Hi
I am currently looking for a new car...currently own honda accord v6. I was thinking of hybrid but I am confused as to which one I should purchase. I was thinking about lexus 400h but it doesn't seem to be best bet for the bucks....which is important as well as preserving the environment. I wanted to get other ideas about hybrid recommendations.

I would appreciate all the help! thanks
deb

well, if you like the V6 accord you have...why not try the hybrid version? More power, better mileage, no sacrifices relative to what you have now.

Each vehicle seems to have its own strengths, so it might be a good idea to base the decision on what your specific needs/environments are:

If you want the lowest impact, emissions/consumption-wise: Insight or Prius

If you want a regular small car for commuting any distance and short hops: Prius or Civic

If you drive mostly stop/go traffic: Prius or Escape, owing to their electric-only capability and higher city mpg. (imho Escape is a better buy than the Lexus or Highlander.)

If you want a full-on family sedan with the bells & whistles & stuff: Accord (Prius folks may get a vote here, too- the back seat ain't all that bad, but my kids like the acceleration of the Accord)

If you need 4WD or the cargo space- one of the SUVs. I like the ride of the Highlander, but like the Escape better overall.

Look at the mileage database, and decide where your 'best fit' is between size, comfort, mpg.

And don't forget to look at the non-hybrids- diesels, some of the regular 4cyl offerings from each maker. They each get better mileage than the hybrid SUVs, and about the same (some better) than the Accord hybrid.

As previously noted, it really depends on what you want. Speaking in very general terms, any hybrid that is not an Insight/Prius/Civic may only return marginal increases in gas mileage compared to their regular counterparts. So for the Accord Hybrid and the hybrid SUVs, you may never recover the additional cost of the hybrid through gas savings. That leaves making an environmental decision, which is still a great reason. If you need a vehicle that's larger (Accord) or an SUV (Escape, Highlander, Lexus), I think the decision to go hybrid is more green than economic. Possible exception is the Escape, as it would be the most affordable of the bunch.

The other three have significant economic benefits, but you'll give up space, ride, higher-end options - the usual list when you buy a smaller car. I purchased a Civic hybrid in the end, because I concluded that a) I needed primarily a comuter car, not a family car, b) saves me $5-600 in gas per year and c) is serious about reducing dependency on foreign oil. However my other car is a Pilot, because we need something that size. Had a hybrid Pilot been available, I would have purchased it.

Regardless of what you decide, you're still supporting the technology, and sending a message that we can and will buy these vehicles. I've driven my Civic for 3 years and love the car - plan to keep it another 5-6 until my son is old enough to drive. When (if) I give it up, I'd replace it with another Civic hybrid in a heartbeat.

*** Retired after 65,000 outstanding miles ***

If the Lexus 400h is too expensive, take a look at the Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The top end package is very nice.

Now now, don't be too harsh on them. There's a lot of variables at play. If one were to only drive 2000 miles a year, and own it for three years, there isn't a hybrid that you'd save tremendous money on.

If you drive 11 thousand miles or more a year, and own it for 10 years, you're going to come out several thousand ahead (5K or so), even assuming static gas prices and the price difference between the Escape hybrid and the Escape.

Additionally, it seems that the larger the vehicle, the greater the fuel savings can be. As I've said, the Escape hybrid gets 263% the fuel economy of a V8 Escape (driven similar styles over similar commutes), compared with the 35% or so difference between a civic hybrid and a civic. (My last tank was 33.2 MPG, my friend and his V8 Escape was 12.4 MPG, just for example.)

Now, on the other hand, if you plan on having it for five years or so, then perhaps the Escape Hybrid or some of the other hybrids aren't going to save much, if any money.

X-Cel pretty much covered the bases, it depends on what you're looking for and what you want/need it to do, and of course, what you want to get.

First 4WD Hypermiler

Have you read the FEH FAQ?

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Read My Automotive Blog at Rich Rambles

Comparing the v8 Escape to the 4-cylinder Hybrid is really stretching a useful comparison, even the v6 is not a very good comparison because even though the Hybrid may have a similar driving feel, it's not capable of towing the same weight.

2001 Prius Photos       2005 Prius Photos
'97 Prius Simulation Prius inner workings

Absolutely - in fact I've defended that position in other threads. Return depends on a lot of things, including what you were driving before. If you owned an Hummer and switched to an HCH, you'd probably recover the cost of the hybrid before you drove off the car lot.

If you absolutely need an SUV and want to stay with one, clearly opting for a hybrid would be a good choice (to support the technology if nothing else). I guess the question for a new buyer is do you want to get a more fuel efficient (and greener) version of what you were driving, or do you want to switch the type of car entirely in order to go for economy.

*** Retired after 65,000 outstanding miles ***

Just a point of clarification. There is no such thing as a V8 escape. You couldn't fit a production Ford V8 in an escape. The largest and most popular engine in the Escape is the V6.

There is a good chance that the hybrid Escape could eclipse V6 production if Ford could get enough batteries and CVTs.

If I were a cost cutter at Ford, I would phase out the I4 escape and move that production over to the hybrid.

It has been said:
Hybrid drivers come in 3 flavors, greenie, techie and cheapie. Pick any 2.
2005 Prius, Melinium Silver over gray, package 5 (AI)

From the point of view of availability, you can certainly get a HCH or an FEH almost immediately. You may even be able to negotiate on the price if you shop around and are will to travel (not a long way) to get one.

I believe that the Prius sports a waiting list that is still several weeks to several months long. A coworker just purchased a Prius, and happened to be "in the showroom" when one came it and the person on the waiting list said they didn't want it (what were they thinking?)

-Charlie...

I certainly haven't checked availability since we made our purchase, but all six Toyota dealers within ~45 minutes of our house (DC-Baltimore corridor) had at least two Prii on the lot when we went shopping just after the Fourth of July. Two of them had 5 or more.