I plan on keeping my Insight until it dies. What about other people? Do you plan on keeping your hybrid for a long time, or trading it in after a couple of years?

I've never actually gone through the experience of trading in a car, simply because my cars are way too far gone and not worht much by the time I want to sell them. Plus, my last three cars have been purchased off the internet. (e-bay and private sales.)

My other cars tended to get a bit rusty before I sold them, but since the Insight is made of a lot of aluminum, I may be able to keep it on the road even longer.

Eric Powers

MHG Organizer - www.MadisonHybridGroup.com
Hybridfest 2008 - A Hybrid Electric Car Show and More! www.hybridfest.com
Madison, WI July 19 & 20, 2008

I usually get rid of my cars around every 2 or 2 1/2 years..But I've never had a car I've liked as much as this one or got as great gas mileage so I may keep this one around longer..

http://www.greenhybrid.com/compare/mileage/car/1827/signature.png

Hi Ericbecky:

___Great topic and good point! I am not in the “Keep it until it dies” category unfortunately … Although I have one hell of a long commute and the Insight is almost the perfect automobile for it, I bought it as a technology demonstrator more then anything else. I have easily reached and/or far exceeded every goal I had set my sights on except the 90 lmpg which is hopefully only a month or so away. After that, my little beauty will be for sale to the highest bidder. That doesn’t mean I will actively advertise it for sale (I probably won’t) or will not own it for another 4 years and 250,000 miles (whichever comes first as the old saying goes ) but depending on what comes about, who knows?

___As for the reasons why? I simply see more practicality/luxury with other automobiles that are available now or will be in the near future. Anytime I drive our ULEV-II based MDX, I realize just how nice my wife has it and how much I am missing by comparison … Of course these other automobiles and their amenities will not come close to matching the fuel economy, have the head turning capabilities, or even the reasonable prices we picked up our little beauties for; they offer enough greenness for me to consider them as good alternatives for a price both you and I can fully appreciate.

___And for those that might not understand what other automobiles I might be interested in, the yet to be released SULEV rated Acura RDX and hopefully soon to be released SULEV rated Honda Fit SE are near the top of my short list. The current PZEV rated Honda Accord LX/EX w/ the I4 and leather in case of the EX, the Euro IV compliant Honda Accord Saloon w/ its 2.2 L iCDTi diesel if they ever allow it here in the states, and even the ULEV rated Civic based Acura EL from Canada given its Acura based amenities round out some of my future possibilities. I might even considering purchasing a used PZEV rated yet completely loaded Ford Focus ZX5 Premium w/ a stick in another year or two after its extremely high depreciation has been paid for by somebody else in fact.

___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net

I've heard many economic people say that if you keep your car for 10 years it will save you enough money to retire sooner.

I'm not sure how much that will affect my personal goals but I still keep them all for 10 years, except for my last Grand Caravan which saw an untimely death.

Efficient drivers do it better.
1003 miles a tank personal record. 74MPG calculated. HCH1 CVT

if i kept a prius all my life maybe i'd save over 100,000

A Prius a day keeps the doctor away!

My current car - 1994 Toyota Camry - just hit 250,000 miles. I drive about 30K a year so it doesn't take long for the miles to add up. I'm just hoping my Prius will last close to that mileage so it will be a worthwhile investment.

1982 Nissan Sentra
1992 Honda Accord Dx
2002 Toyota Camry V6SE leather, cd changer, window curtain airbags - a $29,00 top of the line car

2004 - When I heard you don't plug them in - Honda Civic hybrid

So I was a 10 year kind of guy untill I lusted after this anti-car.

Need fewer troops to support.
Drive a hybrid.
Best tank 71.65 MPG.

Before this car I spent two years learning hypermiling on my 2004 HCH1.

I'm not a Hybrid owner yet, but plan on becoming one, in about two years. I'm on my seventh car since 1967. I average a new car about every 5.29 years. My first car was a 1967 Rambler Classic, then came a 1970 Chevy Nova, next a 1974 Mercedes Benz (56,000 miles). I bought it new for $7,000 and paid cash (then it was German marks). I traded it for a 1978 Triumph TR7. I asked for the same amount $7,000, but was having transmission problems and received only $6,500. I sold my TR7 in 1981 and bought a 1981 volvo and sold it two years later. I bought a 1983 Volvo (216,000+) miles, and sold it this past March. I bought my current vehicle in 1999 a Jeep Grand (Limited). I'm looking at the 2005 or 2006 Highlander (Hybrid). I've heard and read that Toyota will make the Sienna a Hybrid in late 2005. So............that's where I stand for the moment.

We generally keep cars till , like some others here, have to sell them wholesale of they just die. On this one, Wife has it now, but she is interested in the new ones coming out next year. Told her I would take this one when she gets her a new one. Than I could dump my ole Ford Windstar with over 120K miles on it and keep her pick up just for hauling the dirty stuff.

We love ours so far and really enjoy showing it off to the crowds that gather. :-)
She is getting just a hair over 50 mpg all the time. She drives freeways and some country two lane roads on her 90 mile RT commute each day.

Oh it is a Black 2004 Prius of course. With dark tinted windows! Cool looking. looks like a Japanese mafia car!. :-)

I'll probably keep mine another 3 years or so. It all depends on what's out by then. I like the mileage I get but I miss having luxury and power.

Greg

'04Civic Hybrid