Hybrid car roll-call.

[AndyMan 7]

I know there's a few hybrid owners on here. IIRC, BillVon has two.

Anyone else?

Craichead and I picked up a Highlander Hybrid last week. I'm simply amazed at how that thing performs. In a nutshell, it does the quarter faster than my Honda Prelude did back in the day...

I've managed to sustain 40 MPG in a 4000 lb 7 passenger SUV.

_Am

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You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

[eeneR 3]

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I've managed to sustain 40 MPH in a 4000 lb 7 passenger SUV.

Man that thing is slow.... Was that you on i-88 holding up traffic?

You mean MPG?

Edited to add: That is damn impressive mileage though, damn impressive.

She is not a "Dumb Blonde" - She is a "Light-Haired Detour Off The Information Superhighway."
eeneR
TF#72, FB#4130, Incauto

[grue 1]

and how long will it take to make up the extra cost of the hybrid powerplant via savings in fuel costs?

Those things really don't seem to make financial sense unless it's company-supplied and you have to pay for fuel, or you drive A LOT.

cavete terrae.

[karenmeal 0]

Or you *gasp* want to conserve fuel.

"Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

[grue 1]

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Or you *gasp* want to conserve fuel.

That doesn't make financial sense.

Conserving fuel doesn't save money when you have to pay more for the car to get the fuel savings, unless you're looking VERY long run.

If Car X petrol version costs $25,000 and gets 20mpg, and Car X hybrid version costs $30,000 and gets 30mpg, it will take you EIGHT YEARS to break even by buying the hybrid, based on 15,000 miles a year and $2.5/gallon. At that point, it's probably about time to replace the batteries. That isn't gonna be cheap, and you're back in the hole.

cavete terrae.

[karenmeal 0]

I wasn't talking about financial savings.. I was talking about the conservation of non-renewable resources.

"Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

[grue 1]

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I wasn't talking about financial savings.. I was talking about the conservation of non-renewable resources.

Which is why I specifically mentioned financial sense in my original post. As for the conservation side of things, that's a different ballgame that I don't consider myself to be familiar enough with to debate.

cavete terrae.

[AndyMan 7]

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and how long will it take to make up the extra cost of the hybrid powerplant via savings in fuel costs?

That's not why we bought the car. Toyota doesn't make or sell an equivalent gas powered vehicle. The closest gas equivalent is 70 horsepower less, and the 4wheel drive system is inferior.

The Hybrid Highlander has a V6 engine, but it performs like a V8. The gas Highlander is not available with a V8. To get a V8, we'd have to get a much bigger truck, like a Toyota Sequoia, or a Suburban, or Yukon. The problem is that we don't want anything as big as a Sequoia, and we're biased strongly against American automakers, so that rules out most alternatives. The Hybrid Highlander was really the only option we liked, because it wasn't too big, but still had lots of power. For example, the Hybrid Highlander tows better than a Hummer H2.

That said, depending on how much we drive it, 30 MPG instead of 18 should pay for itself in 8-10 years. Of course, we probably won't keep it 10 years, so we'll recoup most of the remaining cost when we sell it. There are plenty of studies that back up the economics of hybrids.

_Am

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You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

[grue 1]

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There are plenty of studies that back up the economics of hybrids.

_Am

In the very long term, sure. 8-10 years, if you don't take battery costs into consideration. In the length of time that most people keep new cars in the real world, the math doesn't work.

However, kudos for getting it based on features, not fuel economy. While I will never, ever have anything but abject hatred for SUVs, I can respect all 15 people who actually have legitimate reasons for getting one. By the fact that you apparently tow things, you're in that category it seems.

That having been said, the Hummer H2 is a re-paneled Tahoe marketed towards retards, so expecting ANYTHING from it is really a flight of the imagination. Four fat kids in harnesses running towards McDonald's can probably outtow one of those pieces of shit

cavete terrae.

[AndyMan 7]

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In the very long term, sure. 8-10 years, if you don't take battery costs into consideration.

???

There are no battery costs. The batteries are warrantied for 8 years, and are expected to last much longer.

Maintenance on the hybrid is actually a lot better than a gas car, because the Toyota system basically don't have transmissions, the engines take much less wear, and they never need new brakes.

_Am

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You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

[BRYANGOESBOOM 0]

If a V6 performed like a V8 why would they offer the V8 in any modle??

Not only will you look better, feel better, and fuck better; you'll have significantly increased your life expectancy. --Douva

[grue 1]

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In the very long term, sure. 8-10 years, if you don't take battery costs into consideration.

???

There are no battery costs. The batteries are warrantied for 8 years, and are expected to last much longer.

_Am

Yes, and a Volkswagen is expected to be reliable

I'm just saying when the time comes to replace them, it's going to put you back a bit in terms of financial justification.

If they fail in the first eight years, that's actually better for you, since you'll get a new set. WHEN they die, does anyone know how much they're going to cost to replace? I don't, so I'm not going to make up figures, but I know what NiMH and Li-Ion batteries cost in general, so I bet they're not gonna be cheap.

cavete terrae.

[skybytch 273]

I have a hybrid too. I call it "feet." I can walk on it or use it to ride my bike. And you wouldn't believe the kind of fuel mileage I'm getting. Seriously, though, when it's time for me to own a car again it will be a hybrid (and by then prices should be closer to those of "traditional" drivetrains).

Good on ya for spending your money on something that produces less pollution (the fuel savings is, imho, a side benefit).

[BillyVance 34]

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I have a hybrid too. I call it "feet." I can walk on it or use it to ride my bike. And you wouldn't believe the kind of fuel mileage I'm getting.

Actually, you're spending more money on fuel for yourself than you would on fuel for your car. Bottled water's expensive too.

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[skybytch 273]

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Actually, you're spending more money on fuel for yourself than you would on fuel for your car.

Actually, no I'm not. I eat on less than $30 a week. At today's gas prices the last car I had would cost more than that to drive to and from the last job I had.

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Bottled water's expensive too.

The kind that goes from the tap to the Nalgene isn't expensive at all.

Remember, I'm a college student and a former "professional skydiver." I can make a nickel scream for mercy.

[BillyVance 34]

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Actually, no I'm not. I eat on less than $30 a week. At today's gas prices the last car I had would cost more than that to drive to and from the last job I had.

Remember, I'm a college student and a former "professional skydiver." I can make a nickel scream for mercy.

Man, I would love to eat for $30 a week!!! What are you eating, Ramen noodles??

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

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