Comments on: May 2007 Dashboard

By: Danny

Danny — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 13:59:09 +0000

OMG, I didn't know trucks are THAT popular and after all, STILL that popular.

Should the U.S. attack Iran which does not seem unlikely after the failed talks, we'll likely see barrel prizes go above $100. Dunno what all these people are thinking ...

By: FLOYD BURTON

FLOYD BURTON — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 01:42:30 +0000

We are driving our 4th Prius, we had two of the 1st generation and then traded for a 2004 and then a 2006. We have been trading with 25 to 35,000 miles on them and have had no trouble with them. I feel very proud to be driving a car that does not pollute as much as a normal car and the preformance is astounding. We average from 47 to 52 MPG all the time and now have 25,000 miles on our 2006 model. We always drive with the windows up and the air condition on. We will wait for the 2009 model to come out before we trade again.

By: michael a.

michael a. — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 19:41:52 +0000

The idea that hybrids DON'T pay for themselves is inaccurate.

If you REALLY want to calculate the Break Even point,you MUST include LESS maintenance for the Hybrids and HIGHER resale value. If you add these components, the hybrid looks much better. But don't stop there. You also should include the buyer Satisfaction of Hybrid owners vs. ICE owners. And, from what I've read, hybrid owners have the highest satisfaction scores.

The "value" of a car is how well it meets your needs and how it makes you feel. Car Buyers don't do break even calculations on their purchase of leather seats, navigation systems, 6 CD players. They buy these things becuase they feel good about having them.

Hybrids provide the buyer with BOTH a "feel good" factor, and
better fuel economy.

And finally, for delivery vehicles and taxis, Hybrids are the only rational purchase. Most cab drivers recoup the ENTIRE cost of a hybrid in just 2-3 years. So in this case, Hybrids MORE THAN PAY for themselves. The reason most people don't know this is that the media won't report it.

By: Braxton

Braxton — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 16:29:31 +0000

Main thing, not only is it better MPG but you are also saving on other fact, like emissions and other harmful gasses, which to me out does the cost the first day

By: Ted

Ted — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 16:48:59 +0000

I think the cost analysis is an interesting question
if the cost of a 4 cyl LE is $5,500 less and the 6 cyl LE is $3,000 less everyone has to make some assumptions
At $3 and 15,000 miles its 6 year break even for the 6cyl and 13 for the 4cyl.
If you factor the remaining available tax credit take another year off of the break even point. Three more if you but the altima.
Do you think a hybrid will be worth more at trade in?
What do think the wear and tear on a motor that has never had to pull the car off the line or sit indling in traffic be compared to one that does?
What would you do with 8 more hours in a year that you are not sitting at the gas station?
What will the price of fuel be if a million people bought hybrids and saved 200,000,000 gallons of fuel per year?
Would our air be cleaner in the cities?
I think the break even point is a lot sooner than people think and I would agree as more of these are sold the price will come down and they will be better with longer range.

By: Robert H

Robert H — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 16:23:48 +0000

Gas will have to go up significantly more before buying a hybrid version over a gas version will make sense. With current gas prices, if you compare a gas Camry with a hybrid Camry you will see that it will take you more than a decade of fuel savings before you recoup the much higher price of the hybrid model.

Perhaps as more people buy hybrids, the cost of the technology will go down and they will start to make more financial sense.

By: Jerry

Jerry — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 18:11:40 +0000

I drove the Altima and Camry Hybrid its a matter of which one. The Altima has plenty of power frmo a standstill, it has a larger trunk and gas tank You also get the better tax credit. Both of these car are more practical for larger families.

By: Dave M

Dave M — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 13:58:09 +0000

Although the big winner is the prius, I think with the Camry and Altima hybrids people can choose a hybrid that allows 35+ mpg and 180+ hp.

while it is obvious a great many people like the 120hp prius, the newer family sedans that provide mpg and HP (unlike the accord hybrid, which was overbalanced for hp) will probably be the biggest long term winners

By: Gerald F. Shields Jr.

Gerald F. Shields Jr. — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 22:25:14 +0000

Cat 4 Cyclone Gonu might start some “stuff” too.

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2007/06/cat_4_cyclone_g.html#more

By: domboy

domboy — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 21:16:58 +0000

It appears to be true about the Honda Accord Hybrid… being replace by a Diesel Accord in 2009. That makes me happy…

See these links:
http://www.autobloggreen.com/2007/06/03/no-hybrid-for-the-new-2008-honda-accord-diesel-in-2009/
http://www.autoblog.com/2007/06/04/honda-accord-says-no-to-hybrid-yes-to-diesel/