When Hybrids Do (And Don't) Make Sense

Quote:

"Recently NPR, CNN Money and Wall Street Journal Online have all dedicated some time and space to discussing hybrid vehicle pros and cons. It seems that hybrids do not make much financial sense if (a) you're buying after getting yourself into a debt with not really good interest on a car loan, (b) your battery requires replacement after being out of warranty, (c) your daily commute is not too long, so the price markup you pay for a hybrid does not translate into long-term gas savings." From the CNN article: "They may make a social statement you're interested in, but if you want to save money because of rising gas prices, you're heading down the wrong road, at least for now."

http://science.slashdot.org/article....17228&from=rss

 

I agree with the battery bit, but my thinking is that if you're taking a beating with a really bad auto loan, it's more likely than not going to be the same for any new car you purchase due to nothing more than bad credit. That loan may cost a little more on a $24k HCH than an $18k Civic, but a bad APR% on one will still be a bad APR% on the other.

As for the commute, my weekday commute is 8 miles each way at 7:00 AM and 5:00 PM, which are both godawful rush hours that have me spending about 6 of each 8 miles in the thick of downtown. Pretty much couldn't ask for worse as commutes go. Short, dense, lights on every block and on the best of days I only wait in a creep-n-go for 5 minutes, usually about 15 in the evening.

SO WHAT?

Nobody drives exclusively their commute for 100% of their car's life, and while that may be the part of my routes that brings my average down, I more than make up for it anytime I leave downtown. Not only that, but the smart consumer (we have quite a few here) will go out of the way to optimize their purchase, meaning while I'd get 35 MPG for my commute trips when I bought my HCH, I've learned how to manage the car and my driving and generally push and sometimes exceed 50 MPG for that same 16 miles of hell each and every day now. Short commute as a reason not to buy a hybrid...bah.

 

it seems that everyone forgets to calculate the tax credit into the "financial sense" that they use on all of the reviews. If the car is $3000 more and there is a $2100 tax credit, the real difference is $900. Which would not be hard to make up that difference in gas in 35mpg average vs. 48mpg average.

Yes with some of the luxury models, it may not make financial sense, but with the civic hybrid (for example) it does.