I have a question for any hybrid owners out there…
I am currently considering buying a hybrid car, i am very concerned about fuel economy, and I was wondering how often does the expensive batteries need to changed? How much do they cost if you need to do this?
Also: what’s the best hybrid out there? (Regardless of price)
Thanks!
'05 civic hybrid ave mid to low 40’s in mixed city/fwy milage, can’t speak to the battery, 30k+ no experience
The batteries are supposed to last the life of the car. I think 10 years is planned.
There are four choices if you want milage: Nissan, Toyota (Prius and Camry), Saturn (Aura) & Honda. For ultra- high milage, there’s only the Honda Civic and Toyota Prius.
Go here: http://www.edmunds.com/hybrid/index.html
Things to consider: You will have a wonderful buying experience at Saturn. You *will *get ripped off by any Toyota dealer. Toyotas and Hondas are more reliable and better built than a Saturn, however. The Ford Escape or Saturn Vue are not bad small SUV hybrids, the Ford gets better milage and a $2600 credit!
Finally, check out this (slightly outdated) IRS site:
http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=157557,00.html
Note that Toyota has used up all it’s Hybrid Tax credits, while you can still (I think) get $2100 back on a Honda Civic: consult your Tax expert however, this could be less if you pay AMT, etc.
I’d have to give the final vote to the Honda Civic, but I’d say shop the Saturn Aura also. Assuming you want a sedan-type car and not a SUV. However, if MILAGE is the big big thing, then it the Prius.
Note I am leaving the Nissan Altima out entirely. If you are going to pay the several thousand dollars extra to get a Japanese car, then the choice has to be Toyota or Honda, as Nissan hasn’t got the reliability of those two, in fact it is down there in the middle ranges.
I know you didn’t ask this question, but if you want fuel economy, check out diesel options too. My little diesel Jetta gets 55 mpg on the highway and the low 40’s in the city. It doesn’t have expensive batteries to replace… in fact, diesels are a proven technology that tend to last much longer than the gasoline counterparts.
In addition, you can use biodiesel (available at many pumps), mix your own biodiesel, or even buy a kit to run vegetable oil. I plan to do that myself once I get a bit of savings back after blowing it on the aforementioned diesel.
I have a diesel truck. I like the fuel economy, but I don’t like the fact that diesel costs $2.95/gallon while regular is $2.59/gallon now.
I know there are some Hybrid SUVs now. Their mileage still looks low to me.
Has anyone heard any rumors of a small wagon Hybrid. Maybe Saturn or Toyota?
I figure thay can make a small wagon that gets in the 40s.
DrDeth, thanks for the links. I did not know about the Aura yet.
I used the Edmunds compare tool to look at 5 mid-size cars:
I noticed the Altima has a remarkable range of 720 miles highway or 840 City.
The Accord looks very pricey but appears to be the high performance of the 5.
I have heard it is a very peppy car. The Edmunds comparison seems to bear this out.
Jim
I have an '04 Prius with 131K miles. Have had no problems other than a bad glovebox door and one piece of interior trim that needed replacement.
I drive 110 miles a day RT to work and usually run 78-80 MPH for about 1/3 of that and 65-70 for the rest. Mileage is slightly higher in the warm months and usually averages 47 per tank. I’m on my third set of tires.
No battery issues, and as individual cells can be replaced if required, it’s supposed to be unusual to have to replace the entire unit. If you check the Prius websites there are no rants about battery replacement.
I plan to replace the '04 with an '09 when they are available.
As always YMMV!
You will be pleased to know that GM will be offering 2 mode hybrid versions of all their GMT900 based trucks and SUVs, beginning with the hybrid GMC Yukon and Chevy Tahoe, to be followed by the hybrid Cadillac Escalade very soon.
Not that this is relevant to the OP, but there was an interesting story about how people buy the Prius over the Honda Civic for the simple reason that they want people to really know that they have a hybrid. They interviewed some guy who got rid of his Hybrid Civic because nobody knew it was a hybrid, and he got a Prius instead, because folks instantly recognized it as a hybrid.
I bought an '01 Prius (used, purchased from the original owner, not a dealer) a few months ago. It gets great mileage (45 mpg for mostly city driving) and is a delight to drive. It lacks the visual impact of the newer Prius, though.
No one knows how long the batteries will last, but for the Prius the batteries are warranteed for 8 years (10 in California and some other states).
Brian
Well, the Ford Escape and Saturn Vue could be looked at like they are small wagons. I mean they *call *the Outback a “SUV” but it’s a wagon with AWD. Wagons are pretty much a thing of the past, instead you have small SUVs and hatchbacks.
Again, I suggest staying away from Nissan (or Mitsubishi) vehicles. I understand paying several thousand $$ extra to get the super-reliable Toyota or Hondas, but not for a car that is no more and often less reliable than American cars.
They no longer make the Honda Accord Hybrid. You should be able to get a great deal on any remaining, but the price is outrageous, I agree. The Aura ranks better for a lot less.
Actually, there are about half a dozen small wagons. I have a Ford Focus. Saturn has one, even Volvo has one now. There is a niche for people who prefer these smaller and generally more efficient cars to the taller Small SUVs. The now defunct Toyota Camry Wagon would have been a great candidate for Hybrid I think.
I can live with a decent size hatchback, but I would prefer to retain my ability to carry a bunch of 2”x4”s with the hatch closed. My Focus seems to be the perfect size for me. A Sedan will not work as well and the SUVs get inferior gas mileage to the sedans.
Jim
I keep hearing that a lot of European diesels are going to be available again in 2008. My understanding is that you can’t get a 2007 VW or BMW diesel in the US because they don’t meet some of the pollution standards, but that the 2008 models will. I’ve heard mileage figures above 50 mpg for some of the '08 diesels. If I were looking to buy a car now, I’d probably try to wait till they come out and then look hard at them, for the same reasons wasson mentions.
I’ve had two Priuses. The first (which was totalled when some clown plowed into me on the interstate) was a 2006. I drove it 90 miles/day, mostly on the interstate and country highways. At 30,000 miles, my average mpg for the life of the car was just over 50. When the aforementioned clown killed that car, I bought a 2007. My driving habits changed a lot about the same time. Now, I drive about 9 miles a day in the city (when I don’t bicycle), with a few long-distance trips thrown in. I haven’t run the overall mpg calculation recently, but I’d estimate I’m around 48mpg so far (11,000 miles).
Not any more, the SW hasn’t been made for a few years now. Yes, the Ford Focus does come in 4 versions, the wagon is the least popular.
As a point of information, the back seat and front passenger seat of the Prius can be folded down. According to their website, you can get a 6-foot stepladder into it.