Hybrid cars are overrated

[Gibson486]

Consdering that it is projected that fossil fuels will only last us about 20 more years, it is essentail that we move to less fuel depedant vehicles and move away from other forms of fuel consuming energy.

 

[daniel1113]

Originally posted by: Gibson486
Consdering that it is projected that fossil fuels will only last us about 20 more years, it is essentail that we move to less fuel depedant vehicles and move away from other forms of fuel consuming energy.

Hahahaha...

:laugh:

 

They buy them because they want them. Is that hard to understand?

 

[Vich]

Originally posted by: rbloedow
Dude - it's not about the money the vehicle costs. If it was - we'd all be driving civics because clearly they're the better option than anything that costs more :roll:

What's wrong with wanting to be a little more environmentally friendly? Is that excuse never good enough, and never worth the extra cost?

:thumbsup:

 

[sciencewhiz]

Remember that the $2500 is a tax deduction, not a tax break. Thus, you have to multiply the $2500 by your federal tax rate to figure out how much you really save.

 

[sandorski]

Hybrids are just a transition to alternate fueled vehicles, IMO. They are not the solution to reliance on Oil, but they will help get people used to not using Oil in the future.

 

[Muadib]

Originally posted by: sandorski
Hybrids are just a transition to alternate fueled vehicles, IMO. They are not the solution to reliance on Oil, but they will help get people used to not using Oil in the future.

Exactly!!!:thumbsup:

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: NeoPTLD
So if people actually *cared* about the environment, why didn't they boast a catalytic converter as some $1200 as a way of being "socially responsible" before the days of being a mandatory equipment?

There were some early adopters of cat's actually and some that converted their cars to hybrids before hybrids hit the dealerships.

You don't get out much eh?

 

[sygyzy]

Wow, is the OP a rocket science or what? Who actually buys a hybrid because they think they are going to profit?

 

[Linflas]

Originally posted by: m2kewl

Originally posted by: Linflas
Ask anyone in Northern Virginia and the main reason is to be able to drive in the HOV lane without any passengers.

calculate in the time saved to/from work...how do you quantify a price in that?? some people rather drop the $$ to do that, save time, not deal with traffic. Use the time saved to spend with their spouse/kids; and perhaps a personal wish to reduce environmental impact or oil dependance

shoot, i'd buy a hyrid or diesel if nyc allows that on the HOV lanes! traffic here is crazy

I understand why they do it, I don't understand why the state allows it. One of the major problems with the HOV lanes here is they are very similar to the fabled Kremlin lanes in Moscow during the Soviet era. If you are hooked up somehow you can drive in them solo while all the peons stew in the regular lanes. Many carpoolers that use them regularly complain that they are decreasing in effectivness due to all the solo drivers legally using them.

 

[desk]

Originally posted by: NeoPTLD
The demand for hybrid cars are apparently above supply. I wonder how many current owners just bought them out of ignorance.

I did a small research on it. I used the Civic in regular and hybrid to make comparisons since those two are probably the best models for side by side comparison.

Based on $2.50 per gallon and a 13,000 mile per year of driving, you'll save something like $260 a year. The IRS is offering $2,500 income tax deduction for consumers buying a hybrid car this year, but even after the deduction, the hybrid model cost about $2,500 over a comparable gas counterpart.

After 10 years and 130,000 miles later, owners will come even on the higher initial cost. Even longer when you have to take out $2,500 additional in loans. A hybrid car depends on on-board recharbeable battery packs to hold the power reserve for its electric-drive system. Battery packs don't last forever and by the time you come even on the initial cost, it's probably ready for a battery pack change that brings you right back to $2,500 deficit. Because of expensive maintenance issues unique to hybrid cars, I don't think one ever get ahead economically over the useful life of the vehicle even if gas prices are around $3.

People either buy them out of their wish to promote the environment or they're ignorantly assuming they'll save a considerable amount of money in a few years.

the civic is a bad car to make a comparison with. im not sure why honda made a hybrid out of the vehicle. it already got excellent mileage.

i think a better choice would be the ford escape. while you may not get the mileage on the window sticker, you will still probably see around a 30% increase if you drive a mixture of city and highway miles.

as far as the battery packs are concerned, they are all warrantied for at least 8 years. so the original owner of the vehicle probably wont have to worry about replacement. however, that could haunt the resale value of the car.