from don't buy the hype
A hybrid Honda Accord costs about $3,800 more than the comparable non-hybrid version, including purchase, maintenance and insurance costs. Over five years, assuming 15,000 miles of driving per year, you'll make up that cost in gasoline money if the price of gas goes up immediately to $9.20 a gallon and averages that for the whole period.maybe next year. or the next. more fuel efficient vehicles are inevitable, but in general, now isn't the time to invest in one. the prius might make sense, but the article seems to think that a prius is comparable to a camry. you decide. a camry is a family car. the prius evokes the following question: "dude, where's my trunk?" it might be nice for a college or high school student, but most college or high school students can't afford the $21k sticker price.
For the Ford Escape hybrid, the difference is less stark. To make up the difference over five years between the Escape hybrid and a Ford Escape XLT, gas prices would have to average $5.60 after you purchase the vehicle.
The Prius itself, however, could be an exception. There is no such thing as a non-hybrid Prius, making a direct comparison impossible. Compared to a Toyota Camry, a car with similar interior space which costs about $100 more over five years, the Prius driver could actually save a small amount of money.
this is a perfect time for mass transit companies to step up to the plate. as of now, a commute for me from new jersey to new york is around $350 a month. this might seem scary, but it's way less than what my girlfriend pays for her economy car - payments, gas, tolls and insurance amount to over $500 a month. and don't forget maintenance and repairs.
high speed trains are in japan and europe. we should catch on already. maybe it could help alleviate urban overcrowding as well and help equalize real estate prices.
just idle thoughts...
6 comments:
um, i think the math on that might be a little fuzzy. let's assume an average of 25 mpg. Figure at $2.50 a gallon, a person will spend $1500 per year on gas if they drive 15,000 miles.
a prius gets about 55 mpg. at $2.50 for a gallon of gas, a person will spend about $680 a year on gas. you make up the cost in about 5.6 years. that's if gas STAYS at $2.50, which is won't. it also won't drop permanantly below $2.50 a gallon.
if you live in california, where gas is a lot more expensive (think average of $3 a gallon) the prius will save even more money over five years.
granted, five years is a long time to start seeing savings in gas money.
of course, if they calculated the period of time it takes to make back the ENTIRE purchase price of the car, they are either being really dishonest or really stupid about how they approach the matter.
the point is whether it is worth it to pay extra for a hybrid car than to buy a cheaper non-hybrid car if one is thinking of buying a car. there are gasoline only cars that get more than 40 mpg, which is pretty damned good. i think the hybrids also have higher maintenance costs, so in the end, a cheaper high mileage gasoline-powered car is probably a better bet if one is interested in saving money on gas.
I made a post about this article yesterday at Hybridcarblog.com.
If you commute in any city, in any urban area, or regularly drive in congestion, the Prius is a fantastic deal.
According to Consumer Reports, which is much more realistic than the EPA, the Prius will average 45 mpg in the city. The Ford Focus - Ford's fuel economy superstar - achieves 17 mpg. That's not worth the investment?
Congestion has become more common every year, even in many rural areas, and is the norm and future for the majority of Americans.
CNN uses data that assumes drivers drive 75 percent of the time on the highway, and rarely in congestion. This skewed data makes conventional cars look better and hybrids worse, when the opposite is actually the truth.
Now is the time to invest in hybrid
cars. Plug-in hybrids and experimental hybrids have been created that achieve as much as 250 mpg at a cost far less than fuel cell vehicles.
Chad Snyder
Soultek.com
Emily1-
There isn't a conventional vehicle on the road that comes close to Prius fuel efficiency in the city, or even in mixed driving.
EPA data is very unreliable, especially when it comes to city driving, or congestion. Many vehicles actually achieve 50 percent less fuel efficiency than estimated by the EPA.
the prius was the one that did well. the others, not so much.
but one gripe is that they said the prius was comparable to a camry, and that's just wrong. the camry is a spacious family sedan with lots of trunk space. the prius requires lowering the back seats to get storage space. it appears to be a hatchback. catering to totally different needs.
also, maybe one should wait until more models come out, so competition drives the price down and, hopefully, improves the technology.
using "car" and "invest" in the same sentence is such an oxymoron, though. as soon as you drive it off the lot, it depreciates a percentage that i'm not quite sure of, but i think it's like 25% or so. so unwise if you don't need a car.
so until i absolutely have to...
MASS TRANSIT! (cheaper, and i can nap - and when i get into nyc i don't have to find parking)
AND
MY OWN TWO FEET! (free, and i don't have to go to the gym!)
it is imperative that i find a job that is mass transit accessible. otherwise, it simply won't be worth the trouble.
and a fearful thought, on many levels.
ya can't stick your two kids, their four screaming friends, their sports equipment, and (if applicable) a pet into a prius. my parents had this monstrous station wagon back in the 80's. we'd pile in the back, and someone would sit in the cargo unit for space.
maybe the next purchase, if i end up irrevocably in suburbia, will be a prius.
"honey, i know you said you wanted kids, but they won't fit into my car. how about a yorkie instead?"
genius!
Post a Comment