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When Hybrids Do (And Don't) Make Sense
prostoalex writes "Recently NPR, CNN Money and Wall Street Journal Online have all dedicated some time and space to discussing hybrid vehicle pros and cons. It seems that hybrids do not make much financial sense if (a) you're buying after getting yourself into a debt with not really good interest on a car loan, (b) your battery requires replacement after being out of warranty, (c) your daily commute is not too long, so the price markup you pay for a hybrid does not translate into long-term gas savings." From the CNN article: "They may make a social statement you're interested in, but if you want to save money because of rising gas prices, you're heading down the wrong road, at least for now."
Actually, a great number of cars, especially luxury cars, are moving away from heaters run off the coolant and towards electric. I drove my Mom's Honda Odyssey one cold day when visiting her, and to my shock, the vents started pouring out hot air immediately. I imagine quite a few other cars have made this same design mistake (coolant-based heaters require no extra power, and can be used to assist the radiator in the event of overheating).
The Civic or Corolla idea really makes sense. I've got a used Corolla, and I'm averaging just over 40 mpg on my commute. My only complaints are not having a pickup bed to toss stuff in, and the lack of similarity in performance to a Formula 1 car.