Quote:
Originally Posted by canthetuna
hybrid = 1500 more dollars than 4cyl alone
tax credit = 1300 dollars
dont pay personal property taxes in my county = a few thousand more in savings over 5 years
gas = 8 mpg more
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+ $3000-$4000 to replace the batteries when they go out in 5-7 years. You have to own it that long to make up the additional cost when you buy it in gas savings.
Hybrids are overhyped. You pay WAY too much for the car in the first place (if a Prius was an all-gas car, it would be $11-12K like a Chevy Aveo, but the Hybrid motor knocks it up to $20K for a HATCHBACK). The other models that look like normal cars still cost more than they should because there are people who will buy them for emotional reasons or just gullibility. Many Honda Hybrid and Prius owners have been very angry because their actual MPG are far below the advertised fuel economy. I know someone who has a Mercury Mariner hybrid small-SUV who is documenting his fuel economy and is getting between 20-28 MPG...not much better than a regular gas engine but with the extra sticker price. The Accord Hybrid has been dropped because no one was buying them after early problems with fuel economy.
Also, if you do a lot of highway driving, you might as well save some money and get a better-performing "regular" car and get the same MPG. The Hybrid technology only really helps with stop-and-go city driving. That's when the electric motor works. The technology is still new and not yet perfected, so like a new version of Windows, I'd let others do the debugging. Hybrids are not a solution to any energy issues, they're just a bandaid to make people feel better. No one buys a Hybrid, especially a Prius (slow spaceship for midgets) for the looks or for their lackluster performance. Those buying for financial reasons are second-guessing when the "hidden" costs and sometimes disappointing fuel economy (good but not as good as the window sticker says).
I'd definately go V6. MUCH better performance and a better driving experience, less markup so you can get a better car for your money and you won't have to take out a loan to replace the batteries.