Why buy a hybrid with MPG figures this good?

Status
Not open for further replies.
quote:

The Prius is all about image. That's why on the local lots, accord hybrids sit while Prius's are back ordered

That's true.

Research shows that a top consideration for people choosing the Prius over the Civic hybrids is the Prius' looks. Many buyers want others to know that they are "doing something for the envioronment."
 
What happens to all those batteries in 10-15 years when these cars find their way into the bone yard? Wouldn't leaking batteries be REALLY harmful to the environment?
 
If hybrids become popular you can be sure there will soon be a whole industry dedicated to reclaiming, recycling, and disposing of the batteries. It is something to consider though.

- Glenn
 
Let's say you've got a 10-year old Camry.
Motor is shot, you go to the dealer for a new one.

I guarantee you that the parts and labor will cost more than the car is worth.

Not too unlike replacing a battery pack at high miles on a hybrid - the cost likely will be more than the car is worth.

We'll have to wait and see if any non-OEM companies will make replacement batteries to bring the cost down.

Early hybrids just used a stack of D-cell NiMH Panasonic batteries...I wonder if someone will figure out a way to just pop open the battery pack and replace the batteries themselves...?
 
98 Suzuki Swift mpg==41+winter/45summer & PAID FOR!!!
(second other car 01 Suzuki Swift mpg==same 41+/45 & also PAID FOR!!!) Lets see 41/45mpg + 41/45mpg?? thats 81/90mpg isn't it???? sure wish the math worked that way!!!
The 01 is waiting under cover for when the 98 goes to the big blue yonder. Hope to go the next at least 8 years with NO car payments!
 
quote:

The car is too complicated. How happy will you be with the car once it's old and needs repair? And if you don't keep it that long, what will be the residual value of a high-mileage hybrid that nobody wants because they don't know how to repair it?

At the moment, the residual value of Prius is very high, to a point that you can't get new Prius just by walking into a dealer, so you have to pay a premium to get a "used" one.
 
Robbobster:

I have no doubt that a new factory engine at the dealer on a 10 year old Camry, installed, will be more than the car is worth.

However, I have never, ever had to replace an engine on a car that I purchased as new, even ones 20 years old. I have serious concerns that the mortality rate on hybrid battery systems will be higher than that of gasoline or diesel engines, regardless of how well the owner "takes care" of the battery system.

As you say, we will have to wait and see what the automotive market does in the future. But because we don't know that now, committing to a hybrid at this time carries an element of risk.
 
I wouldn't buy a current hybrid, not my thing. But you guys are completely missing the point. Yeah Toyota & co like to let the "save on gas" myth live, but the buyers of these cars know the truth and don't buy 'em to save money. They buy them because they're techno-geeks, greenies, libs, or just think it's neat to see how high they can get the mpg-meter to go. They are paying extra for these cars because they like 'em. Whatever their reasons, they're no less valid than someone else's reason for paying extra for leather or a nav system (!) or the V6 instead of the 4.

Yeah, the sanctimonious patting themselves on the back stuff can be annoying, but it's no worse than a Ford with a Calvin-*******-on-the-bowtie sticker, or a BMW snob, or an H2 at the grocery store.

jeff
 
Once you hit 30 MPG it almost can't "pay" to buy more MPG because you can't save many dollars unless you drive an enormous number of miles.
 
Since I had my calculator handy.... Gas cost per year for 20k miles at $2/gallon:

10mpg... $4000
20mpg... $2000
30mpg... $1333
40mpg... $1000
50mpg... $800
60mpg... $667

Also, it's interesting to multiply these numbers by ten to get an approximate "life-of-car" estimate if you like to keep a car a long time.

Or, multiply by a hundred million or so to get an approximate number for the US as a whole per year. Of course that wouldn't include commercial fuel use.

- Glenn
 
Yeah, hybrids are technogeek cars. I don't get the whole "premium" thing when it comes to a prius. There isn't a conventional to pay a premium over. Again, I think most prius buyers are going for image but it's a nice car so....

I'd prefer a nice passat diesel myself, but if someone wants a toyota, why not let them. I think everyones concerns about the technology are typical "new things scare me" talk. Replacement Battery packs have already come down in price from what they debuted at.

Battery technology IS going to be the intersting limitation, though. It certainly hasn't progressed as rapidly as anyone had hoped.

Biodiesel and E85 are interesting alternatives, but...just as hurricane induced supply disruption rocked the petroleum market, what happens when there's a drought or pest outbreak in the Midwest?


Hmmm, I choose to ignore the problem and let some smart person figure it out.
shocked.gif
cheers.gif
 
Just some more points to add to the discussion.Ford techs are being trained on hybreds,they have to suround the car with yellow fibreglass posts to keep untrained techs away,they have to wear a harness and tether so someone can yank them back if they touch the bad place.there is more but I cant remember them all .and dont forget if you crash yours the EMS boys better be trained or they will wait until someone gets there that is,and never ever put it in a ditch or big puddle.
 
i think a lot of people buy the prius because it is a hybrid and they think they can get great fuel economy out of them, not for the usable space.

my math teacher does have one. she understands that you cant drive it like a gas car and she said she routinly gets 55 mpg out of it.
 
i just did a comparison.
2006 Dodge Stratus SXT vs 2006 Toyota Prius
30 mpg hwy 51 mpg hwy
$3000 less (msrp) for base models

according to glenns math it would take 6 years to return the extra cost of the car. i know the 2.4l engine in the stratus, when properly taken care of will last 150,000 miles. if my dads 2000 stratus wasnt in an accident i would bet that he would have been able to go to 200,000 miles if not more. he would have drove it until it fell apart, he loved that car. do we have hard evidence that the prius, more importantly the batteries will last that long. im sure the engine will be up to it. i believe that the batteries come with a 10 year warrenty, but i dont know how many miles are included with the batterys if any mileage. also i believe that maintenance costs would be higher because of the hybrid system. people would need to be specially trained. my dads stratus never saw a dealer for maintenance work.
 
Glenn, Your math needs to change a bit...you can't buy a Prius for list price as they're commanding thousands over list price.
smile.gif
 
so if you have to pay thousands over msrp then it could take up to 8 or 10 years to make up the difference in purchase price with gas. too long imo
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top