Hybrid car buyers get a bonus -- a $2,000 tax break

[NFS4]

http://detnews.com/2002/insiders/0208/16/insider-563640.htm

 

[Que-TiP]

is $2000 worth the everyday embaressment? 🙂

 

[NFS4]

Originally posted by: Que-TiP
is $2000 worth the everyday embaressment? 🙂

What everyday embarassement??? The Prius looks somewhat normal and the Honda Civic looks just like...A CIVIC (the #4 best selling car in America). So you can get between 50 - 65 MPG and get a tax break. Sounds good to me.

 

[IGBT]

On the other end I hear that vehc.registration is going to be huge to make up for the gas tax not being paid cause the mileage is so high.

 

[Double Trouble]

Yeah, you'll need that $2000 when something happens and you need to get the car fixed. The hybrids are simply not mature compared to the 'regular' systems out there that have been tried and tested for decades. There's bound to be growing pains and initial problems, and I'm guessing taking the car to your local shop is not going to be an option, you'll be forced to go to the dealer and probably end up paying a lot of money to fix stuff.... and then your warranty runs out after a few years and you'll REALLY be in trouble.

No thanks, I'll give it a few years for the kinks to be worked out.

 

[yakko]

That is messed up. No one should get a tax break for anything.

 

[Electric Amish]

That tax break has been available ever since electric and Hybrids reached the market.

amish

 

[Shantanu]

The U.S. is probably the only country where the government writes regulations to fvck over its own automakers, while taxing the public to subsidize foreign made cars. Absolutely ridiculous.

 

[vi edit]

Bleh. $2000 tax DEDUCTION. For many of us, that works out to a couple of hundred bucks, if that. It's a nice token, but still doesn't come close to helping out on the $5,000 or more premium you pay to get a hybrid car compared to a vehicle of comparible size/options.

The Honda Civic HX is only $14,000 and gets nearly 45MPG on the highway. The Civic Hybrid runs $20,000+. You have to drive FOR YEARS to make up the difference in $6,000 sticker prices.

Same thing with the Mini. You can buy a mini cooper and get about 45MPG on the highway. That's only a little short of what the hybrids can do, and you get better toys and gadgets in the Mini, and for less.

I'll pass.

 

[vi edit]

Originally posted by: Shantanu
The U.S. is probably the only country where the government writes regulations to fvck over its own automakers, while taxing the public to subsidize foreign made cars. Absolutely ridiculous.

Uhhhh how many hundreds of millions did the gubment give to GM to make it's electric cars in the early 90's and it's currently developed hydrogen cell cars???

 

[Rallispec]

what about the golf TDI, which gets 50+ miles to the gallon?? i think they should get some kind of break also.

 

[TallBill]

Honda's Civic hybrid gets 46 miles a gallon in city driving, versus the 31 miles per gallon of the long-popular Civic sedan. The hybrid is priced at about $20,000, a $2,200 premium to the regular Civic -- which accounts for more than 300,000 of Honda's sales.

2,200 bucks for 15 mpg more

so if in 4 years you drive 50,000 miles

1612

1086

so what.. 800 bucks over 4 years.. obviously u dont make yer money back.. but... the pain of refilling a car is nice to vanish 😛

 

[ElFenix]

didn't it used to be $5000? a friend just bought a hybrid civic and i think he got $5000.

 

[Peetoeng]

Originally posted by: Shantanu
The U.S. is probably the only country where the government writes regulations to fvck over its own automakers, while taxing the public to subsidize foreign made cars. Absolutely ridiculous.

The tax incentives apply to vehicles made in or out of the US. Beside the environmental objective, it is intended to grow the hybrid market. If the market doesn't grow, automakers, domestic or foreign, will be even less likely to make hybrid vehicles. Similar tax incentives also apply for fleet vehicles (vans, buses, trucks used by municipalities or commercial companies)--mostly domestic makes--if they convert to run on alternative fuels like natural gas.

Is it still ridiculous?