I hate that fact that all hybrids seem to look like water drops.

I was wondering, if you had a hybrid (with similar performance of a hybrid meaning slow), but looked like a vette, camaro, mustang or whatever your kind of car you would like to own, would you buy it?

Anyway, GM unveiled a limited edition, Corvette-S for the Japan market. Only 30 of them will be produced. Here's an article and some pics. Sharp looking machine.

http://www.autoblog.com/2008/07/02/g...ted-for-japan/

 

I will never buy a hybrid until the gov. forces me too.

 

Last time I bought a car in 2007, I did my research on hybrids. At the time with gas prices as they were, I figured that it would take about 5-6 years with the mileage I use for the gas savings to equal the difference in price between a standard model and hybrid model. Add in the additional cost of mainentance and parts when dealing with the special equipment of a hybrid and the performance sacrifice, and I could not justify purchasing a hybrid. The industry has made some significant leaps since then, but I still don't think I could justify the purchase of one. There simply aren't enough, which significantly increases the cost of repairs since there aren't enough trained and certified mechanics and technicians for these types of cars. I'll let the hippies save the planet for now...

 

Shortbuss, I'm assuming you are referring to a standard number of miles per yer, probably what, 10,000? I put 500 miles a week on my car just for my commute to work, so, I might recognizing the return many years before the typical car owner.

Besides, I'm just jaded with the looks of the hybrid. The Prius is alright looking but I want it to have some manly looks on the car, not some cookie cutter shoes.

It's actually one of the reasons why I don't think Public Trans works well in the States. We want our individualism, our independence. We want the feeling that we are free.

 

I would buy a hybrid when they advance it enough so that I feel no performance loss. Come to think of it I would love the tesla roadster, and that uses no gas at all. In actual fact however, Hybrids are more damaging to the planet then hummers. About four times as damaging to be exact. The part that no one thinks about is the fact that the footprint of creating and destroying a battery is so much worse then burning fossol fuels. China looks like a swap. So although we are using less fuel, we are in fact pulluting more. The real way to go here is full on electric, but that really isnt clean until our power is all nuclear. We are all gonna die.

 

I dont think I would buy one...but the telsa roadster is a sweet car, but its all electric...if I had the money I would buy one.

 

On average, a Hybrid will save you over $1,000/yr, but I don't know what the additional maintenabce is like. How long does that battery last and how much is it to replace? Same question for the electric motor.

I am a little interested in the new SUV hybrids. I might get one of those someday. And as far as performance, well, thats why I have my bike!

 

Let's look at the Honda Civic Hybrid as an example here. Suppose it does save you $1000 a year. The hybrid model costs $7000 more than the standard, so it would take 7 years to realize the savings. Not a smart investment. As for Vert's hybrid apocalypse theory, pass the dutchie to the left hand side bro. Woo, I do about 18,000 miles a year in my car, and my calculations were based, at the time, on 12,000. Add to that the ridiculous increase in gas prices in 2 and a half years, and for somebody like me, the price difference would be accumulated FAR more quickly, maybe 3 years. I just don't want to deal with the damn things when they break. Joe Mechanic, the only fair mechanic in town who's garage is down the street, sure as hell won't be able to fix it...on to the stealership ya go to pay exorbant prices.

 

I agree with Buss here...

... And on average people only keep there cars for what, 3-4 years? So then you just lost money because you never made it back cuz you never kept it for that 7 years.

 

Hybrids and how Top Gear feels about them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsJjZIuF1lg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PP6fe6i1vaY