Re: Camry Hybrid recoup cost time is now 1.7 years
Coming up with a cost differential and comparing models is an inexact science, at best.
Here is what I did.
I called my dealer and told him I wasn't going to buy a car today (joking around) but wanted to know what it would cost him (as an employee, thus stripping out much of the extras that a dealer could pack into the cost) to buy a gas and hybrid version of a similarly equipped car. With nothing to gain by giving me false information, he said "a similarly equipped car" with a gas engine is $3000 less.
CarMax, KBB and all the other web sites don't have precise information (although the world assumes that they do). They do informal surveys, since KBB doesn't actually buy the cars, they can't possibly know what the true cost is.
I love the TCH, but don't delude yourslef into thinking that you will have a one year payback...unless gas doubles (triples?) and you drive your car around the clock.
Last edited by haroldo : 05-13-2008 at 03:52 AM.
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