year. The boss loves it. The Prius is a great car. The Prius has been studied extensively and proven over a 5 year period to have a 40% + cost savings compared to similarly sized/HP "gas only" vehicles in the same category. When we're warring over Oil it makes pretty good sense to shop for an alternative.

I would of gone the Hybrid route if all my traveling in the next few years was Washington ST. and below. I went Toyota strictly for re-sale value.

[-T-]

You can find a study or statistics to support any claim you want to. Especially when its a biased party doing the research. I have seen the gas VS hybrid VS diesel go many ways.

The small hybrids are the only cars that you might gain vs gas or diesel. Myself personally cannot stand a car that is slow as fuck. Of course I LOVE driving so it is worth the extra money of performance oriented car. But if I had to drive a substantial amount of miles to work I would want something better on fuel. Even if i did I would not have a hybrid.

I had a 91 CRX HF that would get 45mpg if you babied it. It was reliable and if something went worng cheap and easy to fix. Until I swapped it.:D

[The Notorious LOL]

So if the battery goes at 100K...the market currently averages them for $5k now. Okay, fine...also consider if on average you keep your car on the road at 15k a year you're looking at about 6 years before its time to replace it.

Assuming the hybrid thing continues growing in popularity, surely the cost of batteries will start to come down.


In regards to disposal of them....how does it differ from regular battery disposal except that its inside your car...and the average Hybrid owner is not going to attempt to tear apart their engine on a DIY swap out. It'll get recycled at the repair shop...unlike the billion or so cell phone batteries that get freely tossed in the trash daily.


As of now I dont see enough solid evidence that backs the claim that hybrids are all they're cracked up to be. My Civic got 40+ mpg on average and I didnt have to pay out the ass for it.

[buddylee]

ha , hybrid .... aren't hybrid about $10k more than the same car base .

Toyota's lasting forever ? right the just look like crap right out the box.

Say what about the big 3's cars all you want
My Town Car have 465K (same motor)....... I would be on 3rd hibrid by now

Keep the little zip cars , if it don't have a frame I don't feel safe.
See I've been hit by a ricer ..... it was funny how when he hit me and smashed my fender I don't get knocked out of my line.
The little zip car bounced off my fender into the air landing on a sidewalk

if saving the would, try e85 that more sound idea.


that's pretty funny, and completely unsubstantiated on many fronts. but my favorite is the part at the end where they claim toyotas lifespan on the Prius is 100k miles and somehow the box on a chevy tahoe frame has a 300k lifespan... wow, considering most Toyotas are engineered to last well over 300k and the H2 (the more popular version of the Hummer) can't seem to hit 100k before hitting major issues, well you can figure it out.

anyways, what kind of hybrid you get depends on how you drive.

if you're a lead foot, you could go with the Camry Hybrid for around 27k and enjoy the high tourqe.

if you're a more conservitive driver, you can go with the Prius. If you can wait til next year there's talk of the new design getting 80mpg based off the new standards,

[yeahwho]

So if the battery goes at 100K...the market currently averages them for $5k now. Okay, fine...also consider if on average you keep your car on the road at 15k a year you're looking at about 6 years before its time to replace it.

Assuming the hybrid thing continues growing in popularity, surely the cost of batteries will start to come down.


In regards to disposal of them....how does it differ from regular battery disposal except that its inside your car...and the average Hybrid owner is not going to attempt to tear apart their engine on a DIY swap out. It'll get recycled at the repair shop...unlike the billion or so cell phone batteries that get freely tossed in the trash daily.


As of now I dont see enough solid evidence that backs the claim that hybrids are all they're cracked up to be. My Civic got 40+ mpg on average and I didnt have to pay out the ass for it.

I concur with these sentiments exactly. Hybrids are here to stay, I work on engines and machinery for a living, I've been hanging around people who do this type of work my whole life. When people who wrench for a living are buying Hybrids, it tells me things are changing around the highways.

That and looking at the Bottom line (http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8RNF8JG0.htm).

[jabumbo]

for me, the only reason i brought up price is because my initial goal was something very cheap. the prius runs about the same price as a lot of the other cars out there. its just that since the other cars i was looking at were the ones on the bottom of the car price bracket, it makes it seem like a lot more.

[Funky Pepp]

I just got about 1000 car-flyers because I wanted to buy a new caras well. And as Hybridcars are more expensive I thought about buying a diesel. For example: Audi sells a A3 with a special eco-motorisation (1.9L). I don't know if they sell it in America too (as you guys seem to need bigger motors for cruising around ;)). Anyway, it is very good with its co2-emission (only 119 g/km) which is almost as good as the hybrid cars. In one of those car-rankings this car was 2nd right behind a hybridcar. And there are some cars nearly as good e.g. some of the new VWs with BlueMotion Technologie. And the BMW1 has a special start-stop-technologie which turns the motor off automatically if you are stopping at a stoplight. So if you are driving mainly in city-traffic you need less fuel.