Buy a hybrid, save money? (credit, borrowing, financing, economy)

[70Ford]

Think twice before dumping old car for gas-miser -- South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com

Handy dandy "how much will I save" calculator on this page....

With things to click and drag N stuff.

[ViewFromThePeak]

Originally Posted by 70Ford

Think twice before dumping old car for gas-miser -- South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com

Handy dandy "how much will I save" calculator on this page....

With things to click and drag N stuff.

I don't understand why people who are interested in saving money just purchase something like a Mazda3 or Corolla getting 32 and 41 MPG highway, respectively. Both have decent maneuverability and are well rated in safety. Plus, you don't have to plunk down massive amounts of money for a new battery at 100K miles.

[nitokenshi]

Originally Posted by ViewFromThePeak

I don't understand why people who are interested in saving money just purchase something like a Mazda3 or Corolla getting 32 and 41 MPG highway, respectively. Both have decent maneuverability and are well rated in safety. Plus, you don't have to plunk down massive amounts of money for a new battery at 100K miles.

Thing is they think they are helping the environment with a hybrid. But that battery in the car is no good for the environment.

[ViewFromThePeak]

Originally Posted by nitokenshi

Thing is they think they are helping the environment with a hybrid. But that battery in the car is no good for the environment.

Exactly. Plus it's nickel intensive and the cost could skyrocket with inflation and global demand setting in. The battery could be 50-100K in the future.

[Philip T]

Originally Posted by ViewFromThePeak

I don't understand why people who are interested in saving money just purchase something like a Mazda3 or Corolla getting 32 and 41 MPG highway, respectively. Both have decent maneuverability and are well rated in safety. Plus, you don't have to plunk down massive amounts of money for a new battery at 100K miles.

The massive amounts of money for batteries at 100K miles is rather much bunk.

Although the full warranty covers the batteries that long, many have already passed 100K with no such experience. Also, there is whole secondary market in buying the older Priui to get to upgrade the battery with an external charger so that it can run as pre-charged large battery -- which I think is FINALLY coming out on the 2009 model.

Now, if they put if they put in a larger electric motor, so that it could run at full highway speeds fully electric -- they would finally have a great design.

But the Prius was never designed to be a high mileage car -- it was supposed to be low pollution, so that Toyota could get into the SUV market and still meet corporate fleet average standards. Go figure.

[f_m]

Originally Posted by ViewFromThePeak

I don't understand why people who are interested in saving money just purchase something like a Mazda3 or Corolla getting 32 and 41 MPG highway, respectively. Both have decent maneuverability and are well rated in safety. Plus, you don't have to plunk down massive amounts of money for a new battery at 100K miles.

You can get tax credits and carpool lane privileges in some places like California. Being able to drive the carpool lane can save a lot of time for some people.

[jazzlover]

I think some people are buying hybrids and other high mile-per-gallon vehicles because they are as concerned about availability of fuel as they are about price. When fuel prices get high enough, there is going to be immense political pressure for some sort of price controls or rationing--both a mistake, in my opinion, but possible nonetheless. 10 gallons a week won't get a person very far in a 15 mpg SUV, but will go fairly far in a 40 mpg hybrid. For some, the upfront price premium for a hybrid is worth it to have more assurance that they will be able to drive when others won't.

Also, it may take 4 years, for example, to pay off the price premium of a hybrid at $4.00/gallon, but if prices to go $6.00 or $8.00, that payback period shortens up a lot. I would suspect that is the exact scenario some hybrid buyers are betting on--and the odds on fuel prices going higher and staying up there appear to be getting pretty good right now.

Unfortunately, for a lot of people, buying a more fuel-efficient vehicle just isn't in the cards. Their fuel guzzler is already rapidly depreciating in value--they may even be "upside-down" on it with their financing. Many people have painted themselves into such a financial pickle with credit and overconsumption, that they now have neither the cash nor the borrowing capacity to purchase a more fuel-efficient vehicle. For them, that gas guzzler just became a rock around their neck, helping to financially sink what may already be a declining living standard. We have, individually and collectively, made some very bad lifestyle choices in this country over the last couple of decades, and those choices are coming back to bite us in the ***. Things are going to get real rough, and buying a hybrid won't even begin to solve the problem.

[AVTechMan]

And while there are many good fuel-efficient cars, there are a few hybrid SUV's out as well. Though I haven't seen many of them Toyota has the Hylander hybrid model. Never test drove one but I do know it was pretty expensive. Maybe someone here who has either driven or owned one once would know if there are any benefits.

[GregW]

I buy cars with over 100 k miles for no more than $5,000. I usually get an additional 100k with one major repair. The money I save compensates for the gasoline used.

Buy transport not image or entertainment.

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by AVTechMan

And while there are many good fuel-efficient cars, there are a few hybrid SUV's out as well. ''...

They are not that efficient only in the 20's mpg. The state elect inspectors have to drive Hybrid Escapes, most of them hate it, they are very wimpy on power, very troublesome and spend a lot of time in the shop. Their previous Jeep vehicles were about $15,000 cheaper and got similar economy and ran over 100,000 miles in abusive off road conditions.

Do the world a favor and commit Hybrid technology to delivery vans and city buses. Let those heavy duty cycle vehicles sort out the bugs, and drive down the price of the technology. Not a car making a 20 min commute / day... Think of the "Carbon offset"