Hybrids-whats the downside to owning one?

[ferretkona]

We bought a new 08 Escape. And a new 08 Explorer Sport Trac.
We did the math and there is no way the additional $10,000 purchase price offset the fuel cost.

[denverian]

Originally Posted by Coldjensens

Everyone will think that you are gay?

Well, I am gay! I was going to get a minivan because we had twins last year and the baby seats/stroller wouldn't fit in my old car. But the Prius was cheaper, got much better gas mileage, and easily fits baby seats, the double stroller, diaper bag, etc., so that's why I got it. I bought it last March before gas prices went way up and I didn't pay over invoice, so I may have caught a lull in the Prius market when demand was down. So far no problems, and I love the car.

[EinsteinsGhost]

Originally Posted by Pear Martini

I was recently having a conversation with a friend of mine about my interest in hybrids. HE told me, "The money you'll end up saving on gas, you will end up spending it on the engine". Is this true? Do most hybrids have bad engines?

Any other things I should know about?

Your friend is wrong. If anything, I would place my bets on an electric motor's longevity than on an ICE. But, for most practical purposes, it is a non-issue because, unlike diesel locomotives (which are technically series hybrids), a typical car doesn't see more than a few hundred thousand miles and either would be fine.

And then one must consider the technology involved. Honda went with the simplest, but equally effective, solution of all, replacing what is a flywheel with a thin electric motor/generator, connecting the (conventional) transmission to (conventional) ICE.

One concern I do have with hybrids is the cost of replacing the battery pack, and the fact that their effectiveness will reduce over time. They are warrantied for at least 100K miles, however (up to 150K miles). And that's about it.

Personally, I won't mind getting a hybrid for myself and have recommended the new Honda Insight to a close friend's mom. And this may be the best time to buy a hybrid, when overall auto market is down, and gasoline prices will definitely go up in the not so distant future.