How stupid is it to...?

[shereads]

One thing to look for in the excluded repairs they cover is the cost of replaceing the fuel cells/ batteries in about 3-5 years you need to replace them all at once and ive heard it costs around $3,000 if they dont cover it and call it " routine maintence" just my two cents .

Ouch! More than two cents. Thank you, I'll be on the lookout for $3,000 routine maintenance.

 

[shereads]

Re: Hi all

We do have a few Hybrids on test over here, but none in public use yet, there shouldn't be a problem as long as they can stand the wet weather.

I don't know much about car finance in the states but it's very simple to get here even with bad debt records. Banks and the like are falling over each other to lend money out. Idiots.

I never buy new though, just me, I'm not really tight arsed or anything but a car or whatever is just a means of getting from A to B in my book and there are more important things to lash out cash on.

We have two Rovers, both second hand, both trouble free for many thousands of miles and both purchased for less than £2000,
($3200'ish). We have no need for huge four wheel drive's over here in flat UK, but most of the yuppies have one, it seems they're essential for doing the shopping at the mall.

pops........

Most of our yuppies don't need one either. The thing with suv's is, the more people have 'em, the more dangerous it becomes to be riding down low in the Honda...I've been cut off on the freeway countless times by people changing lanes so quickly that I had to slam on the brakes to miss the crash - always someone in a tall suv. I suppose they could see low, small cars if they were really looking, but it takes a bit of concentration. Can't see it at a glance. It's not fun being invisible in freeway traffic, surrounded by giants.

EDITED to add: I've wanted a Range Rover since I was a kid and read "Born Free." The photos of Elsa the lion sitting on the roof of the Range Rover, and we had never heard of that car over here before. It seemed like a Jeep but very exotic, for having been associated with lions and safaris.

 

[Gary Chambers]

I believe Honda makes a hybrid electric-gasoline car which is available in North America.

Gasoline-Electric hybrids sound okay, but stay away from dual combustion fuels. I had a pickup that ran on gasoline or natural gas. Oh sure, the natural gas was economical at the fuel pumps, but the engine didn't like switching back and forth between fuels, which made for hard starting, and increased repair bills. I assume that wouldn't happen with a hybrid gasoline-electric car.

Rovers are great cars. I've never had a Range Rover, but I've driven ordinary Rover saloon cars. Best British car I ever owned was a Triumph P.I., but after that comes Rovers. The worst thing about 4 by 4's is that people turn on the 4 wheels the moment they go off road. I even cover this in my new Lit story now awaiting approval. If you get stuck in 2 wheel drive you can use 4 wheel to get unstuck. Get stuck in 4 wheel drive and you're screwed big time. Also 4 by 4's can be expensive to repair if anything goes wrong, but then again, if you can afford a Range Rover...

 

[Couture]

You'll probably grow old waiting for a hydrogen fuel cell car. Remeber electric? A bunch of subsidies from the government paid to the car companies to create something that they had no intention of backing.

I would think the hybrid would be great for cold conditions. But if you are worried about ground clearance, I don't think the Prius has very much. You may want to wait until later this year. Toyota is supposed to introduce their hybrid SUV. I would imagine it would be a markup from their already high priced SUVs though.

 

[Colleen Thomas]

I drive a Yota and while it was the best small truck on the market at the time, you certainly do pay a lot for the name.

-Colly

 

[McKenna]

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[McKenna]

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[Colleen Thomas]

What I find so odd about the H2 fad is that in making it into an SUV they have removed the very thing that makes the military models so hard to get stuck.

-Colly

 

[KenJames]

Ouch! More than two cents. Thank you, I'll be on the lookout for $3,000 routine maintenance.

I'm not too bothered by the battery replacement cost, since it's covered by the extended warranty.

Maybe I'm also slap-happy from the Ford Contour we replaced with the Prius. You know those bumper stickers that say "I'd rather push a Ford than drive a . . . " Well, we spent a lot of time pushing that damn Ford! I estimate that it was costing us $500 a month in repair costs.

 

[KenJames]

I believe Honda makes a hybrid electric-gasoline car which is available in North America.

The Honda hybrid is a lot smaller than the 2004 Prius. That's an important factor for a big guy like me.

 

[KenJames]

You'll probably grow old waiting for a hydrogen fuel cell car. Remeber electric? A bunch of subsidies from the government paid to the car companies to create something that they had no intention of backing.

I would think the hybrid would be great for cold conditions. But if you are worried about ground clearance, I don't think the Prius has very much. You may want to wait until later this year. Toyota is supposed to introduce their hybrid SUV. I would imagine it would be a markup from their already high priced SUVs though.

I don't think we're going to see hydrogen-powered vehicles in wide-spread use any time soon, either.

Someone mentioned resale value for a hybrid car. That's never been a factor in my car purchase decisions because I've always kept cars so long their resale value was virtually nil.

Our Prius has plenty of ground clearance, unless you want to go seriously off-road. It's also fairly tall, but much less top-heavy than many SUVs. Of course, almost everything seems tall compared to my low-slung semi-sports car.

 

[lucky-E-leven]

hybrid hell

--found this on ineed2know.org and thought it might shed some light on the good the bad and the ugly.

1. Definitely a Pollution Solution
Hybrid cars combine a gasoline engine with a battery-powered electric motor. They have been on the market in the US since 1999.

A hybrid engine gets significantly better gas mileage than a conventional gas engine. Hybrids consume less gas and produce less pollution per mile than conventional gasoline engines. The hybrid engine currently sold in the Honda Civic Hybrid gets 10 to 15 miles more per gallon than a regular gas engine in the same car. The hybrid engine of the Prius, made by Toyota, produces 90 percent fewer harmful emissions than a comparable gasoline engine. No doubt about it, these cars are good for the environment!

2. Expect a Higher Price Tag
The hybrid cars currently on the market cost from $3500 to $6000 more per car than comparable cars with conventional gas engines. This means that the amount of money you save, or don’t save, by buying a hybrid is very much dependent on gasoline prices. If gas is priced at $1.80 per gallon, it could take the average driver (15,000 miles per year) between 10 and 15 years to amortize the $3500 increase in the initial price. However, the higher gas prices go, the less time it takes to recoup the higher price tag.

3. Hybrids Come with Tax Breaks from Uncle Sam
The Federal government is offering tax breaks to buyers of hybrid cars through 2006. The amount of the tax break depends on the year you file and the tax bracket you’re in. Some states also offer tax breaks for hybrid buyers. This is certainly a case where being an environmentalist has its tax advantages.

4. A Growing Number of Makes and Models
Most hybrids are made from exiting car models. For example, the Honda Civic is available as a hybrid, as is the Ford Escape. The Toyota Prius and the Honda Insight are both available as hybrids. GMC and Chevy are expected to introduce hybrid pickups in 2004. Both the Honda Accord and the Toyota Camry should also be available with a hybrid engine in 2004. Lexus, Saturn, Honda and Chevrolet are planning Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) with hybrid engines in the next two years. And, the Chevy Malibu will go hybrid in 2007.



5. No Ordinary Battery
Hybrid buyers may be saving on gas, but they are sporting a much more expensive battery. The cost of hybrid batteries ranges from $1,000 to $2,000. And, although the hybrid battery may be covered under the car’s warranty, once the warranty expires, you could find yourself in for more of a ‘charge’ than you expected.

my brother-in-law was super into them (hybrids) until he found out the battery life was sub-par and that it was going to run him up to $5000 per cell and I believe there are 2 or more cells in the vehicle. not trying to rain on your parade, shereads, but i'd stay away from it for a while at least...

if you want to turn an eye to something else, i'd reccommend a vw jetta. i have one and absolutely love it. big enough to be seen, plenty of power, plenty of dog and mulch seating, and cute to boot...good luck and I feel for you. I've driven in florida and it's a wonder you're not dead yet if you're driving a crx!

 

[Guest]

I feel so out of it. I haven't owned a car since 1990, and I don't even know what a 'hummer' is. Don't tell me, though.

Perdita

 

[KenJames]

Re: hybrid hell

--found this on ineed2know.org and thought it might shed some light on the good the bad and the ugly.

1. Definitely a Pollution Solution
Hybrid cars combine a gasoline engine with a battery-powered electric motor. They have been on the market in the US since 1999.

A hybrid engine gets significantly better gas mileage than a conventional gas engine. Hybrids consume less gas and produce less pollution per mile than conventional gasoline engines. The hybrid engine currently sold in the Honda Civic Hybrid gets 10 to 15 miles more per gallon than a regular gas engine in the same car. The hybrid engine of the Prius, made by Toyota, produces 90 percent fewer harmful emissions than a comparable gasoline engine. No doubt about it, these cars are good for the environment!

2. Expect a Higher Price Tag
The hybrid cars currently on the market cost from $3500 to $6000 more per car than comparable cars with conventional gas engines. This means that the amount of money you save, or don’t save, by buying a hybrid is very much dependent on gasoline prices. If gas is priced at $1.80 per gallon, it could take the average driver (15,000 miles per year) between 10 and 15 years to amortize the $3500 increase in the initial price. However, the higher gas prices go, the less time it takes to recoup the higher price tag.

3. Hybrids Come with Tax Breaks from Uncle Sam
The Federal government is offering tax breaks to buyers of hybrid cars through 2006. The amount of the tax break depends on the year you file and the tax bracket you’re in. Some states also offer tax breaks for hybrid buyers. This is certainly a case where being an environmentalist has its tax advantages.

4. A Growing Number of Makes and Models
Most hybrids are made from exiting car models. For example, the Honda Civic is available as a hybrid, as is the Ford Escape. The Toyota Prius and the Honda Insight are both available as hybrids. GMC and Chevy are expected to introduce hybrid pickups in 2004. Both the Honda Accord and the Toyota Camry should also be available with a hybrid engine in 2004. Lexus, Saturn, Honda and Chevrolet are planning Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) with hybrid engines in the next two years. And, the Chevy Malibu will go hybrid in 2007.



5. No Ordinary Battery
Hybrid buyers may be saving on gas, but they are sporting a much more expensive battery. The cost of hybrid batteries ranges from $1,000 to $2,000. And, although the hybrid battery may be covered under the car’s warranty, once the warranty expires, you could find yourself in for more of a ‘charge’ than you expected.

my brother-in-law was super into them (hybrids) until he found out the battery life was sub-par and that it was going to run him up to $5000 per cell and I believe there are 2 or more cells in the vehicle. not trying to rain on your parade, shereads, but i'd stay away from it for a while at least...

if you want to turn an eye to something else, i'd reccommend a vw jetta. i have one and absolutely love it. big enough to be seen, plenty of power, plenty of dog and mulch seating, and cute to boot...good luck and I feel for you. I've driven in florida and it's a wonder you're not dead yet if you're driving a crx!

I have to agree with this appraisal. We bought the Prius largely for emotional reasons. A hybrid probably will cost you more to buy and operate than a conventional vehicle for several years.

 

[realguyusa]

SR, I've seen plenty of hybrids out here in Idaho, cold weather and all.

My only concern out here would be how well it climbs, as in up mountain passes, over hill and dale and all that.

The gasoline engine is computer contolled in parallel with the battery drive that provides a smooth transition from electrical propulsion to mechanical propulsion. The engine is used in situations where acceleration or torque is required. Batteries are charged via a generator/alternator system on the gas engine. Battery propulsion is used a low speed and low RPM's IE city stop and go where fuel performance of internal combustion engines is at the low end of the curve.

 

[Svenskaflicka]

I feel so out of it. I haven't owned a car since 1990, and I don't even know what a 'hummer' is. Don't tell me, though.

Perdita

My husband says he'd love to get a hummer.