Are todays "Hybrid Cars" really worth the investment?

Question

Looking at new cars and disgusted with gas prices, I was wondering with the initial sticker price being a little pricey, and the aestheic look some what dull, am I truely gaining anything by purchasing a "Hybrid"?

Answer 1

The amount of time it will take you to recoup the extra cost depends on the type and amount of driving you do, and the climate where you are located.

A hybrid save the most in stop and go city traffic. The reason for thins is it actually shuts off the gas motor while you are at a stop, and only uses the battery power. On the highway the gas savings is negligible.

If you are running the air conditioner while in traffic, the gas engine stays on, so a lot of you mileage savings are gone there!

Consider the type of driving you do, and figure your gas savings vs. a conventional vehicle.

For example:

You drive 500 miles a week

300 of those miles are in stop and go congestion.

Assume you will get 20 MPG in a onventional vehicle and 10 MPG more (30 MPG) with a hybrid in stop and go traffic.

With a Hybrid the 300 miles will burn 10 gallons of gas. A conventional vehicle will burn 15 gallons. Assuming $3.00 per gallon. The hybrid will save you $15.00 per week or $780 per year
($15.00 X 52 weeks).

Take the additional cost of the hybrid, and divide that by your fuel cost savings and that will tell you how long it will take for you to break even.

Answer 2

only the efficiency hybrids.

-prius
-civic hybrid
-and the camry hybrid is a borderline efficiency hybrid

the others aren't worth the money.

over the long term, hybrids tend to have lower maitnenance overall because there is much less wear on the gas engine, the electric motors are self sufficient (need no maintenance) and the battery is self contained. not to mention the transmission design is more efficient and wears less.

in 15000 miles of driving a prius i've had 3 oil changes and 3 tire rotations on my prius, cost about $75 total... i won't have to do anything major for another 15000 miles, when i'll have to change some air filters... in 30k miles in other cars you've already had transmission flushes, various lube jobs, probably new brakes (which don't wear out in hybrids because of the regen system) and a couple of alternators.

might i mention the lifetime mpg average in the low 50s... i'm pissed off about having to put $30 in the tank every 500 miles.

honestly, you can get a prius for under msrp nowadays, and the "additional cost" factor is in comparison to a corolla. if you test drive them both you'll see the prius is much more comparable to a very similarly priced camry.

the civic does have an unequivocal cost difference from the standard model, as does the camry hybrid.

Answer 3

Of course they are worth it. There are so many misconceptions with regards to hybrids. Just compare a Toyota Prius to a Volkswagen Jetta Diesel.

Look at the stats - Jetta TDI = $21,605, Prius = $21,725
Jetta = 100hp, Prius = 110hp
Jetta = 177 lb-ft, Prius = 295 lb-ft (electric motor) + 82 lb-ft (gas engine)
Jetta = 36 mpg city, 41 mpg highway Prius = 60 mpg city, 51 mpg highway
Annual fuel cost according to the EPA: Jetta TDI = $1152, Prius =$784
Annual Greenhouse gas emissions: Jetta = 5.6 tons, Prius = 3.4 tons

Just about everyone who thinks hybrids are not worth it haven't done the research for themselves. You need to remember that it is an investment. You pay more now BUT you save every year on gas. As gas prices go up (which they certainly will) you save even more even faster.

Hybrids are selling at a record pace because they make more sense now than ever before.

Answer 4

IF, you plan on keeping the car for a long time it may be cost effective in time as your Fuel savings hopefully will off set the extra expense of the Hybrid. You would need to do the math to know for sure. Figuring how much money you save over time with the Hybrid and Figuring if the extra money you spend will get covered in time. If, you pay $5,000 extra for a Hybrid. If fuel is $3.50 a gallon you can buy 1,428 gallons of fuel with the extra money you pay for the Hybrid. IF, your regular car can get 30 miles per gallon. You can drive 42,840 miles with the money you not spend for the Hybrid. I hope I figured this correct.

Answer 5

Depends on which one you get. All of the U.S. made hybrids suck. The Honda Civic hybrid and the Toyota Prius are both great cars, getting 51 mpg highway. Whether it is worth it is up to each individual buyer, depending on how much you travel and so forth. Honestly though, most hybrids' added cost won't justify the savings in fuel economy. Most people that get them are just environmentally conscious and not strictly trying to save gas money.

Answer 6

Depends where you are. In London you avoid congestion charge (US embassy owes £1,000s in unpaid fines on their gas guzzlers)

generally I find the driving experience of the Prius is much more pleasent than pure fossil fuel.
just push the button & it goes, no noise, smooth, relaxed ...

I would prefer a pure electric, but I can't afford to have one custom built for me (about £120,000), maybe a plug-in hybrid in a few years.
but recommend get a hybrid now and quietly relax in the traffic jams, add a few years to your life from less stress.
Don't expect impossible fuel figures from the Prius most users get 50-60mpg.

Look on Yahoo groups for your local Prius forum

PS the higher spec oil costs no more than normal and service charges are reasonable, less than a 4x4; my 10,000 mile service including oil change etc <£75. and the hybrid system is garunteed 8 years or 80,000 miles.

Answer 7

yes, if you consider the money you will save in gas, then the price difference will be worth it.

Answer 8

NO UNLESS YOU KEEP IT FOR ABOUT 10YRS AND DRIVE THE AVERAGE MILAGE. BUT DON'T FORGET HYBRIDS AFTEN USE DIFFERENT OIL AND MAINT IS MORE EXPENSIVE.

Answer 9

not if the oil companies have anything to say about it!