www.SmartCarCents.com

Is a Hybrid car as good as all the hype says it is?

I like the idea of a hybrid but I don't want granny-slow car.

Public Comments

1. No they're not all they're cracked up to be. You won't save that much gas with them and they'll only last about 100,000 miles on average. This is because the battery packs are expensive when they fail most will opt to junk the car. These are about $6000 a pop. Over the projected lifetime of a Prius, it'll cost about $3.50 a mile to operate. A Hummer will last about 300,000 miles and cost about $1.85 a mile. A Chevy Aveo will be cheaper still and get the similar mileage as a Prius. Check out this link.
2. I'm not sure where this myth comes from that hybrid cars somehow lack power. That's the first thing people always say when they ask me about my car. I have a '06 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. I love it. I would never have bought it if it didn't accelerate well...gotta punch it when you get on the the freeways around here (LA)! Toyota and Honda both make fantastic cars, and the hybrids are no exception. It is true that some tiny cars like the Aveo may have similar has mileage to a hybrid, but I would guess that being cheap and, in the case of the Aveo, a Chevy, that those cars would have issues with horsepower. If you like the idea of a hybrid, I say go for it! Good luck with your car shopping! PS. I love my car so much, I designed these for hybrid car owners: http://www.cafepress.com/hybridmania
3. I have a Prius and love it! It's my second hybrid (the first one being a Civic) I've never had any problems - maintenance is a breeze and the dependability is extremely high. Plus they have a good safety rating. I consistently get just over 50MPG and can go 600 miles on a single tank. I've never had any problem with acceleration - as a matter of fact it's pretty impressive in that arena. It gets up to speed and stays there with no more effort than a traditional car. Plus, I feel good about the fact that I am polluting the air so much less... And yes, I've read the report from CCSU, and while I'm sure there is some validity to the stats that are given there you get a more well rounded view at: http://cnwmr.com/nss-folder/automotiveenergy/Why%201001000%20Miles%20for%20Prius.doc This is from CNW Marketing ( the guys who actually did the research) And one final note on battery paranoia -- the batteries are under standard warranty until 100,000 miles and life expectancy is estimated to be between 150,000 to 200,000. However if you actually needed to replace a battery pack Toyota says the service parts price is $3000 and a simple job - that's a good chunk of money, but not unheard of when a major component of ANY car needs replacing.