Car Buffs to me

[DGuller]

6'7'' and my boys will both be over 6 in the next 3-4 years.  So I need a car big enough to fit tall people in the front and back seats.

Oh, yeah, that's too big for Jetta, unless you take out the front seats and convert it into a 2-seater.

[Grey Fox]

City 6.8 & Highway 4.9

So that is about the same as the Camry Hybrid - 5.7 for both.  Pluse the Camry is a much bigger car.

Pretty much. It's just (h)as a 6k$ lower starting price.

[crazy canuck]

Oh, yeah, that's too big for Jetta, unless you take out the front seats and convert it into a 2-seater.

[Barrister]

The thing that scares me about hybrids is their complexity - surely having two motors instead of one means twice the potential problems down the road.

Has anyone ever done a study on the long-term cost of ownership of hybrids?

[Zanza]

The only thing where I could see problems with hybrids is their battery. As you all know from laptops even high-end batteries don't last more than a couple of years before seriously losing capacity. The motor itself is a) a very proven technology and b) has no moving parts so there is no mechanical wear and tear. I imagine the transmission is more interesting if you have a hybrid that uses the same transmission as your gasoline motor.

[crazy canuck]

The thing that scares me about hybrids is their complexity - surely having two motors instead of one means twice the potential problems down the road.

Has anyone ever done a study on the long-term cost of ownership of hybrids?

Taxi companies love the Prius because they never break down and the maintenance is cost is low compared to conventional vehicles.  Listening to cabby drivers rave about their Prius over the last couple years is what got me thinking about this in the first place.

[crazy canuck]

The only thing where I could see problems with hybrids is their battery. As you all know from laptops even high-end batteries don't last more than a couple of years before seriously losing capacity. The motor itself is a) a very proven technology and b) has no moving parts so there is no mechanical wear and tear. I imagine the transmission is more interesting if you have a hybrid that uses the same transmission as your gasoline motor.

That was my concern as well.  However the batteries are warrantied for 8 years.  If there is any trouble they will put a new one in.  Apparently there are very few bad batteries which allows them to have such a long warranty period.  At present the cost of a new battery outside the warranty period is 2,500.  Pretty steep but I assume that as the market develops the price will drop.  Not sure how long the battery will actually last so this is the biggest potential concern.

But in a conventional car, after 8 years maintenance also becomes more costly and the risk of expensive engine repairs also increase.  I figure that if I can get 8-10 years of low maintenance operation out of a vehicle it owes me nothing.

[crazy canuck]

I am also going to look at the Altima and Fusion hybrids.  Both seem to be more highly rated then the Camry.

But one is a Ford.  I will have to try to view that as objectively as possible while putting my shitty experiences with fords back in the 80s behind me.

[DGuller]

The Fusion hybrid is getting rave reviews, and Fords in general have supposedly been much improved in quality.

[MadBurgerMaker]

The Fusion hybrid is getting rave reviews, and Fords in general have supposedly been much improved in quality.

Yeah, I saw some articles about that thing recently.  Up to 700 miles on a tank of gas.

[Grey Fox]

Apparently the Fords have really good quality nowadays. No one knows for sure tho.

Personnally, I'm just waiting to see if the Government will give me 3k$ for getting my 10 + years old car off the road or not.

[Zanza]

Why settle for anything less? 

[garbon]

Why settle for anything less? 

Agreed.

[Neil]

For everyone advising to get a turbo-deisel - that would mean buying a german car.

Indeed.  German cars are terrible.

[Neil]

But one is a Ford.  I will have to try to view that as objectively as possible while putting my shitty experiences with fords back in the 80s behind me.

I drive a mid-2000s Ford, and it's been very reliable.  They've really got their act together, and although it isn't such a concern for a Vancouverite, they have the best heaters in the industry.