Hybrid vehicles

[merithyn]

What do you all know about hybrids? I'm thinking that I'd like to get a hybrid, but I have questions:

• How are hybrids on long car trips?
• How are they on space inside the cars?
• Is there a particular hybrid that is a better value than any others?
• What kind of tax breaks are there for hybrids nowadays?

Thanks in advance! You all know a heck of a lot more about car stuff than I do and like to show it off, so I figured I'd ask. 

[Valmy]

Hybrid Toyota Camry and so far we have been really happy with it.  Just a good quality car that has needed little maintenance.

Um we bought a used one so I do not think we got any tax breaks.

It is just like a regular car only we fill it up with gas less.  And we have had no problem on long road trips...why would they be any different?  It is just a regular car with an electric motor attached to it.

[garbon]

Valmy basically sums up my experience. Better on long car trips as there is less need to stop for gas. I can't speak to something like the Prius but the Civic was just the same size as a typical Civic.

[merithyn]

Valmy basically sums up my experience. Better on long car trips as there is less need to stop for gas. I can't speak to something like the Prius but the Civic was just the same size as a typical Civic.

This is the one I've been mostly looking at. The Civic, I mean. How much room does it have inside it? We have two taller guys, so there has to be some leg room in front and back.

[garbon]

I'm not sure if it'd work out - although I have really no frame of reference. At 5'9", I'm the tallest person in my immediate family.

I'd guess though if you had the tall people at diagonals from another it could work. Then the seats could be adjusted to accommodate.

[Phillip V]

I know nothing, but I am looking into buying the cheaper Toyota Prius c since I have no passengers. IIRC, it is the cheapest hybrid with the best fuel efficiency.

[garbon]

Oh and Meri, tax breaks depend on state. For instance, I know that New York still has a tax break for new hybrid purchases.

[Zanza]

This side of the pond, hybrid vehicles cost so much more than regular versions of the same car that you'll never recoup the investment. So the only reason to get one is out of environmental concerns.

I was a passenger on a diesel-hybrid recently but didn't notice any difference. Seemed similar in acceleration, no idea about fuel consumption.

[Valmy]

Yeah for whatever reason the fact my car was a hybrid did not appear to impact the price at all.  We were not out looking for a hybrid, but a nice big car we could haul kids around in.  The other similar cars we looked at were not significantly cheaper 

So maybe there was some sort of government incentive we were not aware of in play.

[garbon]

I think mine might have been $4k more - don't remember now.  On a positive, my car is paid off at the end of next month.

[Valmy]

I think mine might have been $4k more - don't remember now.  On a positive, my car is paid off at the end of next month.

:jealous:

[merithyn]

Is there anything I should keep in mind while looking at cars?

By the way, I'm really interested in a hybrid SUV, but the cost of one of those seems... out of reach. 

[Barrister]

Is there anything I should keep in mind while looking at cars?

By the way, I'm really interested in a hybrid SUV, but the cost of one of those seems... out of reach. 

Take a long, hard look at both EPA MPG, and what is being reported.

From what I understand some of the most fuel-efficient regular vehicles can get comparable MPG numbers to what hybrids can get in the real world.

[Iormlund]

Battery weight largely kills any advantage. Not really worth it unless you've got somewhere to plug them and have a short, low-speed commute (and so rarely have to fill up the tank).

If you just want to go green, get a car with an efficient combustion engine. Most manufacturers have made big leaps in that field in the last few years.

[DGuller]

Personally, hybrids seem a bit of a dead end to me.  The idea is nice in theory, but so far the execution doesn't seem to be more efficient, in the long-term.  If I were to go for a car that sips fuel, I'd rather go for a diesel car (but that largely limits you to German cars).