Honda Accord Hybrid
 

Does anyone own this car or know someone that owns it? What are the general thoughts on it? The 2006 model will probably roll out soon and I am giving the purchase of it some serious thoughts.

I currently own a 2003 Acura TL, for which I basically paid cash(paid off in a year). Now, I don't regret this, as my parent's Camry had 200k miles on it and it was MY first car, but I am now(not at time of purchase) an independent consultant and should have leased, if only for the tax deductions. My car gets the usually crappy V6 mileage and gas is shooting up and I have a feeling it will get to $4/gallon(for premium) in Southern California by the end of the year. If we are still in Iraq, $5/gallon is not out of the question in 2006. I think I can sell my Acura(40k miles) for about 2/3 of the price of the Accord, but that doesn't matter too much since I will be looking to lease.

Also, in 2006 there will be a decent tax credit for hybrid car purchases($1k-$3k). These are just a few of the reasons that I am looking at the Hybrid(environmental factors not withstanding). Also, the Accord Hybrid has 255HP or so(!).

Just looking for some general thoughts on the matter or any reviews of the car. I know that it will be hard to haggle in So. Cali. for price(have to pay around MSRP,~$31k), I hear prices in other parts of the nation for hybrids are lower(or at least negotiable to under the MSRP)? Thanks for any help.

DN

Re: Honda Accord Hybrid
 

Don't buy a hybrid now if you're doing it to save money on fuel. It'll take a decade plus for you to recoup the extra cost in fuel savings, especially if you're in poor position in price negotiations.

Re: Honda Accord Hybrid
 

[ QUOTE ]
Don't buy a hybrid now if you're doing it to save money on fuel. It'll take a decade plus for you to recoup the extra cost in fuel savings, especially if you're in poor position in price negotiations.

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I think if I recoup 1/2 of the premium during a 4yr lease period, I will be happy with that(paying a couple grand more for an environmentally sound car). But it is true that people buying hybrids in So. Cali are in a poor price negotiation position, which may cause a lower recoupment %.

DN

Re: Honda Accord Hybrid
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Don't buy a hybrid now if you're doing it to save money on fuel. It'll take a decade plus for you to recoup the extra cost in fuel savings, especially if you're in poor position in price negotiations.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think if I recoup 1/2 of the premium during a 4yr lease period, I will be happy with that(paying a couple grand more for an environmentally sound car). But it is true that people buying hybrids in So. Cali are in a poor price negotiation position, which may cause a lower recoupment %.

DN

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I don't know exactly what the price differential is, but I would be very surprised if you recouped half it in four years without going WAY over the miles on your lease. I don't know, though. The numbers shouldn't be hard to figure out. Sit down and do 30 seconds worth of math.

Re: Honda Accord Hybrid
 

I have an 05 Accord Hybrid.

With the tax rebate, it's only about $2-$3k more than the fully loaded Accord (it's the same exact car w/ the exception of the Hybrid Motor).

The car drives like a mother. It's really quiet and handles very well. Tons of power and you never really notice the 'hybrid-ness' of it (except when the Auto-Stop pops on...read the website for details).

I drive almost all SnG traffic and get around 31-34 MPG. This is around 8-10 mpg better than the non-hybrid accord.

If you drive 15k miles a year (I drive much more than that, I got the car in Feb and have about 16k already on it), and you get 24 MPG, you spend ~$1875 a year on gas at 3 per gallon. If you get 32 MPG, you spend $1400 a year. Call it $500 / year. You would have to have a 4-6 year break even.

Obviously, the more you drive, the better this gets. I purchased it under the impression that I was going to be able to use the carpool lanes while solo, but the accord hybrid got denied by CalTrans (not good enough MPG). Looking back, I would have just gotten the regular accord.

The car is awesome, but I just don't think that the hybrid component is worth it (but it's a nice conversation starter).

Re: Honda Accord Hybrid
 

I recently got a 2005 Model in so cal for $26k (msrp 30,650) so don't be so sure that you can't get a deal, although it'll surely be harder if you want to jump on one right when the 2006's come out. It's a good car, one of the best combinations of performance and fuel efficiency out there, but you're not going to get Prius type (45 mpg) mileage out of it. More like 35 mpg. I'm not sure what you meant by crappy mileage on your TL, but I doubt you'll get that much out of the gas savings from the Accord hybrid.

Re: Honda Accord Hybrid
 

it looks like a great car to me. good HP and high engine efficiency for a 250+HP engine.

Re: Honda Accord Hybrid
 

Not crappy, but I spend pretty much 90% of my time on local streets or SnG on the hectic LA fwys(downtown 110/101, 10/405), so I think I get around 16-20mpg from my Acura. A boost above 30mpg would be quite nice.

If I can get a 2005 hybrid for ~$27k, I think that, plus the tax credit, would get me very close to recouping the premium on the car alone. Plus, the environmental factor is a big plus and having it be a conversation starter never hurts.

How is the performance? I would expect a dip from my TL, but not too much, since the HP is around the same.

DN

Re: Honda Accord Hybrid
 

I just saw a Civic Hybrid. Anyone know what the mileage on that is? Accord seems dissapointing, though obviously it is better than the regular Accord.

Re: Honda Accord Hybrid
 

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Not crappy, but I spend pretty much 90% of my time on local streets or SnG on the hectic LA fwys(downtown 110/101, 10/405), so I think I get around 16-20mpg from my Acura. A boost above 30mpg would be quite nice.

If I can get a 2005 hybrid for ~$27k, I think that, plus the tax credit, would get me very close to recouping the premium on the car alone. Plus, the environmental factor is a big plus and having it be a conversation starter never hurts.

How is the performance? I would expect a dip from my TL, but not too much, since the HP is around the same.

DN

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the performance is better than the TL. I know from experience.