Hybrids give you better fuel economy. Hybrids save the environment. Hybrids will even shine your shoes and make trees grow out of your ass. So say the left wing folks who are hated by the right wing folks who are then hated back by the left wing folks for being hated by those all too mean and hateful right wing folks. Where does that leave the rest of us who just drive these machines? Well, in surprisingly solid ground once you take politics out of the equation. A hybrid can…
1) Increase longevity – No, I am not talking about your life span or your bed span. What I’m referring to is the longevity of your engine, brakes, and pretty much everything in between. If driven in a conservative manner these things may outlast everything on the road… even a diesel. Of course you’re far better off with planetary gears for a transmission (Toyota) instead of stressed out little discs (Honda). Then there is the battery replacement which is anywhere from cheap (junkyard) to debt defying (dealer). Ok, let’s face it. Some of the costs are a real bitch. But then the engine isn’t revved as much. The brakes aren’t used as often, and the powertrain isn’t as stressed since granny style driving is encouraged. Wait… did I just describe a Toyota Corolla?
2) Insurance – There seldom isn’t a day where my wife and I aren’t struggling to become that calm conservative defensive… and arguably stoner-esque drivers. This is thanks to a little bar that effectively decreases our ‘score’ with every jolt, stab, and inopportune release of the pedal. Now that Newton’s first law has overtaken our desire to keep up with traffic, we’ve become geriatric styled cruisers with regenerative brakes serving as an Alzheimer’s solution to slowing down the surrounding traffic. Our insurance company is as happy as the nearby speed trapping Smokies are pissed. For all the commuting I do in the all too wacky state of Georgia, I consider that a fair trade.
3) No Jonesing – There is no way to bling out a hybrid without looking like a complete dork. Custom wheels? Perhaps those ultra-nerdy pizza plates can add .23 mpg to your ride but only the Grok Spock Ecomodder committee will ever care. A plastic spoiler? Racing seats? Some bumper sticker flair? Look, everyone already knows you’re driving a hybrid. Bringing attention to your automotive enlightment is like adding portholes to the front fenders. It’s the stylists version of hari-kari (or a Buick)… and think of all the mpg’s you’ll be losing! You’re driving a nickelshitting machine fer cryin’ out loud!
4) You KNOW who you are – If you’re one of those folks that likes to play video games and put money back in your pocket, a hybrid may be for you. If the most dangerous and rebellious thing you’ve ever done with your life is listen to Billy Joel songs, a hybrid may be for you. If you have become a walking demographic for what can loosely be called, ‘NPR Nation’, and got seriously pissed off when ‘Murder She Wrote’ got cancelled… a hybrid is definitely for you.
Unfortunately I now fit in all three of these categories.
5) Commuting Sucks – Think about it. Why do you need to ‘spend’ money doing something you already hate doing. Commuting is really just a complete bastard that drains endless amounts of hours from our life span… and quite possibly our bed span. A hybrid on the other hand turns the whole experience into a game. If I get 50 mpg instead of 20 mpg, I can afford a cruise in about three years. Do it for six years and you’ll have saved up enough to maximize your Roth IRA contribution. A decade? You can save just enough money to buy a replacement battery for the next ten years.
Oh what joy it is doing the same thing… over and over again. And that’s the thing. Hybrids are just one small step in eventually turning all of our cars into traveling offices and mobile yoga mats. We are pursuing the ever lowering of costly transport in the hopes that we can do more important things with our lives. Unfortunately as a car guy, I just haven’t figure out what exactly that is.
Wait… I figured it out.
If you decide to drive a hybrid, like yours truly, you’ll be contributing your money to this technology instead of a bunch of ululating douchebags that hate the West. Then again not all of them ululate. There’s Venezuela, and Russia, and Nigeria, and… Britain? Have you seen what passes as a Londoner these days?
Now I know why I drive this thing. I’m driving my hybrid in the hope that the good folk of Britain, Russia, and all of these God forsaken countries can free themselves from the shackles of government repression and thuggery. Well that, and I’m a cheap bastard who now has to pony up this year for a Disney cruise. So if you kindly souls see a Honda Insight never exceeding 60 mph on the right hand lane of the Interstate… don’t honk or provide a finger of guidance… it’s just me.
Time to change the Bong water, no???
If driven in a conservative manner these things may outlast everything on the road
I know this isn’t what you meant, but the managed powertrain specifically allows this to happen: your brakes aren’t used as often and your engine does indeed live a much less stressed life. It’s not so much the conservative driving style as it is the design of the car.
Life is too short to drive a hybrid.
Twotone
I’d agree with you on the currently available crop of hybrids, but it’s at least conceivable that someone could produce a hybrid that was fun to drive. Not that I’m holding my breath…
“A decade? You can save just enough money to buy a replacement battery for the next ten years.”
…So–what’s the point then? I’d rather drive something that gives a more lively experience than be shackled by the quest for mileage and “penalized” by my car for wanting to drive, not just ride. For me, a car must be an enjoyable experience. One that makes my commute bearable, even enjoyable. Plus, who keeps their car for 10+ years anymore?
P.S. Murder She Wrote? Seriously?
Both my cars are 10+ (96 & 98). Paid for, low insurance, low plates. Routine and most major (very little btw) maintenance done by yours truly is a hobby with them. The money I’ve saved by not buying a new car every 4 years is substantial compared to maintenance. I plan on keeping one another couple of years then trading for a low mileage used. The other is a keeper.
I absolutely agree. You can save tons of cash by sticking with one car and taking good care of it. But most people don’t do that. Usually people just get bored with their cars after 3 or so years and want to move up. That’s been my experience anyway–Good thing too, as I sell cars for a living…
My wife and I have a total of four cars. The newest one is a 2004, which I plan to keep for at least another 5 years, probably longer.
I’ve kept several cars and trucks for 10 or 12 years. Seems financially crazy to trade more often, unless you must just have a new car, or you really grow to hate/mistrust the vehicle. S-10 and Jeep Grand Cherokee, I’m remembering you again, and not in the good way.
Add us to the pack – a 2000 Honda in great shape. Maintain them well, and most vehicles will be fine for the long term, as others have said. It’s the attention span (in more ways than one) that suffers.
Soon to be looking for a new car – probably a lightly used ’06 TSX 6-speed. ;)
Oh, to have low insurance, a car paid in full, and a comfortable friend to take you wherever you might go…
Prius break-even point: 20 years
Also known as a life sentence.
Depends on the amount of travel, and many, many other factors.
I have friends who live near the midpoint of great paying jobs: he’s got a 130 mile/day commute.
break even? That’s only an issue if you buy brand new. I bought a Prius a few months back and was able to get it for less than I could get a Corolla or Camry. Nice 2005 with lots of options and features and a spotless paint job <75K miles only $10k.
If I'm getting 45+ MPG on a car that looks brand new but I'm treating like a beater my break even point is the day I paid the sales tax.
Let's see I've spent a few bucks on the engine air filter, the cabin air filter, and I'll have to buy 4 tires. Oh and I'll have to change the oil, man that's so unfair no one else has to change the oil on their non hybrids.
There is a 12V battery that I might have to pay $100+ to replace at some point but really the difference between me paying say $150 for a battery vs joe sixpack paying $75 for his battery isn't going to ruin the cost/benefit analysis for me.
I consider the whole 10 year battery pack thing about as likely to happen to me as me getting prostate cancer. It might happen but I'm not going to spend my time worrying about it. There are Gen 2 prius out there with hundreds of thousands of miles on the original traction battery and you can buy a rebuilt traction battery for a little over $1000 should I ever need one.
It’s “hara-kiri,” not “hari-kari.” If you’re going to use Japanese, then use, well, Japanese. As in, “driving behind a Prius may induce one into committing hara-kiri.”
I kid, I kid. Have fun in your hybrid. Just the same, I prefer little 4-bangers.
I found this article to be enjoyable. You strike me as very much a WYSIWYG individual.
I’ve never actually driven one of these cars, but sitting in one was a pleasant surprise; it’s well packaged and thought out. I think it’s all about managing expectations with these cars. Those folks who don’t see the world in black and white can probably find a lot of things to like about the hybrid “experience”
If minimizing commuting expense is your thing, buy a VW TDI. Great mileage, and driving one doesn’t feel like a prison sentence.
-ted
Diesel engines carry a significant premium over gas powerplants and aren’t much less expensive than hybrids, the fuel costs more and any repairs to the powertrain will be much more costly.
I like diesel as much as the next guy, but I think we need to stop giving TDI a free pass. It is complex and it is expensive.
@psar: diesel engines do cost more up front, so like a hybrid there is a much longer distance to the break even point. repairs are more costly. but can you shed some light on what you mean by complex? in my experience, (ase since 2005) they aren’t that nasty to repair even compared to their gasoline counterparts. i would rather work on a diesel than a hybrid any day. furthermore, due to the excess oxygen present in diesel combustion chambers, they produce less emissions than equivalently powered gasoline engines.
but can you shed some light on what you mean by complex
Turbocharger, intercooler and associated plumbing, emissions control (possibly including urea injection), high-pressure fuel rail and metering systems.
Meanwhile, a hybrid is “just” a regular, naturally-aspirated gas engine with an electric motor that either turns the crank (Honda), accessory belt (GM BAS) or drives the transmission (Toyota, Ford, Nissan).
@psar: thanks. the same way we shouldn’t give TDI a free pass, we shouldn’t oversimplify the hybrids either. my point was either way, diesel or hybrid it’s an expensive choice. i don’t think one has a huge advantage over the other as of yet. plus we have to wait get a true long term ownership cost of the hybrids.
“Hybrids are just one small step in eventually turning all of our cars into traveling offices and mobile yoga mats.”
Humorous sentence.
I actually very often try to beat my own mpg numbers in my Avensis Diesel (average 50mpg, US gallons, paper and pencil calculations).
It is a different flavour of “driving fun”.
“If you decide to drive a hybrid, like yours truly, you’ll be contributing your money to this technology instead of a bunch of ululating douchebags that hate the West”
Absolutely true.
Every time I fill my oil tank I am aware that I am subsidizing Venezuela´s Imperial expansion in South America or the Iranian “peaceful” (cough, cough) nuclear program.
The less money we send to the douchebags (ululating or not) the better.
Nuclear Power: Yes!. Of course!.
http://www.google.es/search?um=1&hl=es&q=%22nuclear%20si%22&ndsp=18&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=iw
My next car (not sooner than 2020) will be electric.
Ouch. I got my numbers wrong: I get 42mpg (US gallon), not 50.
One other benefit of hybrids….It’s great that the pointy-headed liberals are driving these things and saving gas thus leaving more for me to use.
…but it was liberal radicals who circumvented British colonialism and “fomented” the growth of our beacon.
In any case, I love to drop the hammer, too, regardless of my political thoughts that day.
But I *HATE* subsidizing Venezuela, Iran, and S Arabia, as previously mentioned…
Something on which I bet we can agree: Energy independence. ASAP.
Well, I finally got a big chance to spend a lot of time behind the wheel in a Prius. I would never, ever in a million years, ever buy one. Perhaps a Ford Fusion hybrid, but I about died of boredom and embarrassment in the Prius.
If you told me I was driving a car built by Bissell, or Hoover, or Dirt Devil, I would have believed you, because not only did the interior feel like it was composed of household appliances, the intrument panel, the door moldings and the plastic feel of the vehicle didn’t seem to be rooted in the automotive world. From the push of the ignition button to the way this “car” scooted down the road, I felt like I was driving something that sucked harder than a Dyson with an empty dirt cup.
The car belongs to a very nice in-law who likes gadgets. He told me that he just decided to buy the Prius out of novelty. He has been retired for a decade, has spent years of it on a golf course, and the Prius’ golf cart-like personality fits him well. So I couldn’t have had a happier owner or a prouder one. Out of love and respect I spent the day driving the Prius with as open a mind as possible, overlooking every single thing that I found irritating. The blinding A pillars, the narrowness of the interior, the low sloping roofline and disappearing hood, the continual mini-shimmers sent through the steering wheel, the craptastic digital dash, and being over six foot tall kept me on the verge of claustrophobia. This car needs a Viagra as badly as Hugh Hefner in a three-some.
I was so happy to get out of it. I do see benefits. For others. Not for me. I am now interested in how the Ford Fusion hybrid feels and if it feels like a vacuum cleaner car. I hope it doesn’t.
What do you currently drive?
Embarrassed? I don’t understand that part. To quote fight club: You are not your car.
And I suppose if a Chevy 2500 Dually with a bunch of chrome stuff all over it sends out an “I’m way overcompensating” message, then if you drive a Prius, “my junk is so huge I can drive this car and not feel threatened!” :-)
When I commute on my 328Ci 5 speed it feels good but it’s shit.
When I commute on my wife’s Prius, it feels shit but it’s good.
Isn’t the frequent restarting of the engine actually hard on it and the starter and the electronics? Starting/powering on a machine is usually the most stressful time for it, no? Machines that stay on usually last a long time. Isn’t this one of the reasons that highway-bound cars can rack-up hundreds of thousands of miles without much damage?
Good question. Does anyone know?
It doesn’t use a starter in the same sense: the electric motor cranks the engine, and it’s much larger than the puny starter motor in a conventional car.
My 265,000 mile 15 year old Explorer has had stuff crap out on it, that according to the forums should have died around 70k. the original transmission failed at 225,000 with metal fatigue to the 2nd gear band. the original alternator died at 250k, the original starter literally fell apart at 220k, the pushrod 4.0 has been re-sealed a few times, but the wear items in the engine are still factory Ford, along with the oil pan gasket. I put new ball joints on it two weeks ago and replaced the factory sealed parts.
Mine has spent the vast majority of its life shuffling between colleges and road trips. Only in the last couple years has it been pressed into commuter duty and that’s been really hard on it.
I also owned an ’86 Pontiac 6000-STE, that had 90,000 miles on it, I blew up the 2.8 in two days. It felt down on power but I was coming down from a V8 full sized sedan so I chalked it up to a small six. I rebuilt the 2.8 to stock specs and was amazed at how well it ran after that. It was really really worn out. with only 90k on clock, it had spent the vast majority of its life commuting from the suburbs to downtown Dallas by a secretary.
The system in the Prius tweaks the valve timing to lower compression for startup and the motor/generator spins up the rotating parts to about a thousand RPM before it turns the fuel and spark back on. Starts very very smooth, even at 5 below.
restarting the engine the way a normal car does only happens on a Prius if your car comes to a complete stop at a red light or stop sign or some such.
More often than not the car is at motion doing any number of MPH when the gas engine fires up again so the RPMs from the electric motor can easily “start” the gas engine. It’s significant to note the gas engine never runs below 1000 RPM so the “starting” process never happens at 0 RPM and never idles below 1000 RPM like traditional gas engines will.
Damn that was funny. I think that gets the busted the laughmeter award for the month of April. Thanks Steven. Sheeeiit!
But I would have trouble with a hybrid. I got a scan gauge for my accord almost two years ago now, to see if I could improve my mileage. I figured out hypermiling, and I did once get around 40 on the highway, instead of the usual 31-32ish. And I’ve seen the same phenomenon in the city, where it’s really easier to do because hypermiling is just fast acceleration and coasting as much as possible. But I’d much rather drive.
If people really want to support our troops, drive more efficiently, drive a hybrid or only as big of a car as you really need. (but let’s be honest, this will never happen barring $6+ gas.)
Wanna stick it to the A-rabs. bin Laden, Chavez or Putin? Use less petroleum.
A truly foreign oil independent America wouldn’t need to spend $500 billion a year on a military that’s geared to protect the oil supply chain.
OPEC is a cartel that controls the supply of oil to alter prices.
If we drive half as much, they can effectively double the price of gas.
So they still get the same total revenue.
Geez, even our own govt. raises the per gallon or per mile tax when we reduce our driving just like they told us. They blatantly admit it is to maintain their total tax intake. So you are spinning your wheels while they run the cash register.
Long term solution: invest in companies specializing in power technology and/or donate to high tech universities.
If we drive half as much, they can effectively double the price of gas.
Then why is gas ever cheap? Remember 0.99/gallon gas? Why did they allow that to happen – if they control the market like you say…?
Factor in the CPI when nominal price of gas was .99/gallon for a real comparison.
Do you really miss the regular announcements in the news when OPEC holds a meeting and decides how much to increase/decrease their production? Guess what, they calibrate production to effect the market price.
Like the mob, they are astute enough to not severely restrict production and make gas $20/gallon because they know that would result in a world-wide depression that would ultimately lower their revenues.
Oh yeah and that $500 billion US military thing someone mentioned.
OPEC is a collection of states from all over the world with nothing in common except selling oil, that only control about a third of the world’s oil production. If demand was cut in half tomorrow, rather than raising prices they would be tripping over each other to sell it, as they were undercut by non OPEC nations. Many OPEC states are bankrupt and as dependent or more on payments from oil as the West is dependent on the oil, and OPEC solidarity would last about as long as Arab solidarity has in the past.
And where is the evidence for this anti Keynesian argument that cutting oil consumption drives up the price? Look what happened in late 2008 when the economy tanked, or in the early 90’s?
If you want to drive a 12mpg SUV or truck as a commuter vehicle that’s your choice, but don’t kid yourself that you’re keeping the cost of gas stable by burning more of it.
Jeez………..
I know buying a hybrid is better for the planet, better for your wallet, better for (insert phrase here).
I’m sorry, I just can’t do it – I admit, my ego simply cannot take driving one of the soul less, 1984-ish orwellian mobiles. So shoot me.
I guess I will have to just idle my 400 horses is traffic like everyone else.
Deep down, Steven, your right, of course. I should probably drink less, go to church more, and exercise regularly. oh well….
Steve – It’s evident that you really do hate cars.
i don’t think he hates cars. he obviously spends a lot of time with them and they seem to be his life. maybe he just likes a different kind of car than you?
a common misconception or logical fallacy i see on this and other blogs is users who assume the only auto-enthusiasts or motorists around are people who like high performance machines, or like the same cars they do. it’s untrue. i’m a car geek who enjoys a wide variety of vehicles, and enjoy most of lang’s car posts as much as any other review.
Steve does not hate cars. He’s a car salesman. He looks at cars from the perspective of a car salesman.
As my late father related to me lying on what became his deathbed (I was 42 at the time), the reason he never owned any of those cool cars that passed through his dealership (and I anguished over), is because they were product to be sold. Period. Nothing more.
Enjoyment? That was for hunting and fishing. Cars were for occasional enjoyment, transportation, and most of all – profit to keep the wife, kids and sister-in-law comfortable.
Tuce you are completely wrong. I don’t hate cars. I’m just an elitist axe-hoe when it comes to inanimate objects. After all the car you drive is really, really important because without it, you would probably be driving another car.
My holier than thou personality is why I now call Georgia home. The folks in the Bronx and northern New Jersey were way too humble and compassionate for me. Plus you can get drunk at three o’clock in the afternoon here and no one knows the difference.
Did I mention our high school marching band here has jug, saw, banjo and fiddle players? You should hear them play Johnny Rebel’s greatest hits. The sound is almost as unique as the one emanating from your oratorical glory hole. But wait a sec… why am I insulting you with such mean jibes? I’m an auctioneer. If anyone here should be accused of having an oratorical glory holes it’s me. But hey, most folks like the sound of mine. Yours as Borat would say, “Not so much.:”
In all seriousness, I DO love cars. But I’m also DAD and I simply don’t keep what doesn’t make money.
Buy, yes.
Drive, for a while.
Keep, I already have a female dog. I don’t need another bitch.
I feel sorry for all those guys out there (and on here…you know who you are) with the latest 2010 (insert brand here) that they pay 700 a month for (on a 7 year loan, no money down)to compensate for their shitty, boring jobs or because their lives lack any sense of manly exhilaration. So they fake it by getting a mass produced _________________ and make sure that everyone knows that the shiny thing outside the tavern that is silently making sure they dont have dime one in their 401k is theirs.
Steve doesnt hate cars. He makes his living with them…..cant get attached to the spring lamb.
This article seems to be a thought experiment on the differences between…..
….feeling good IN what you’re driving, and…
….feeling good ABOUT what you’re driving.
Would anyone who enjoys driving prefer a Prius/Insight over a WRX-STi/CRX-SI? (Just trying to keep the similar body styles)
Ranger,
The base price of a WRX-STI is 34,995. That’s more than 10k higher than a Prius.
I had a CRX (DX, not Si) before my Prius… If Honda was still making them, I’d have probably bought another. In hindsight though, if I was driving a CRX now, I’d probably be asking myself why is this stupid car sitting here burning gasoline at the stoplight…
I don’t think I answered your question, so, let me try again…
Why a Prius? Off the top of my head:
It’s still a somewhat small and nimble car for its time.
Once you throw away the rock-hard stock Goodyear 185/65s and get some decent 195/60’s it likes curves much much better (or opt for a Touring edition to get even wider tires).
It’s the only car I’ve driven that makes me feel like I’m living in the 21st Century.
You can fold the back seat down and carry your clothes dryer.
“Would anyone who enjoys driving prefer a Prius/Insight over a WRX-STi/CRX-SI? (Just trying to keep the similar body styles”
Same reason some people spend considerable time searching for and using grocery store coupons.
Apparently you don’t know the thrill of getting a 10 cent coupon doubled.
> Apparently you don’t know the thrill of getting a 10 cent coupon doubled.
LOL. Or we grew up in the 1970s and those “NO GAS” signs made a vivid impression.
OK, so today on TTAC we’ve been told the C4 Corvette is most soulless sports car – EVER and driving a hybrid is good for you.
Nope, its April 30, not April 1st – have Russian hackers taken over? The next think you know we’ll be reading the performance benefits of driving a Nissan Versa over a 2011 Mustang GT.
After listening to the prevailing sentiment that we need oil independence, I would like to suggest a couple things.
1. Hollywood liberal A-holes, please stop standing in the way of nuclear energy.
2. FTLOG can we PLEASE open up ANWAR to drilling.
Embracing these strategies would go a long way to cleaning the air (less coal burned) and reducing our dependence on foreign oil….
3. clean energy: wind, solar, hydro power.
I’ll buy a hybrid when cab drivers do it.
They should love such cars. Low consumption, short-distance driving. Why don’t they buy it massively, at least in Europe, where fuel prices are way higher and distances shorter? Usually, they are early adopters.
BTW: Besides the fact that there are other ways to save oil, I’m quite sure that it will make no difference for me whether I get ripped off by oil companies (look at their current figures) or by electricity companies.
i see a lot of prius taxicabs, and apparently they run and hold up extremely well.
Heard the 2nd gen Prius’s were beta-tested as taxis, and went 200k miles without too many problems. Here in east-by-god TN, I don’t see too many taxicabs period, and no Prius taxicabs, but I did snap a pic of one on a business trip not long ago:
http://www.axcessmypics.com/photos/photo05/03/7c/693e4d2549c9.jpg
Herb,
Go to NYC. Yellow hybrids everywhere.
Or the SF bay area. Prius cabs are commonplace here.
My friend has a hybrid civic. No, its not as much fun to throw around as my golf, but there is fun to be had: going as far as you can without making the gas level move. Its amazing, drive carefully, i swear it runs on fumes, the fuel gauge refuses to move. No, its not like sliding around a tight curve on three wheels, but its still fun, I was really suprised. The little buggy can drive all day on nothing. And to be truthful, most of driving in metro philadelphia occurs at 10 or 20 mph anyway, so whatever drivetrain you have is barely awake. And I gotta tell ya its cool that the engine stops at lights. It’s really cool.
To those who say that it takes so and so many years to pay it off or whatever, how long does it take to pay off a 400hp V6? When was the last time you saw anyone go to 60 in 5.2 seconds anywhere? Or how how about those 22″ wheels you paid like 8 grand for? Or the Thunder-Dummy 22 speaker 45,000 watt audio system that was bundled with six dvd screens, 12 subwoofers, three sunroofs, 14 way power seats, and mulitfunction quad core integrated neural networked voice control computer/database/rearview mirror controller?
We don’t import oil from Iran, and not all imports are from OPEC. Of 13 million bbl/day imports, OPEC supplies 6 million. Non-Opec importers, including our largest supplier, Canada, supply about 7 million bbl/day. We still produce about 6 million bbl/day domestically, so less than one third of the gas you buy is made from OPEC oil.
My strategy is to use the OPEC-derived third of a gallon on the freeway where I’ll get the most miles out of it, the non-OPEC-derived third of a gallon around town, since it’s mostly from Canada and Mexico, and the all-American-derived third of a gallon for quick acceleration and general hoonage.
I drove my Insight a good 80 to 90 mph today because I thought I would be late for an important meeting. It was an absolute blast to drive, as it is when I’m simply trying to pulse and glide my way to 65 mpg. It got 45 mpg for the Dukes of Hazard run and was eerily reminiscent of a glider at that speed.
It’s hard for me to write this without it seeming like a boast. But I have probably driven about a thousand vehicles at this point in my life. Almost every brand and every price level…and in many cases six to eight versions of the same thing.
For mostly in-town driving, a hybrid is the best choice for 90+% of the population. Some folks can handle a stick, most can’t. As much fun I’ve had with Porsches, Z’s, Jaguars, Benzes, Beemers, Police Interceptors (including two Mustangs), and even old Detroit and Japanese metal… the Insight beats the ever loving shit out of them all with the 600 miles of weekly in-town driving I do. My gas bill is less than $30 a week and I can still have a blast when the mood strikes me. It’s an extreme economy car under the guise and look (and feel) of a sport’s car.
My wife’s Civic Hybrid (1st Gen) ISN’T for most folks. The maintenance costs are high unless you’re familiar with junkyards and enthusiast groups. As much as it’s a good fit for me, I wouldn’t endorse it for the public at large.
The Prius is it’s own creature. A perfect replacement for the Corollas and Camrys that really don’t evoke any emotion whatsoever.
I think the CR-Z is going to be a hit. Most of you disagree. We’ll see what happens.
The problem with current hybrids is that you have to drive the boring things. That may not be important when your driving is limited to inching along in traffic jams. For many of us, the roads are open enough for us to enjoy our commutes.
Call me when Porsche introduces a Cayman hybrid that is as fast and as much fun to drive as the conventional versions.
I’m here to defend Steven Lang from those malcontents who think he doesn’t like cars. Anyone who can make me laugh as much as this piece did obviously knows how to have fun, and wouldn’t be doing cars for a living if he didn’t love them. Sheesh. C’mon guys, there’s room for people who love cars “differently.” No, I really mean it! It would be pretty boring if we all liked the same stuff.
Kendahl
April 30th, 2010 at 8:14 pm
The problem with current hybrids is that you have to drive the boring things. That may not be important when your driving is limited to inching along in traffic jams. For many of us, the roads are open enough for us to enjoy our commutes.
How “enjoyable” is a commute?
I may be biased, having a pick of new cars to drive every month, but commuting, whether it be at a crawling 20 mph or a gusty 90, is boh-ring. Period. Sure, it’s fun to gun a V8 every once in a while to hear it growl, or to unwind a car to redline on a clear stretch… but it gets old. A WRX/STI in traffic? Be still my aching knees!
Having a cheap commuter for the dull and dirty daily duties allows you to save your shiny toy (and gas) for those weekends when you can really go out and have fun.
Aside from the crappy plastics and driving dynamics that are more minivan than Mini Cooper, the Prius is an excellent commuting car. It’ll do 90 mph when it has to, and it’ll do 90 mpg if you really really try. It’s quiet, comfortable and maintenance, as mentioned, is actually quite easy. I wouldn’t buy one myself, but every time I’ve had the opportunity to drive one (had two Prii on loan for a week over the past few years… one second-gen, one third), I quite enjoyed it.
Relaxing when you’re merely driving, engaging when you’re trying to challenge your previous economy record. Highest so far is 85 mpg… but it was a lot of work to get consumption down that far.
I’d never buy one, but I can see the appeal.
@ SherbornSean: Interesting. In Europe, Diesels are still prevailing among cab drivers.
I see more and more Prius cabs in Madrid as time goes by.
Here taxi drivers are extremely conservative. And stingy: 66% of them drive Skoda Octavias.
Steven, you’re gushing. I could say many of the same things about a Hyundai Accent, and throw in a year or two’s worth of college tuition with the money saved over a hybrid.
There are alot of hybrid taxis in New York City, replacing the rwd fords.
http://cbs13.com/business/hybrid.taxi.cabs.2.772879.html
LectroByte wrote: “You can fold the back seat down and carry your clothes dryer.”
Haha, I did that once! But mine was a dishwasher. What fun, and smells much nicer than 600 pounds of cow poop!