If you calculate fuel saving costs of a hybrid vs a non-hybrid ...

[b0mbrman]

Originally posted by: DeviousTrap
There's really isn't much of a savings. However, you're missing one variable - how many miles per year is the car being driven?

And are they highway or city miles?

 

[b0mbrman]

Originally posted by: miri
A lot of people that buy hybrids dont do it to save money

my guess is that 90% of the people that buy hybrids do it for environmental reasons and not economic

and social reasons...

 

[Lonyo]

On the basis of price, if you are buying a hybrid to save money, you might as well forget about it and buy a used car instead.
They are a lot, lot cheaper than new cars, and even if it's a used car that gets 25mpg, if it costs like $5k less than a Civic, then you will save money over ~5 years or however long you keep the car.
If you are buying to conserve money, buying a car with high mpg is only a very small part of it. Buying a used car instead of a new one will save you a lot more than buying a car with good fuel economy.

 

[Christobevii3]

Driving a $2000 1970 truck that gets 12 mpg would be more economical over 5 years than a $20,000 car that gets 50mpg. That being said, some people do like the looks of the prius, it runs quiet, and is amazingly reliable.

The truth be said, nobody does anything for economics with a vehicle. Cars are a status symbol in america and people pic them on the image they give off.

 

[FoBoT]

hybrid is a status symbol, not to save money

 

[Shawn]

Hybrid cars help save the environment... if you care about that kind of thing. Other than that it's probably not all that cost effective unless you own the car for a long time or drive a lot of highway miles. That said, you can get a regular Civic for pretty damn cheap and it gets good gas mileage!

 

[irishScott]

Think I read a statistic that said if everyone had a hybrid oil would cease to be a problem for the next generation or 2...

 

[Aftermath]

Originally posted by: irishScott
Think I read a statistic that said if everyone had a hybrid oil would cease to be a problem for the next generation or 2...

I don't know for sure, but that's contrary to what I've "heard." (Reading internet stuff, not face to face from anybody.) I thought I heard something to the effect of: If every car stopped using oil entirely it would only cut the oil consumption in this country by some percentage. Oil used for gasoline is surprisingly low compared to the overall consumption.

But I may be way off there, I'm pretty much pulling that out of my ass. I can't even think of where I got that information from, and I don't expect anybody to take it as remotely true just because I'm repeating it.

 

[FoBoT]

Originally posted by: Shawn
Hybrid cars help save the environment...

shens