JonBoy

The break even point for an amenity or aesthetic improvement? What does that have to do with a comparison between hybrid and non-hybrid technology? Hybrids are touted as gas-savers and (potentially) money savers. No such thing is touted for leather seats, nice wheels or navigation systems. Regardless, those amenities/aesthetic items translate to better resale value so you certainly aren't just throwing all money away when you upgrade.

It's a nonsensical argument since no one has ever said "Buy leather seats: they are environmentally friendly, saved money on gas and translate to reduced emissions!"

sparrow

I would only buy a bespoke hybrid vehicle such as the prius/insight until there are models where the hybrid version is better than the non in something other than gas mileage.

marthafokker

It's a dang car that gets from point A to point B. If someone driving a car with all those upgrades do not need to be justify. Why does anyone has to justify driving a hybrid? What is all these hate?

berlinablackie

The one key factor people don't take into consideration when buying hybrids is the battery replacement. On my Accord Hybrid, I was quoted $8k battery replacement cost. I was informed the battery life is generally 80k to 100k, now I'm at 84k and the battery is good...for now.

Similarly equipped Honda Accord 4 cyl gets similar mileage and doesn't have the expense of battery replacement. Advantage non-hybrid if you plan on owning the car for over 100k miles.

The Accord Hybrid with 255bhp is screaming fast though! She'll be missed.

JonBoy

Because hybrids are touted as savers. You ever seen an ad that says that a hybrid will save you money? I think we all have.

I've never seen an ad that said that the leather seats in my car will save me money. I've never seen an ad saying that my awesome stereo will improve my cash flow. Buying a car because you like it is one thing. Buying it because it is touted as saving fuel/money/resources is a completely different scenario. If a car is purported to save money, the inspection of those claims is both valid and logical.

No hate, just some logic. It doesn't change whether most people will buy a hybrid but IF their intent is to buy because it will save them money, this kind of argument/data is critical.

marthafokker

Well... you should look at this article then.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...l?hpid=topnews

Go buy a Chevy Cruze because it gets you 50 mpg. What a lie article for Obama Motors piece.

bloodzombie

I'm questioning whether or not hybrid ads really say that you'll save money, or if that's just your perception of hybrids. Usually they focus on the "green" aspect. Maybe they mention money savings sometimes and I just don't notice/remember, but I don't think I've seen a hybrid commercial where that was the primary focus. I did a quick google search and didn't see any.

Feel free to prove me wrong, I'm actually curious.

bloodzombie

8k for a battery that's only good for 80-100k? That makes the Accord Hybrid extremely expensive to own.

The advantage there goes to non-hybrids even if you're not planning on owning the car for 100k. In order to sell it when it has 50k on it, you need to find a sucker that doesn't realize that the car is going to cost an extra $8k in a few years.

rockville

The article states the car can get 50mpg under ideal circumstances but is only rated at 42mpg. The 42mpg presumably is highway and would be reasonable if you are driving at say 65 mph. Before you get upset about the low speed understand that most EPA highway mileage claims are set at lower speeds. The 50mpg claim, which GM didn't make because legally they can't is likely done under ideal conditions (typically ~45mph in top gear).

The Obama Motors comment suggests you aren't really interested in the facts of the mater. It's like calling the new healthcare bill Obama Care. It casts a negative light on the comment and your reasoning on the subject.

rockville

Battery life is a bit of a nebulous claim. It's kind of like how long does a car last. A 5 year old Accord might feel almost as good as new. A '93 Accord with rust and black smoke might run but hardly like new. Batteries are kind of the same. Industry practice typically says a battery is at the end of life when it has only 80% of new capacity. However, as any laptop computer owner would know, most of the time that 4 year old battery still last 30 minutes even if it no longer lasts 3 hours. Of course sometimes when the laptop is really old the battery is really dead like it might as well not be there.

The point of all this your Accord battery will do the same thing. As the battery capacity drops you will find your mileage fall off. The gas engine will have to do more of the work. Eventually, who knows when, the battery will really die. I don't expect to see many 20 year old hybrids with good batteries and it wouldn't surprise me if most have plain dead batteries.