http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5217861/http://www.zapworld.com/cars/smartCar.asp
"Hybrids are crap, utter crap until they get on their worst day 50mpg."
On my worst day I got 53 MPG. Darn the day... I was traveling 75mph on a highway. I never have gone below that, but I do admit that I am much more gentle when the light turns green and I do not rely on the air conditioning very much. (Although I was using the air conditioning when I got the 53 mpg.)
The extra $6k you are talking about is not totally attributed to the hybrid components. If you go to Edmunds (which is unbiased), you will note that the only way the hybrid costs $6k more is if you buy the cheapest model which doesn't have hardly any standard equipment that is included with the hybrid. In order to compare costs you have to compare like cars. Just because you are comparing a Civic to a Civic doesn't mean they have all the same components and options. Whether the vehicle pays for itself depends on how long you keep the vehicle. Also note that even if you do not keep the vehicle for long enough to come to the breakeven point, the resale values are much higher on the hybrids as well. However, I am the type of person which would keep the car long enough for the approx. 6 year B/E point to pass.
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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5217861/ http://www.zapworld.com/cars/smartCar.asp "Hybrids are crap, utter crap until they get on their worst day 50mpg." On my worst day I got 53 MPG. Darn the day... I was traveling 75mph on a highway. I never have gone below that, but I do admit that I am much more gentle when the light turns green and I do not rely on the air conditioning very much. (Although I was using the air conditioning when I got the 53 mpg.)
The extra $6k you are talking about is not totally attributed to the hybrid components. If you go to Edmunds (which is unbiased), you will note that the only way the hybrid costs $6k more is if you buy the cheapest model which doesn't have hardly any standard equipment that is included with the hybrid. In order to compare costs you have to compare like cars. Just because you are comparing a Civic to a Civic doesn't mean they have all the same components and options. Whether the vehicle pays for itself depends on how long you keep the vehicle. Also note that even if you do not keep the vehicle for long enough to come to the breakeven point, the resale values are much higher on the hybrids as well. However, I am the type of person which would keep the car long enough for the approx. 6 year B/E point to pass.