I've been wanting to get a Hybrid to drive???

Question

because its more economical and it helps Earth and im all over helping our planet but i've been hearing stories that there have been some stuff wrong with it does anybody know Please Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 1

Just to help clue you in on hybrid cars there are a few thing to consider.



The battery in most hybrids cost almost $3000.00 to replace So any $$ you save in gas you will eventually be shelling out for repairs.



Gas mileage is great in the city because you're using electric power most of the time but take it out on the highway and the gas goes pretty quick.



One last thing to think about is that it takes more fossil fuel to produce a hybrid than it does to build a normal gas car. also the battery that powers the electric engine has to be dispposed of eventually.

Answer 2

Problems with hybrids:

Highway mileage is unspectacular. Hybrid powertrains use tricks to get better fuel economy which work best in stop-and-go driving. (Regenerative braking, shutting off the engine) On highways, they aren't much better (if at all) than a comparable non-hybrid car.



It may not pay for itself. Depending on how you drive, and how much you drive, the amount of time for the fuel savings to add up to the additional cost of the hybrid powertrain can vary from a couple of years to a couple of decades.



The batteries wear out, and are expensive. Unless you just dump the batteries yourself, they're probably going to end up being recycled, so the environmental cost isn't that high, but the monetary cost will amount to a few thousand dollars, most likely. That said, the Prius can do well over 150,000 miles on its batteries, the Honda Insight was/is able to do over 200,000, and some hybrids can run just fine without their batteries holding a charge at all. (Some, however, cannot. The Insight can, the Prius cannot). This cost is going to come down over time, but it's always going to be big.



Studies that have claimed hybrids have higher costs than gas hogs tend to be highly biased. One commonly cited study compares the R&D costs of conventional vehicles to Hybrids, neglecting the time difference involved and the inherent initial costs of new technologies. Ignore anyone who tries to claim this point, they are full of crap.





Anyhow, if you live in a major city and don't do a lot of long road trips, yes a hybrid is a good idea. If you mainly drive on highways, though, no, it is not a good idea. You will not be making the most of it, and would probably be better served (and be serving Earth better) either buying an economical used car and keeping it in good repair, or buying an economical NEW conventional car, like a Yaris or a Fit or something, and keeping THAT in good repair. (but used is the best choice, environmentally)



Oh, and if the EPA lists a particular fuel economy number, that number CAN be achieved. Even the old, higher numbers. You just can't be a leadfoot and expect to have your car sip gas. The driver is as important as the car in determining fuel economy.

Answer 3

Well, every car has its problems, even Toyota...



Hybrid vehicles are new technology and are bound to have some issues while they work out the bugs. I'm in automotive and I've heard some stories, but nothing that seems to be too serious. The main issue is how they feel when you drive them. They don't handle the same when taking off from a dead stop and when accelerating at high speeds. If you like the way they drive, I wouldn't hesitate to buy one, except for the higher price tag.

Answer 4

Unless you drive only in the city keep it for at least 150k miles and get lucky and never have to replace the battery you will never save enough in gas to get back the extra you spent on a hybrid over a regular gas car. Those batteries are horrible for the environment too.



A diesel VW will match any hybrid car for mileage and cost thousands less to buy and maintain.

Answer 5

It's new technology, so it's bound to be expensive. I get 44 mpg on my very carefully driven, properly tuned and maintained Honda Civic, for which i paid $3500. So compared to a hybrid, i saved about $18,000. That's no pocket change. The hybrid batteries will run you a few thousands, should you need to replace them.

Therefore, my advise is forget about the hybrid and save your money. Get a reliable, small Japanese car and be done with it. It will even save you registration and insurance money.

Answer 6

There are a lot of bad rumors out about them....including the ones above.



The Prius is arguable the most reliable, commercially produced car. It is also one of those lowest-priced family cars to own. It isn't that hard to average 50-60 mpg with them and the low emmisions are hard to beat. I mainly got mine for the low emmissions. It has both SULEV and PZEV classifications for emmisions. That's hard to match, especially from a diesel.



It's also a great car, even if you ignore the environmental benifits. It's great fun to drive, has lots of nice features, is roomy and versatile, and the looks grow on you after a while. The battery is not something you have to worry about....another nasty rumor. They don't need replacing.



Great car! Safe too!

Answer 7

Hi-

Just wanted to give you my opinion. The Toyota Prius is your best bet for a hybrid. As ugly as it may look, it gets good gas. It starts at around $21K, but you can get it up to like $30-32K. Gas is about 45MPG, depending on where you drive, and I know the sticker says average of 51 and 60MPG, but thats never always right. I drove the top of the line Prius and it was excellent. It was a lot of fun and it had a comfortable ride. Take it for a spin.

Answer 8

my opinion is get the toyota pruis hybrid my mom has it it may look ugly and small from the out side its roomy, comfy and fun to drive my mom saves alot of money on gas not expensive at all and a great car!.i know this would sound weird coming from i teenager but wow i want this to be my first car!

Answer 9

the difference you pay in price for a hybrid it is NOT worth it it takes over 10years to get the money back out of your investment, plus if you turn on the heat or AC you run on the gass motor and don't do any good to the earth, my advice do NOT waste your money!

Answer 10

Heres a good article you should read...

http://www.newcarpark.com/blog/?p=68