Anybody Drive a Hybrid?

[andyfox]

Just read about them in Time. Apparently the Prius is selling like hotcakes and Lexus is going to come out with a Hybrid SUV.

Should I consider a hybrid or will I be disappointed in performance or otherwise?

[daryn]

my guess is you'd be more disappointed in appearance.

[jdl22]

Some aren't so bad. There is a Honda Civic hybrid that looks like a Honda Civic. There is also a Honda hybrid that looks much more blatantly hybridish and looks awful. I think they're mainly for people in Eugene that want to be seen driving a car that looks environmentally friendly.

[daryn]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In risposta di:</font><hr />
There is a Honda Civic hybrid that looks like a Honda Civic.

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like i said! /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[jdl22]

well played

[Ray Zee]

they are nice and a steal at current prices as the manufacters are trying to meet the rules and are giving them away. get 40 mpg. the toyota anyway. but the batteries are 8000 bucks now and are good for about 100000 miles. so presently the car may be a throwaway at that time.
they have different systems so check them all out as the toyota i think is the only one that works so the electric part is used often enough to give the gas mileage.

[sfer]

A friend has had the Toyota for about 2 years now. He loves it and I see why. I rides like a slightly underpowered car, but seems otherwise car-ish. For a compact it's reasonably roomy. It's fun to watch the braking recharge the batteries.

And it's sensible to not be spewing out exhaust when zooming through the highway at 2.5 MPH in the morning. It's not the luxury and convenience of a 10 minute ride on the subway in the morning, but I guess it's good enough. /images/graemlins/wink.gif

[rtrombone]

One of my friends is fond of saying that the most important decision we will ever make with regard to the environment is what car we purchase. You can be an uber conscientious shopper and recycle like a mother and still not compensate for the damage to the environment a typical automobile causes.

I'm no eco-maniac but my next car is going to be hybrid.

[andyfox]

According to the article I read in Time, they are about $2,500 more than the same card as a non-hybrid, and you get back $1,500 from the government. Apparently GM was not so hot on the idea, putting more into hydrogen cell cars, which they expect to market by 2010; but now they're coming out with some electric hybrids too.

I'll check out the Prius and the Honda Civic.

[adios]

I hate going to car dealers but curiosity got the best of me so my wife and I took a drive over to a local Toyota dealership to check into the Prius. As an aside the dealership was MOBBED with customers today. They had someone greet us out in the parking lot and I said we're interested in looking at a Prius. He stated that the only one they had was owned by one of the salesman (it wasn't for sale) but he would find him and have him talk to us. The salesman was as low key as you could get. He said that there's at least a years waiting list. My wife asked him about a deposit and he said there wasn't any so I assume he was telling the truth about a 1 year wait. Nice looking car, several packages available as the fully loaded one makes the price around $26,000 before taxes and dealer prep. If I remember right the combined horsepower of the battery and the gasoline engine max was about 115 horses. The battery has an 8 year, 100,000 mile warranty and he said a replacement batter is now priced at $3,000. He said that the general feeling is that the battery will probably last much long than 100,000 miles perhaps 150,000 miles. In Albuquerque he said he was getting about 52 miles per gallon although in Consummer Reports it was rated at 60 miles per gallon. Albuquerque is a mile above sea level though. He gave us a Motor Trend magazine review of the Prius and I believe it's Motor Trend's 2004 car of the year. All models come with 8 air bags including side air bags.

[Oski]

I think Larry David does in "Curb Your Enthusiasm"