Hi,
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Originally Posted by diver110
Right now I drive a Volvo 850 and get low to mid-20s MPG. I plan to make my next car a hybrid, possibly the Toyota Prius if I can live with the seats (I have a bad back, so that is a touchy issue for me, no pun intended).
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'When" varies from case to case. I was planning on a hybrid when an accident forced my decision early. Given family finances, a used 2003 Prius has really worked out well.
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Originally Posted by diver110
I am assuming that it is environmentally wiser to drive my car into the ground then buy a new hybrid. If I sell the Volvo and buy a hybrid now, someone else will just be driving the Volvo, and the enviromental cost of making the new car that I would buy I assume offsets the benefit of my driving a hybrid. Am I missing anything?
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A couple of quick points:
- You are not going to get a 'bill' addressed to you to pay XYZ - the lifecycle cost is built into the system and your individual actiions will not change that. If you feel strongly about minizing the car's environmental impact, drive it to a salvage yard and ask them to 'make it parts.' That will keep someone elses Volvo running a bit longer, the same effect you were thinking about.
- Most of the 'lifecycle' cost has already been paid (my understanding from those who make 'dust-to-dust' studies) - you can amortizie it over a longer period by keeping the Volvo on the road. However, the absolute dollar amount has already been paid.
- Hybrid technology is improvinig - the NHW20 Prius gets +3MPG over the NHW11 Prius, like my 2003 car. Now I am willing and able to 'tweak' my NHW11 Prius to get hypermiler status. Some of my planned modifications may bring into NHW20 hypermiler range. But then, I'm a hybrid hot-rodder.
There are more hybrid electrics coming but it still remains a 'seller's market.' That means the prices are higher than for a simular gas technology car. Some of the Lexus hybrids look very comfortable and we haven't seen the Camry hybrid, yet. But there comes a time when replacing the Volvo makes sense. That is something you'll have to figure out.
GOOD LUCK!
Bob Wilson