| Author | Message | ||
     Ccryder |
My commute is 150 miles round trip. I usually ride 8-9 months a year. The other 3-4 months I drive my 04' F-150. It still gets 20-22mpg (even after 120,000 miles) but that means I spend $400/ month! I'm thinking about going the Hybrid route next fall to save some $'s. Anybody got an Insight or Prius that can give me some pros or cons? Thx Neil S. | ||
| Froggy |
Blast. | ||
| Dentguy |
No personal experience besides driving a Prius for a week. I thought it was nice. Averaged 50.6 MPG. Saw a comparison in a magazine some time back and it was close, but they picked the Prius. | ||
| Just_ziptab |
Depreciate out the ownership of a hybrid for 10 years of service....and that would have to include at least one battery set replacement ........and (on the bottom line)you would be better off/money ahead to keep the gas hog. My S-10 is 12 years old and can get up to 28 mpg. Currently,that truck is costing me over $1,500.00 a year,just in the initial purchase cost of the vehicle.In 12 more years,it will go down to $750.00 a year. You can't trade(for new) for better mileage and come out ahead.....short term anyways. If push comes to shove for me to get commute costs down,I would buy a old shit box that got 30+mpg.... for a purchase price that would pay off it's gas savings in a couple of years. After that it's a coast plus maintenance,that you will always have,no matter the vehicle. | ||
| Rpm4x4 |
Ive got a 96 Metro for sale. 86K odo $1800 45+mpg. Im sure there are others for sale locally as well. | ||
| Froggy |
A 96 Metro? Thats a cheater car in the hypermiling circles  I can't comment on the current prius or the Insight, but I absolutely hated the last gen prius, despite being able to average 99.9mpg on it once. | ||
| Rpm4x4 |
I enjoy cheating since Im not much of a hypermiler. I have very little discipline LOL | ||
| Froggy |
I might have to stroll out your way and pick it up, I got some plans for one  | ||
| Dbird29 |
The wife loves her 2005 Prius. It is a great mid-sized car and tops out at 107MPH. I think the new Fusion Hybrid is a better built car. The Toyota is pretty thin metal and not very quiet. The Honda is a series hybrid so the max efficiency is lower. | ||
| Firemanjim |
I am with Ziptab on this, cost of car vs battery costs just don't make sense. And have you seen where they make those batteries? As green as they want you to think it is the cost to build the car and batteries sucks. Better off getting VW diesel or Honda Civic mileage car. Way cheaper overall. What happens to those things in a bad accident? And do they have to go to a haz mat dump when they are used up?? | ||
| 86129squids |
I'm looking real hard at a Brammo. With the hairy eyeball. | ||
| Jasonnennig |
I have to say I'm with Froggy on this one... If your going to get into a high mileage pissing contest, get a Blast... If you have to have a car get the old Metro. your money ahead in the long run. Your NOT going to be picking up a lot of hot chicks though, LOL. | ||
| Just_ziptab |
I guess the other way to figure it is cost per mile. My S-10 is sitting on 10 cents a mile right now with the original purchase cost,divided by the miles on it. My XB9R Buell is at a buck a mile. My Pinto wagon is at 4 cents a mile........I should get it back out of the basement.Add all other costs and the Pinto is still the winner. I hear the hybrid batteries are at a 5 year life span..........big OUCH there! | ||
| Sifo |
VW TDI! | ||
| Crackhead |
the batteries have a longer life time then 5 years, the warrenty on them is for 5y/ 100k. They are also individually replaceable.(lots of little batteries linked together.) I would suggest driving the wheels off the truck before you spend 30k on a new car. | ||
| Fahren |
Hybrids are great, but there's a cost to the owner, like a "green tax" that is the extra cost of ownership. I once discussed this with a guy who works for a Toyota dealer, and he said it all depends on your driving needs and your reason for buying one. If it's just about the money, then compare the hybrid with a very reliable, maybe used, high-mileage gas or diesel car. Even within the Toyota range, for many, it would come out cheaper to buy a new Yaris or Corolla and pay for the gas, than the higher priced Prius. Do your math - factor the purchase price, financing if new or high-priced used, and weelky/monthly gas costs. Factor in your insurance as well, if you could live with an older, paid-off used car that you could insure for less. Small cars can also be a hoot to drive... think cooper Mini, or Suzuki SX4 Sport, or... | ||
| Hughlysses |
Hybrid-smybrid. Test drive a diesel Jetta. 50 MPG and Buell-like torque. What else could you want in an auto?  | ||
| Reepicheep |
A 1999 through 2002 Saab 9-3 SE (HO turbo) will: 1) Haul ass when you want it to 2) Pull 30+ MPG on the highway 3) Seat 4 almost reasonably 4) Haul lots of big awkward things (hatch back) 5) Use a $75-$150 hitch attachment and pull a trailer with three bikes without self destructing. 6) probably come with leather, a good stereo, and heated seats. 7) cost maybe $6000 - $7000 (80k to 110k miles) 8) run for 200,000 miles easy if maintained, probably 150k+ on the original turbo. There are a few things to look for and a couple patches you want to apply for "tragic flaws", but they are easy to check and cheap to prevent. I heard an add for a new pure electric Nissan this morning (the leaf?). While they are idiots for claiming a "no emission" car (it's coal fired), it still looks like a cool little car. | ||
| Aldaytona |
Wish I had my 81 Diesel Rabbit back  | ||
| Teeps |
Crackhead Posted on Friday, January 29, 2010 the batteries have a longer life time then 5 years, the warrenty on them is for 5y/ 100k. Possibly They are also individually replaceable. Patently untrue, least for Insight. Battery modules are a "sealed unit." (lots of little batteries linked together.)This is true. There are good points both pro and con in this thread. My advice; drive both cars, preferably how they would be driven day to day by you, before deciding. Both have their merits and short comings. | ||
| Rwven |
If your commute is mainly highway much of the hybrid advantage will be lost. I'd go with the Fit or similar. You'll be a long time amortizing the increased initial cost of the Hybrid. | ||
| Dentguy |
The Prius I rented and put 500 miles on was used primarily on the highway and it averaged 50.6 MPG. | ||
| Crackhead |
http://www.toyota.com/camry/warranty.html Hybrid-related components for hybrid vehicles are covered for 8 years/100,000 miles. I saw a battery pack opened at the toy dealership (from a cell pic). I thought they were replacing a module. I will have to talk to the brother again about the battery packs. | ||
| Benm2 |
I had an 84. What were they, 62 hp stock? I had it topped out once around 80 mph. It did get great mileage, but if it was below 30 degrees it had to be bump-started every time, after you let the glow plugs drain the battery down to almost-nothing to heat up the cylinder head a bit. In retrospect, it was a wise choice by my dad to bequeath the car to me with 140K on the clock. I think it might have put down 40 hp by then, but it did keep me out of trouble! I had a Toyota diesel 2wd pickup after that, the truck fell apart around the engine. I was an 84, and left me around 1990 with the bed almost gone. The next owner stake-bodied it and ran it well into this century. I wish they still imported that diesel option to the US. It would be nice, too, if Ford or GM did so with the ranger/S10 class. On topic?! Civic. Depending on the age you want for reliability, they will all get great mileage. | ||
| Dentguy |
I think the coverage for California emissions cars is longer. "Whatever the type, hybrid batteries are considered part of the emissions system, and as such are covered under terms of the mandatory emissions warranty: eight years or 100,000 miles in federal emissions states, and 10 years or 150,000 miles in states that adhere to California emissions standards." As for the battery failure rate, read this. http://www.hybridcars.com/components-batteries/fir st-numbers-hybrid-battery-failure.html | ||
| Xb12xmike |
I would buy a VW TDI. It boggles the mind why you wouldn't buy one. Go test drive any VW TDI 1998-2010. •The technology used to build hybrid cars is relatively new. Although these vehicles can be thoroughly tested, there can be unforeseen issues regarding their reliability, durability and maintenance. •Hybrid vehicles have a lot of delicate instrumentation, making them more complex to fix. They need specialized mechanics to work with them since the many of the parts are electrical in nature. •If the hybrid vehicle is in an accident, it may be difficult for police and fire department to determine if the vehicle is safe to approach to save accident victims. Using the jaws of life in the wrong place could be deadly. •Since hybrid vehicles utilize a lot of electrical power, a malfunction could cause electric jolts of more than 500 volts, which can be fatal. •The battery pack of a hybrid since it is located in the back of the vehicle can be potential shock hazard as well as a hazardous material problem ------------------------------- Hybrid cars pose danger to EMT's Hybrid electric cars are growing in popularity, with some 200,000 already on the road in the United States. The number is expected to grow to two million in the next five years. Consumers are attracted to them because of fuel economy and environmental benefits, but they present hazards for emergency responders. EMT's are trained to focus on their patients, but hybrid gas/electric cars are creating a new challenge: high voltage. Paramedic Dave Long says, "These cars are incredibly quiet, so we have to assume that the vehicle is always on and powered up." Long is leading the charge to train EMT's on how to rescue victims from hybrids without risking electrocution. ”So we're dealing with anywhere from a 144 to over 500 volts. So we have to be very careful during rescue and extrication we don't cut into the high voltage orange cables." Long fears the sheer silence of the hybrid engine could catch emergency workers off guard. "Because we can not hear the electric motor. And if we were walking in front during a rescue or emergency or trying to help someone out in the car, the car could roll forward and we would not hear it." Long's goal is to get responders up to speed on how to turn off the hybrids before the rescue begins, and how to locate the master disconnect switches for various models. Recognizing a hybrid isn't always easy. The Ford Escape, for example, looks identical to its gas-powered counterpart. The same is true for the Toyota Highlander, so labeling is critical. At training seminars around the nation, EMT's are learning to look for those bright orange power cables. "We know it's an electric vehicle because I see these high voltage orange cables actually coming out of the vehicle." The demand for hybrid safety training will only rise considering the dealers can barely keep the cars on the lots these days. I would buy a VW TDI. (Just because you voted for Obama doesn't mean you still have to be a sheep.)  | ||
| Grancuda |
Civic My '06 2dr 5 spd got 43 mpg Whay cheaper car than the hybrid sold it because I was tired of having a payment and higher insurance my 70 mile drive is cheaper in a 16mpg truck when you figure in the cost of the car | ||
| Ccryder |
Thanks all, this is giving me some ideas, don't stop now. Here is a little more info on why and what I know: 1) I'm looking to keep the F-150 and keep from adding lots of miles. 2) I'm looking for another vehicle for the long term 10 years. 3) From research the battery packs are going over 150,000 miles. 4) Insight is under $20k MSRP 5) My commute is 2 lane county roads and those are the roads I get 20-22mpg on with my F-150. I am guessing that I would get on the high end of the MPG range with the hybrid also. 6) Even used diesels are higher priced than a new Insight (that I have found around here with 30-50k miles). 7) If I keep rolling up the miles on my F-150 like I have, it will cost ~$2500-$3000 in the next year for maint/ replacement items. 8) I want to be greener (that's a lie ;+}) Time2Work (that's the truth!) Neil S. | ||
| Orman1649 |
I have seen multiple sources saying if you are going to keep the vehicle over 100k miles, the Chevy Aveo is the lowest cost of operation/ownership out there. | ||
| Etennuly |
Move closer to your workplace. Walk or jog to work, much better for your health, near zero cost. Keep the truck longer, keep the bike longer, forget the car idea, drive them for pleasure. Play with your un-spent money. |
