^^^ I think there will probably be an electric component in some of the future automobile designs like those; especially as electricity becomes cleaner and cheaper with wind and solar, and as battery technology progresses. I myself don't have any plans right now to get a hybrid, but I am hedging by having 220V wired into the garage for a lift - even though the lift could have just as well been a 110V model.

 

I've got 220v wired in to my garage as well, but it was done simply cause it doesn't work the compressor as hard - or so I was told.

 

220 is also rather handy for using a welder as well.
If I were building a house now there would be a 220v breaker panel in the garage.

 

That's good, Dave. I don't know much about compressor power needs either. I was just trying to say that anything I will have in the garage will probably be able to run or charge up on 115V except for the hot rodded Chevy Volt!

 

This ^^^^ is interesting info, J-MA....thanks for posting.

OTOH, it doesn't list the NUMBER of those events over the study period, which would give a better idea of likelihood of getting screwed on the item.

ALSO, note that there are lots of other CEL problems that can come up and cost between $2500 and $4000: turbochargers, transmission items, etc. Actually, I'm surprised that the Toyota/Lexus hybrid stuff is "only" $4k ....and the hybrid battery is "only" $2400.

 

This is where my head is at on this whole hybrid issue
And not only is the purchase price lower, but the long term maintenance costs are lower
Most of the manufacturers are pushing the technology envelope hard to get their MPG ratings up as high as they can on their "conventional" gas engines, as well as all the other improvements to the car itself that drive higher MPG ratings

I'm also aware several manufacturers have recently gotten themselves in hot water over inflated MPG claims, and I suspect these huge payouts are going to work through the industry, driving the manufacturers to be a bit more conservative/realistic with their claims, which I see as a good thing for us consumers

 

I'm pretty sure the last number I heard was the 'average' vehicle on the road is now "11" years old.
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And I have to admit my bias
I'm one of those who buys, and then holds onto for a long time
The only exception to this was my 2005 Nissan Titan that I got rid of in 2009, but that situation was extremely unique
Dependability and $4.00 per gallon were the factors that made me trade it in on a smaller truck

Vehicles just cost so much more money nowadays, and they really are designed and built much better
Something today that is 10-years old does not need to look like crap and be unreliable
But back 20-years ago I would not have been able to say that
And of course, I'm in Upstate NY, land of the absurdly generous application of salt on the winter roads
And regardless of consistent washings, salt slush just really takes its toll on vehicles
I'm on my 4th winter with my '09 Frontier, and it still looks fantastic
My '94 Chevy S10 looked like total crap by the time it went through its 4th winter

 

Funny to think that the '93 Chevy Lumina "Euro" Coupe that we bought my son 18 months ago will rate Vintage Tags in 5 more years. Luckily, it lived a charmed life in one extended family for the first 18 years and is in amazingly good shape. Everything works and it's cost him about $5-600 per year in repairs. It's a "tomato red" coupe with bucket seats....could be a bargain at the Carlisle Corral in 2018

In general, however, Doug is surely right about the much-improved build quality...although some folks seem to think it "turned" for the better in 1990 or so...after Detroit had the catalytic computer stuff figured out, etc.

 

I think for me the big thing I notice is how much less they rust, or how much longer it takes for them to rust
Paint and coatings are just so much better nowadays

My '86.5 Nissan pickup was a rust bucket at 100k miles
My '95 Nissan pickup still looked great at 130k miles
Both vehicles were driven the same way in the same place and taken care of in the same way
And holy crap, the '60 and '70 Fords I had in high school they were rust bucket well before 100k, in fact, they did not even last that long
The best one was my '67 Ford Fairlane 500, that rusted so bad it broke, the front frame section snapped free from the rest of the car, I think it had 70k miles on it at the time

 

So, you're advising caution when driving my '68 Dodge Dart over a traffic-calming HUMP?