Hybrid Cars - Has anyone done the math?

[Fierce Critter]

My husband was relating to me something a co-worker of his figured out. There are probably better sources available on the web to either confirm or contradict this, so feel free to add your information/sources.

Apparently, the cost of the Hybrid Prius is an additional $3,500.00 than the other model (gads, my bad memory on top of my husband's sucks). In order to make-up the difference in gas NOT purchased due to having the better mileage model, the average driver would have to drive the car 20 years.

May be better for the environment & a gas crisis, but it doesn't really save the consumer any $$.

Better sources? More info? Thoughts?

[phee]

My GF has one and it is wicked cool

[SomeDanGuy]

I'd be happy to do the math if I knew what the other model is that you are comparing the Prius to.

[Troy Spiral (13)]

Everything i've read and seen , seems to suggest that alternate fuel vehicles are not ready for prime time yet if the main concern is cost vs. Gasoline Only vehicles (and wont be for a long time), and hybrids arent either (but are much closer).

I took a quick look at what a Prius is (totally ignorant of forgien cars for the most part) from what im seeing, its only a hybrid, with no "regular" version. Unless im blind. We are talking about a 2005 Prius right?

Thusly:

http://www.toyota.com/vehicles/2005/prius/index.html

?

[SomeDanGuy]

Yeah, Prius is a hybrid car. That's why I was wondering what model it was being compared to.

They mention at the website that you can get a $2000 tax deduction from the IRS for buying a Prius. That would probably help offset the cost difference.

[Goth Brooks]

If I had the available land area, I would much rather buy an old reliable diesel and make my own fuel. At a rough estimate of 60¢/gallon, I have no problem spending a few hours of my free time a day in it's making.

http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_make.html

[Fierce Critter]

I'd be happy to do the math if I knew what the other model is that you are comparing the Prius to.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Bah. That's where I got a little confused myself - my husband's somewhat shaky retelling of what his coworker told him.

It sounded like he was trying to say there's a non-hybrid version of the same car or something, which didn't make sense to me 'cause I didn't think there WAS a non-hybrid version of the same car.

More than likely, he was comparing a similar vehicle by the same maker that just runs on gas.

[Nightflyerswmn]

I've read that the hybrid cars, like the prius, gets way better gas mileage, but they're not very powerful. And the SUVs don't get much better mileage. Maybe only a few more mpg, but they have some get-up-and-go. I was thinking about getting about getting one of those hybrid ford escapes, but after reading that ( i think it was on msn where i saw it), I'm not so sure I want one, since they cost more than regular escapes and don't get that much better gas mileage.

[Paper Hearts]

the hybrid Civic gets 11mpg more than the normal civic (standard transmission version) and costs about 3 grand more...Honda has that Insight thingy too though which gets like 70mpg at about 20 thousand.

-but really, there are other reasons to buy hybrids than economy...

[Jarodaka]

As has been said, it depends on what you're comparing the Prius to in terms of 'saving' money. Making a car hybrid adds about $3,000 to the price of the car, as noted by Paper Hearts. I think the idea is, if you had another, comprable car that was $3,000 cheaper -- a Prius is $21,515 and a Corolla XRS starts at $18,095 MSRP... less incentives and bargaining, you'd probably pay full price for the Prius as it is in high demand -- are you saving $3k in fuel? ...only if you drive it for a very long time, it turns out.

[Head Wreck]

guys round here recently got done for running diesels off cooking oil (bought in drums is cheaper). the smell is very sweet, but not unlike a chip van (as in potatoe chunks deep fat fried).

but customs and excise didnt like people dodging the tax on feul here

[Fierce Critter]

the hybrid Civic gets 11mpg more than the normal civic (standard transmission version) and costs about 3 grand more...Honda has that Insight thingy too though which gets like 70mpg at about 20 thousand.

-but really, there are other reasons to buy hybrids than economy...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I double-checked with my husband.

I believe the guy was comparing the two Civic models.

[Soulrev]

all in all it's probably going to be a better choice on the hybrid because it's going to have better gas mileage than the car the owner had before.. In other words if you continue driving on 25mpg, how much will you spend on gas? Then figure how much you'd save driving the hybrid compared to what you already have.. I'd say this is a better way to compare it. Not with another car you also don't own, ya know? I don't think you can really compare it to a different car on the market, better to compare with what you've got now.

I am highly interested in training for hybrid repair but my school doesn't even talk about them let alone cover any material about them, so I guess I should go check out a Honda dealership when I graduate huh?

[Daniel]

Of course, gas could double in price. What then?

[Head Wreck]

aside from improved frugality.

anyone know how much cleaner they burn on the gas for the sake of the environmental issues?

[Paper Hearts]

aside from improved frugality.

anyone know how much cleaner they burn on the gas for the sake of the environmental issues?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That's what i meant by 'there are other reasons to buy hybrids beyond economy'

*Petrol here is only at about $2.15 per gallon, or about 3.75 liters for about a quid, fourteen P~chips, right? -People here don't know how good they have it, really.

[Black Sunday9]

That's what i meant by 'there are other reasons to buy hybrids beyond economy'

Petrol here is only at about $2.15 per gallon, or about 3.5 liters for about a quid, fourteen~chips, right? -People here don't know how good they have it, really.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

yeah in the U.S. our government has a "special" relationship with Opec and than eBush admin is in tight with the House of Saud, we get gas cheaper than almost any country outside of the middle east (Iraqi's pay 8 cents per gallon).

However I want a hybrid car, actually I want a non petrol car. How realistic is that? I hate oil. I hate those regimes in the middle east and south america that sell us the oil. Give me an electric car or give me the electric chair.....AAAAARRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok I need to calm down now.

[Paper Hearts]

yeah in the U.S. our government has a "special" relationship with Opec and than eBush admin is in tight with the House of Saud, we get gas cheaper than almost any country outside of the middle east (Iraqi's pay 8 cents per gallon). 

However I want a hybrid car, actually I want a non petrol car.  How realistic is that?  I hate oil.  I hate those regimes in the middle east and south america that sell us the oil.  Give me an electric car or give me the electric chair.....AAAAARRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok I need to calm down now.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

-right on

[Head Wreck]

okay. 95 octane.... cheapest i can get it is 79p (£0.79, $1.49) per litre

thats with the tesco supermarket chain. i've been told by an aquaintance that in some areas they sell 99 octane at the same price (guy was chuffed. he gets to run his R32 skyline for cheaper).

texeco. think the nearest is 89p per litre...

motorway service stations. only if i absolutly need to (read the spare tank i carry is dry) its that expensive, and usually a poor grade feul that i dont get as an efficient burn

gas for diesel conversions is 49p per litre.

you can see why i miss my 1980 datsun that did 47 miles to the galon (and the ting was mint condition and damn comfy till i lost controll on a gravel and ice on a tight corner coming down a mountain)

gas would be the way forward if i bought a landie or daimler 4.2. theres a range rover classic up the road, mint cond. and gas converted... no price on windows so it's gonna be out of my price range and far bigger than what i'm used to....

(Pug 205)

[Paper Hearts]

plenty of reasons though to miss a 1980 Datsun...

but yeah, you pay many times what we pay, that'd be like us paying what, $5 or $6 per gallon? At that price it's a pretty decadent drive anywhere...

I was talking to my freind Andrea who lives in Balham, London, and she hadn't seen or heard of an S-U-V before, not even as I described one to her-

(see everyone later, I'm on my way ouy)

[Paper Hearts]

plenty of reasons though to miss a 1980 Datsun...

but yeah, you pay many times what we pay, that'd be like us paying what, $5 or $6 per gallon? At that price it's a pretty decadent drive anywhere...

I was talking to my freind Andrea who lives in Balham, London, and she hadn't seen or heard of an S-U-V before, not even as I described one to her-

(see everyone later, I'm on my way ouy)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

actually, your $1.49 per liter (litre) would be $5.59 per gallon...

[Head Wreck]

she'll know what an SUV is. big 4x4.

there was aprogram on last night where they rigged up the last model honda civic to drive at 30, then slam a mitsubishi shogun into the side at 60. average A road collision.

shogun untouched, the chassis wasnt even dented

the civic was flattned.... litterally drivers door was against the passenger door...

gummy in drivers... head was on dashboars, bolted hinges of dummys leg was in the footwell while the body was in the rear seat. now these dummys arent meant to break up like a human, gust move like one. so in a RL RTA were looking at an icky mess

theres a groweing trend in citys and towns for SUV's as you call em to be used for school runs with half distracted drivers. and i think the figure is something like 94% of off roaders never see mud. this is just silly.

even with me now having an event every weekend where i have to either take country roads (infamous welsh one lane death traps) or forrestry tracks. i find it hard to justify that range rover, or any land rover tbh.

what narked me off the other week was some prat in a ford maveric on a one lane road i met coming the other way. i reverse my peugeot 205 bout 600 yards back round a corner on on a grass bank to allow him through as he refused to go back. only to find the road had manouver lanes BOTH SIDES of the road 100 yards back from him

big off roader. high arogence and not an even thank you wave just a distained look down the nose at my battered 205 (out of 4 dents on her only one is caused by me reversing into a hidden tree stump on the raer left wheel arch) .

nuff ranting

[Soulrev]

As far as hybrid burning fuel more efficiently, yes and no.. They do put off less emissions per capita. Nothing significantly different from any other late model car.

[Paper Hearts]

my main thing about S.U.V.s is when I'm passing them like they're standing still in the snow or rain-it's like what do you need then, a tank? It's just a status symbol thing, like a land-yacht or something, but it's disgusting when you think of how depraved and uncaring, mindless someone would have to be to drive one-because very few people need something like that-generally it's just one person in them when you see them...a freind of mine has a Durango and he's single, no children, drives about 2 miles each way/day over only paved roads to get to work and the thing is even if he had say 3 children and a lady (which would be larger than the average american family), everyone could fit in a car like mine-his Durango only seats a total of one more person than my small car-and I've sat in his back seat and just like every other back seat, it's not all that comfortable. So here he is cruising along in this wanker vehicle while men his age are over in Iraq dieing for oil-it's just mindless, and then the environmental concerns, I mean not to mention just common sense...it's disgusting. People should be able to sacrifice a little when they can afford to (and if you are thinking of buying an S.U.V. you can afford to).

But anyway, yeah, those Welsh roads-I was on some real good "B" roads in Scotalnd that would have made you weep if you are a motorsport/rally person-even some of the "A" roads in the highlands were just exhilerating...but i've been on some spectacular ones in the North of Wales, as well. We had a Focus, which aren't too bad for that kind of driving-not a Peugot or Citroen or Subaru, but not terrible, anyway.

[Marblez]

yeah in the U.S. our government has a "special" relationship with Opec and than eBush admin is in tight with the House of Saud, we get gas cheaper than almost any country outside of the middle east (Iraqi's pay 8 cents per gallon). 

However I want a hybrid car, actually I want a non petrol car.  How realistic is that?  I hate oil.  I hate those regimes in the middle east and south america that sell us the oil.  Give me an electric car or give me the electric chair.....AAAAARRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok I need to calm down now.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Isn't the US #1 as far as consumption of OPEC oil? If so, it would make perfect sense that we would have a "special relationship". Outside of your family, you always give your best customer the best prices. It is business, we are consumers.