Opinions on Hybrids

[Mr Burns]

Lately all the buzz in the car world has been about hybrids. The Prius is the car to have if you want to be seen. To me I think they are a joke. Hybrids cost thousands of dollars more than a similar model with a traditional internal combustion engine. It would take many years of gas savings in a hybrid to make up the difference in price.

I guess maybe if people want to do it for the environment than that isn't so bad. But I have a difficult time beliving that is why most people buy them. If people really cared about the environment, they wouldn't care weather or not the car looked like a hybrid. The Toyota Prius is known to everyone as a Hybrid. The Honda Accord hybrid looks exactly like a Honda Accord. Everybody wants the Prius(even though it looks retarded) but nobody is buying the Accord hybrid. Why is this? I think it has to do with the fact that the Prius is a status symbol. When your driving one around you are letting the world know that you care about the environment. So if people were really buying these cause they cared about the envrironment they wouldn't be on a waiting list for a prius they would be out looking for an alternative. The sales of the Accord hybrid have been so poor that Honda is discontinuing it after this year. Saturn is relying on heavy incentives to unload there Vue hybrids. Yet these people who supposedly care about the environment just have to wait and buy the status symbol Prius.

As for me, I won't be buying a hybrid. At least not in its current incarnation. Within the next few years there is talk of plug in hybrids. A car you charge overnight and can drive up to 80 miles without using a drop of gas. After the charge dies a regular gas engine kicks in and gets you the rest of the way to where you want to go. To me that seems alot more promising than the modest mileage increases the current hybrids are offering.

What does everyone here think of hybrids?

[seeking]

I personally dislike hybrids.....either go full electric...corn...or whatever or dont bother imo. My biggest gripe is how underpowered most hybrids are...sure we got some concepts that rival ferrari's but those are concepts..

i agree that people want a prius because of a status symbol..but i think that goes for every car...those all american muscle fans have to have the mustang, the vw enthusiasts have to have the gti, the honda enthusiasts have to have the civic si, etc etc

all in all i rather have a diesel than a hybrid

[Mr Burns]

^I guess I see what your saying with your comparison of Prius's to muscle cars and what not. I guess it just pisses me off more because when people buy muscle cars or GTI's everyone knows that the person bought it for there own enjoyment. But when people buy the Prius, some of them buy it like they are doing something nobel for the world, when that is not likely the case.

I also would rather have a diesel. Its too bad we don't see more of them in the states. A friend of mine is an environmental attorney for the state of Arizona. He was explaining to me that in the US the gov't has put heavy restrictions on the emssions that come out of diesel engines. That is why we don't see many here. Automakers don't want to spend the money to get diesels to pass emissions in the US. In Europe, it is the exact oppisite. The emission that comes from the internal combustion engine is heavily regulated, so for the same reasons you don't see as many gas powered cars in Europe. There is a lot of talk going around in the automotive blogs that diesels are going to start making a comeback here. I hope that it is true.

[seeking]

well i know VW has been working on a new deisel engine thats supposed to be comming out within two or so years, i forget the engine code...i think the TSI maybe? i dont know, but i know once that comes here a lot of people will be on it.

have you seen the southpark episode where kyles parents get a prius? if not, you HAVE to see it

[Mr Burns]

^That was a good episode. That was when the moved to San Fransisco I think. I love that show.

[Hell-Sent]

I prefer something like this :-D

http://blogs.cars.com/photos/uncategorized/tesla1.jpg

Fully Electric. 0-60 in 4 flat. Equivalent of 135mpg ($0.02/mile :wtff:). Oh, and unlike the Prius, its shexy.

From what I hear, hybrids are a mechanic's nightmare... just over-complicates everything, and the returns aren't really that special compared to some other alternatives. I'm not a big fan.

[seeking]

im into a lil something more like this:
http://www.tuning.sk/images/news/saab_aero_x_concept_15042006/saab_aero_x_concept_text_1.jpg

http://www.autoblog.com/media/2006/02/Imagen_2_-099-copy.jpg
http://nexus404.com/Blog/wp-content/uploads/2006/11/saab%20aero%20x%20image%202.jpg

Saab Aero-X is a concept car by Saab unveiled at the 2006 Salon International de l'Auto. It is powered by a 2.8 L twin-turbocharged V6 running on pure ethanol that produces 400 hp. 0 to 62 mph is predicted to be 4.9 s and top speed is limited to 250 km/h (155 mph). It has a 7-speed automatic transmission controlled by paddles on the steering wheel

[Krayzie7th]

i really dont mine hybrids, i mean GM has silverados that have the same power as the ones out now they also have a v8 in them just like they do now but they just have there electric motor on the side but they aint much different performance is the same.

[The Undertaker]

I'm waiting on them bitches to finally utilize the power of magnetic energy. When they implement that in cars, is when I'll switch. Cuz with hybrids fuck it, you're still paying for gas.

[nystagmus]

i have the toyota prius... i think everyone is getting it because it gets almost 60 miles per gallon which is ridiculous. im still learning how to press on the gas pedal at times, and i have averaged 52.5.... and still improving.

i got the car because i drive very large distances to work, almost 100 miles per day... and yesterday i drove a 130 miles ...i will eventually move needless to say.

p.s. the new 2009 prius is advertised to do 90 miles per gallon.
they may convert the prius nickle based battery to lithium which will be a plug in and that will average 120 mpg. it may EVENTUALLY be a good investment if u keep the car for some years. also now, u are paying for hybrid technology so its expensive... wait until it is the mainstay, and for ur liking , they will have eventually have more attractive cars.

[dtrrr1ho]

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[-sampants-]

i dont think hybrids are necessary yet. i'm happy with my 31mpg until there's something that runs on electricity or corn oil or some replenishable resource other than gas.

[Tredici]

The cost outweighs the product right now. Takes what? 8 years of daily driving to equal the price saved from just buying a used car with decent gas mileage.

[Mr Burns]

The cost outweighs the product right now. Takes what? 8 years of daily driving to equal the price saved from just buying a used car with decent gas mileage.


I agree, check out this cost to own search on edmunds. There are many, many, cars that would be far cheaper even with gas costs then hybrids currently are.

http://www.edmunds.com/apps/cto/CTOintroController

for example the total 5 year cost of ownership on a 2008 Chevy Aveo would be $32,100. For the 2008 Toyota Prius would be $34,879 over the same 5 years. Keep in mind that both of those take into account fuel consumption. Looking at it this way why would anyone buy a hybrid, unless they really, really care about the environment?

[Raw_Element]

i have the toyota prius... i think everyone is getting it because it gets almost 60 miles per gallon which is ridiculous. im still learning how to press on the gas pedal at times, and i have averaged 52.5.... and still improving.

i got the car because i drive very large distances to work, almost 100 miles per day... and yesterday i drove a 130 miles ...i will eventually move needless to say.

p.s. the new 2009 prius is advertised to do 90 miles per gallon.
they may convert the prius nickle based battery to lithium which will be a plug in and that will average 120 mpg. it may EVENTUALLY be a good investment if u keep the car for some years. also now, u are paying for hybrid technology so its expensive... wait until it is the mainstay, and for ur liking , they will have eventually have more attractive cars.

Apparently Solar Panels will be an option on the high end model of the 2009 Prius.
http://gizmodo.com/5022382/solar-panel+powered-prius-in-2009-confirmed


They need to get rid of that ethanol gasoline. I dont think it'll do justice and its a waste of resources

[nystagmus]

Apparently Solar Panels will be an option on the high end model of the 2009 Prius.
http://gizmodo.com/5022382/solar-panel+powered-prius-in-2009-confirmed


They need to get rid of that ethanol gasoline. I dont think it'll do justice and its a waste of resources


yea i saw that solar paneling. pretty cool. they have companies that will convert a prius to solar power now. but we are paying for technology now, just like when the first pentium computer came out for over 2000 dollars. i think car prices are soon to be like computer price depreciation as the technology becomes more sophisticated.

soon 60 mpg prius will be nothing , we will be looking at 100 plus mpg cars or more, maybe unlimited. just a matter of time.

my prius reallistically gets 50-51 mpg per tank , not bad

[Sweetness87]

Hybrids arent really what there cracked up to be. Tthey had to drop the accord hybrid, they couldnt even give them away. The price of the car is way more than you will end up saving in gas. As an owner of a Honda Civic Si the best gas milage i got on the highway was 43 (mind you thats not all the time) and they say a Civic Hybrid is supposed to get 45 on the highway. Not much differance. Save yourself a couple thousand dollars.

[BoneThugLA]

I get about 18 mpg in my vette. Even with such shitty gas mileage, I still wouldn't be caught dead in a hybrid. Until they seriously upgrade the looks on the hybrids, i'll continue driving a gas guzzler.

[Sweetness87]

They are better now than when the first hybrid came out, what was it a Honda Insight? That was UGLY

[BoneThugLA]

Yea, the insight is horrible. What are people thinking when they buy that shit? And the covers on the rear wheels. WTF?

[nystagmus]

Hybrids arent really what there cracked up to be. Tthey had to drop the accord hybrid, they couldnt even give them away. The price of the car is way more than you will end up saving in gas. As an owner of a Honda Civic Si the best gas milage i got on the highway was 43 (mind you thats not all the time) and they say a Civic Hybrid is supposed to get 45 on the highway. Not much differance. Save yourself a couple thousand dollars.


i dont' know about the civic hybrid but my prius gets over 60 mpg on the highway easily... it has great highway mpg... and despite what others say, for a prius hybrid, the highway is way better than city driving

[Mr Burns]

i have the toyota prius... i think everyone is getting it because it gets almost 60 miles per gallon which is ridiculous. im still learning how to press on the gas pedal at times, and i have averaged 52.5.... and still improving.

i got the car because i drive very large distances to work, almost 100 miles per day... and yesterday i drove a 130 miles ...i will eventually move needless to say.

p.s. the new 2009 prius is advertised to do 90 miles per gallon.
they may convert the prius nickle based battery to lithium which will be a plug in and that will average 120 mpg. it may EVENTUALLY be a good investment if u keep the car for some years. also now, u are paying for hybrid technology so its expensive... wait until it is the mainstay, and for ur liking , they will have eventually have more attractive cars.

Part of the reason for your good mileage is because of the fact that you are careful as to how you press the accelerator, brake, etc. You can do that in any car you don't need to spend extra on a hybrid to do it.

i dont' know about the civic hybrid but my prius gets over 60 mpg on the highway easily... it has great highway mpg... and despite what others say, for a prius hybrid, the highway is way better than city driving

Well you must drive it really carefully. Most of the people I have talked to say they are lucky to get 45 in it. Which is pretty good. But not worth the premium that you pay for the car in the first place.

[nystagmus]

^ it is worth it for me , because i drive so much (i cannot over emphasize that), im actually saving if i compare the premium to my 500 sl mercedes that i used to drive. im definitely saving and im getting a new car out of it.

[bizzy666]

if u really want an opinion on hybrids just listen to george lopez talking about them. personally i would rather walk to where im going instead of driving a hybrid or a full electric car .i like to hear the rumble of an American v8