Hybrid Hype and Consumer Acceptance

General advise is don't rush out and make false assumptions based on one factor. There are numerous factors that make buying a hybrid worthwhile for many people.

Want proof? Look at how well they are selling. All those people must think it's worthwhile. And before you say we've just been suckered by the manufacturers' propaganda and have made poor investments, I can say with some authority that hybrid buyers are, for the most part, the most informed car buyers in the marketplace.

Well with any relatively new technology and I say that because a lot of people ask me still if I need to get special gas or plug it in etc... There's a premium for early buyers of tech as more people buy them it WILL bring down the cost. It's been that way since as long as I can remember. I think nearly ever buyer realizes there a premium for hybrids. So what's your point that someone who cannot afford $20K-$30K hybrid don't buy one?
Batteries are covered for a minimum 8 years or 80K. So if the media is not covering battery failure where are you getting your info on this?
There also a bonus about a hybrid that usually goes unmentioned but I like the fact I go to the gas station 3 times less than my previous car an SUV. With gas so high I hate to wait 20-40 minutes for the cheapest gas in town to save 10 cents a gallon. I've be saving over an hour of time of my life filling up gas. How much is your time worth? Mine is definitely worth more than $2.40 an hour for gas. 12 gallons saving 10 cents per 30 minute wait time.

I have been reading your responses...some people hae more money then sense. Joe Average Consumer is where you need to target your sales. Not at the yuppie crowd who jump on any new band wagon driving down the road. SHOW me the proof.

If you are considering that you can also save yourself time because hybrids get to use the HOV lanes. If you save 10 minutes a day in a commute, thats almost another hour of quality time you have for yourself.

I also believe that we are sending a message to the automakers. MAKE CARS MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT. And I believe that they are listening. More manufactures are producing hybrid vehicles. 2 years ago, there were only 2 manufactures producing hybrid vehicles. Now how many have them or will have them soon??? And look at the varity of them. You can pick a car, a truck or SUV and soon a mini-van. Even Mercedes is getting into this "small" market.

So is this a fad? I don't believe so. I think this is just the begining of something bigger. I even hear there is a website devoted to hybrid vehicles.

Got to love when people like "Show Me" and "Consumer Beware" (I think you the same person?) make bold and completely bogus statements and then disapper when presented with the "FACTS" !!

Check out: http://www.greenhybrid.com/compare/mileage/car/955.html

This guys averages nearly 75 MPG in a Prius.

Several others with MPG in the Upper 60's and low 70's in both Prius and Honda Civic.

Sure same car and some people only get 40's..it is all how you drive.

You are right that you won't make your money back on gas savings. You can make up for it in other means. One, the resale is quite good compared to a non-hybrid vehicle. Two, if you live in a state where there are HOV lanes (which are less congested), then you save yourself time. And doesn't time cost more than gas (even at $5 a gallon)? Third, you save time again, because you visit the pump less than other people. Fourth, for some, the peace of mind knowing that they are doing something to reduce our dependency on foreign oil and reducing their emissions.

Many people here would not buy the non hybrid version of the same car. In most cases, buying the smaller hybrid was an attemp to just save on gas when ever posible. Many also have a 2 car family but one of those cars is the "family" car and driven the most. Just about everyone I know that has 2 cars and not alot of money has the bigger car for family and a smaller car to save on gas. Now that filling up the gas hog is costing $60.00 plus a pop, families have no choice but to pile in the small car (now family car).

It is just stupid to compare the price of the non hybrid version to the hybrid but many non owners continue to do so. The news media seems to run this behavior in the ground and turn off people who are considering a hybrid, this is reckless.

This is my situation and I think many others also who have bought a hybrid: My main family car was a Ford Explorer (I still have it), it gets 15mpg. My second car was a Ford Focus (21mpg) which I sold and bought the FWD Escape Hybrid. The focus sat in the driveway and was only use to drive to work. The Explorer was driven 20,000 miles a year and the Focus was driven 10,000 miles a year. I would never drive the Focus to save 5-8mpg over the Explorer with the family but if it saved 15mpg (twice the Explorer) I would if I could. Same holds true with a non hybrid Escape because it doesn't get 30mpg (the V6 is the hybrid equal only gets 18mpg). It would cost me more in gas to go from a focus to a V6 Escape.

Now I have 15,000 miles in just 9 months on my Hybrid. It has changed my driving habits and I punched out 44.32mpg the other day. My average is about 36mpg from the time I bought it. Most FEH owners are not hypermilers and don't care to be and thats just fine because 30mpg is great in a 5 passenger SUV. The FEH is my Family car now and I am saving over $200.00 a month on gas, I get a Tax break this year and don't forget the 8yr warranty I got on the hybrid system.

With todays gas prices, I could not afford not owning my FEH and its paying for it self.

Can't agree more Guy. The need to put people to work to generate more tax money gives these yahoo's the excuse to squeeze the only things that help this Country. The bribes and kickbacks for contracts are finally starting to come out now and its time Americans think when they vote.

The Country is being ran by WARLORDS who promote their cronies and retaliate against those who speak out.

When they look to destroy the Hybrid incentive, its time for them to get lost.

Gary

Jake, there are zero staff at Edmunds which think hybrid cars are a good idea, they are quite biased tward large, powerful and fast vehicles.

Their numbers are severely skewed.
I regained any price premium in my HCH vs a comparable Civic EX within the first year, when gas was about $1.25/g.

I just saw this forum and have to say that we simply cannot afford the new hybrids, though I'd love to own a Honda Insight. We've pretty much given up on buying any new cars for the foreseeable future because they're simply over-priced and hybrids just don't win any ECONOMIC arguments when I consider my budget. Instead of new cars, we buy 7-year-old, sub-100k mile vehicles for cash. They're usually only a couple of thousand dollars. Example: our (new to us last year) '98 Ford Escort which gets 36/41 mpg. I can buy a lot of expensive gas for this vehicle for a couple or three years for the difference in price I'd pay for my Insight "dream car", and be able to transport 4 people as well!

Comparing a Corolla to a Prius results in gas costing over $10.00 per gallon for the prius to make finacial sense. Do you not consider this to be
a significant factor in your decision of which car to buy?

I am concluding that most Hybrid buyers are choosing hybrids over traditional cars for reasons other than finacial. I find no gratification in spending more money for less performance. This explains why the typical Hybrid buyer is politicaly left. "It feels good but makes no sense".

The root of "Conservative" is "Conserve". All good Conservatives should consider hybrids to be built for them. Wasn't it your old, conservative grandfather who taught you to turn the lights of when you leave the room?

Granted, the left side has generally been first to embrace them and perhaps are more willing to shell out the extra $$$ to be early adopters.

I, too, consider myself a staunch conservative.

I can't fault Toyota for letting the market drive the price and right now, they are selling every Prius they can make, even after they add a premium.

Eventually, we'll see hybrid prices come down below pure ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) cars because of the simple nature of the electric drive train.

Hummers rock no joke

Something many people seem to be forgetting is that the decision of whether or not to buy a hybrid has to consider the probabilities of different gasoline prices over the coming decade or so. A new vehicle can cost $30,000. If one buys an 18 mpg car and the price of gasoline is $6 in a year or two or three, cost of operation and resale value become problems.

No one knows what will happen, but it seems far more likely that gasoline prices will double or triple over the next few years than that they will be cut to half or a third...

I am breaking even with my Escape hybrid, but I drive 25K miles/year and a lot of those miles are in conditions where the hybrid makes a big difference. I also have a bit of an insurance policy, in that if gasoline prices shoot up, I am not stuck with a car nobody wants.