Hybrids: cost vs. savings |
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mroyal
New Slug Joined: 01 Apr 2003 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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The article seemed a little out of wack to me, cause our annual cost to operate the hybrid is not high at all.
So, I called the author to get his source and it's here. http://www.edmunds.com/help/about/press/105827/article.html?tid=edmunds.h..pressrelease..1.* And the real meat n potatos is the True Cost to Own (TCO) calculator here http://www.edmunds.com/apps/cto/CTOintroController With that calculator, the major difference is the delta in cash price, the cost of financing, and the depreciation. The article states a difference in the cash price of the Hybrid over the Civic as about $3500, but when I ran the two vehicles, it actually had a difference of $5286 with depreciation of the hybrid $3067 higher then the Civic. When I ran it, I got a 5-year cost of $27,111 on the hybrid and $24,818 on the Civic. That's what, a $2293 difference over five years or $458.60 per year. I wonder if HOT is going to be less than $458.60 per year to drive solo? (sorry, wrong thread) In reality, if my wife had not purchased the hybrid, we would have gotten the Accord 4 door which would have been $29,595 over five years so we actually saved $2,484. Actually more than that, because Edmunds didn't factor in the tax incentive, did they... btw, here's one for my old buddies on this forum. Top 10 Most Fuel-Efficient Cars for 2005 http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/list/top10/103325/article.html Kindest Regards, mroyal edited to correct typos - hope all were fixd. |
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bolo5757
New Slug Joined: 15 Jun 2005 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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Well as Prius owner I tell people it's a fools errand to by one to save money. $14k honda civic vs a $27k Prius, I gotta tell ya, the $13k difference buys ALOT of gas. I bought it because I get 13 hours of my life back every week and my kids enjoy that fact. Some things are more important than money.
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NoSUV
New Slug Joined: 14 Jan 2005 Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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I bought my hybrid back when I lived in upstate NY - it was all about the milage. When I moved here along with 300,000 of my best friends, I had the unintended benefit of HOV. It's not all about the commute for every hybrid owner, but until we get toll roads to better balance the congestion between the regular and HOV lanes, using hybrids as a discriminator seems to make more sense than SUVs.
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N_or_S_bound
New Slug Joined: 20 May 2005 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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Balance? You mean the HOV should be about as congested as the main lines?
The incentive to carpool is the time savings (which you've been able to benefit from and reduce by your very presence). I'm glad you got the benefit. It shouldn't last too much longer though... HOT will take years to actually impact the commute. I should be living in a rural area working in a rural job by then...there's my selfish bent coming out...or is it altruistic in that I'll reduce the congestion by my absence... That's awfully nice of me! NoSb |
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qorc
New Slug Joined: 18 Mar 2004 Location: va Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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it's all relative, my friend. I got the Prius for a net $11,400 after trading in my gas-guzzling Pickup truck.
And I got a $2,000 tax credit last year for buying it. I was spending the equivalent of $120 a week in the truck in gas. I now spend $20. I get 50-51 mpg on my run to work and back each day. My truck got 12-13 mpg. Yeah, it's a big difference. My commute is now faster, more certain and frankly easier. That counts for something. Is it worth the money? You bet. |
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MDC
New Slug Joined: 04 Dec 2002 Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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Ahh, now I know he definition of a Smug!
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N_or_S_bound
New Slug Joined: 20 May 2005 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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and the implementation of the definition of smug leads to utilizing all that "excess capacity" in the HOV
NoSb |
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scottt
Senior Slug Joined: 12 May 2004 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 106 |
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quote: Again, a $2000 tax credit is not $2000 in your pocket. It's whatever your tax bracket is (or $560 for me) |
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qorc
New Slug Joined: 18 Mar 2004 Location: va Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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again, it doesn't make me "smug" - people here were challenging whether hybrids are worth it.
To me, it's worth it. If that makes me "smug," so be it. But get real. If you can't deal with the facts, I guess you have to resort to name-calling? Tacit admission that you've lost the argument. Yes, a tax credit isn't cash, but it made a difference. My cost overall of buying this car is more than made up for by my savings in gas per month (at least $300, probably more like $375) and the convenience and time-savings of getting to work. Why does this upset you so? You made your choice - I made mine. Mine works for me. |
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VA4ver
New Slug Joined: 09 Feb 2005 Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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What upsets everyone is that the fact that times are a-changing (there's a song) and it's painful. This area is suffering from huge growing pains and the infrastructure (roads, hospitals, schools, etc.) isn't keeping up. This causes frustration and anger. The system is ailing but there's no quick or inexpensive fix to the problem. ALOT of people do not have the option to carpool -- they don't work in or near the city, or their hours are such that it's not feasible. Seems to me that it's the federal government 9-5'ers (or whatever your flex hours are) who do the majority of the carpooling.
Hybrids do save a little here and there. But really it's all about encouraging new technology so that we stop using gas for everything. I do have a bone to pick with the hybrid owners who taunt everyone else. Knock it off and, if you can, pick up a slug or form a regular carpool. There's no need to cause a riot. |
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