Would you guys buy a HYBRID car? Why or why not?

Answer 1

go hybrid!!!! its got plenty of perks. 1. keeps environment clean 2. you can go on carpool lane by yourself 3. you can park in parking meters without paying 4. better gas mileage5. better resale value

Answer 2

Definately !
I'm in the Midwest where gas prices are amongst the highest in the US.& where I'm at (Chicago suburbs) we can't get enough of them!


And since i sell & drive Fords , I'll give you a breakdown on the Ford Hybrid Escape :

Priced at $25,740 (FWD)

Federal tax incentive is $3000 on this model.
( This vehicle qualifies for the largest tax incentive of all the Hybrids. To find out what other vehicles qualify for you can see the chart at the IRS website )

The Battery (and all hybrid componants) is covered under the Ford Warranty for 8 years or 100,000 miles.
The cost to replace the battery (IF you would need to ) has yet to be determined. We have thousands on the road ('05, '06, '07 & '08 model years) & have been clocking hundreds of thousands of miles & the batterys are holding up quite well.

Maintenance costs on the Hybrid Escape is identicle to the non-hybrid Escape with one exception. The recommended Oil change interval for the Hybrid is ONCE A YEAR or ONCE EVERY 10, 000 miles (whichever occurs 1st)

Lastly I will tell you about fuel savings . For this I will use my own personal, real life experience. We all know that the EPA ratings that you see on a window sticker are not neccesarily accurate. So those figures are completely useless.

When comparing a non-hybrid Escape VS a Hybrid Escape I DOUBLED my Mpg.....so therefor my fuel costs were cut in half !

When comparing vehicles please don't assume that just because a vehicle is labeled "Hybrid" that it will cut your fuel costs in half.
All hybrids are NOT created equal & some actually get pretty lousy gas mileage. There are different kinds of hybrid systems & the Ford hybrid system is classified a "Fully Hybrid" There are others that are classified as "Mild Hybrid"

For more detailed info I suggest you go to http://hybridcars.com/ There is a page at this site that shows how to maximize the Hybrid Escapes fuel economy & get 40-45 mpg !

And New York City has a fleet of them in use 24/7 since 2005. They have logged HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS of hard & abusive miles on them. All with NO problems & no battery replacements.

By the way ALL Toyota Prius are imported from Japan.
All Hybrid Escapes are built in the US.
(if that makes a difference to you)

Source(s):

in the auto biz since 1983

Answer 3

The market is fickle. 3 years ago my Saturn dealership was asked weekly about when we would have Hybrid cars. We told them 2007. We ordered 10, 2007 Vue Hybrids that have been on our lot since September 2006. We have sold 2. The market makes a lot of noise. The car is very well designed and is flawless in its driving experience. The cost is right on line with a V6 engine with incredible gas economy. There is a Federal tax benefit of $1300 on top of it. We also offer an 8 year/100,000 warranty on the Hybrid system. No wonder every car manufacturer is skittish to offer electric or hydrogen powered cars? You all complain, but you don't buy it.

Answer 4

For financial reasons? No. It'll take several years for the typical driver to recoup the price premium between a hybrid and non-hybrid through fuel savings.

You are also usually giving up some power and handling by going hybrid (the best word to describe the Toyota Prius or Honda Civic hybrid's driving characteristics would be "adequate"), though the Honda Accord hybrid and Lexus RX400h give hope of a compromise.

If/when hybrid prices are more comparable with non-hybrid cars, I will certainly consider it. Right now they are a luxury item.

Answer 5

I have a hybrid and i do like it. I commute round trip at least 50 miles a day and I'm getting 45 mpg its the first generation prius 2001. I mean it gets the job done but the car is light so when its windy outside its harder to control and its really not a big speed car i mean going over 75 it doesn't really like that to much but considering i haven't had any problems with the car its great. It works it gets the job done gets you from point A to B. If you are one of those people who loves the feel of power then you may be disappointed. The only other draw back is they do cost a little bit more so if your only getting it for the gas mileage, make sure you want the car is it worth the extra few thousand? In all I like my hybrid.

Answer 6

I personally think the technology will evolve significantly enough within the next 3-5 years to prevent me from buying one now... after all, there are literally things under a hybrid's hood that will kill you if you don't know what you're doing.
Of course I have a small commute and ride my bike on all but the hottest days.
The normal LEV cars are getting higher and higher mpg ratings right now, so financially it doesn't make sense to get a hybrid right now, in 5 years maybe but not right now.
the environmental concern is there but the technology has not caught up.

Answer 7

No, for the reason that I cannot imagine how much the new battery would cost! I have read some statistics that the new Hybrid batteries can, in some cases, cost more than the car itself.

I'll just cut down on my driving to save gas money and help out the environment.

Answer 8

Regardless of whether you think it is economically feasible, I would lease a hybrid car, not buy. The reason is simple. Nobody knows where the technology is going. There may be a breakthrough in hybrids in six months that renders all previous models obsolete. In that case, the resale value of your car would be very poor. Additionally, we do not yet know about the long-term needs of these batteries and engines. If you lease, you have the car for a fixed amount of time and resale, etc. is the bank's problem.

Answer 9

I think if you live and commute in an area where traffic is the norm, you should get a hybrid. At low speeds, the hybrid car utilizes the electric motor thus boosting the MPG of gas. In addition, with the rising gas costs..I don't think that SUV gas guzzler can last (financially) in your pocket for a lot longer. Also, its always nice to know that you're taking another step to protect the environment!

Answer 10

No. I do a lot of motorway driving and at those speeds the electric motor can't keep up so the petrol motor kicks in. With the added weight in the car it actually returns less mpg than a straight diesel car. Also, you have to consider the battery life isn't all that great and current replacement costs for a Prius in the UK is about 1500pounds ($3000). In the last 4 years I haven't had to spend anywhere near that amount on maintenance of my car.

Answer 11

Nope, it would increase my gas consumption.

I drive almost exclusively on the highway. I walk anywhere close.
My 2003 Saturn Ion 2.2L MTX gets 43mpg highway, I dont know of a single hybrid that can do that consistently. City driving I still get 32-36mpg, with the minimal amount I do that is sufficient to keep my gas usage at under $10/week.