Hybrid car sales go from 60 to 0 at breakneck speed

[Craneman 2]

Hydrids = Yugos

Its not that the american consumer doesn't want them just that they are too expensive right now.

I don't want one.

[Craneman 2]

Amen brother

Hybrids are useless in both sub-zero weather and even worse if not driven like a hybrid that translates to taking your foot off the gas well before a stop or traffic light so you can recover a small part of that energy. Small because of inefficiencies in converting mechanical to electrical to chemical energy, three conversion processes.

Impossible to drive a hybrid in city traffic where that is where they claim they are best at, still have to slam on your brakes when coming to a stop signal, and have to jam on the gas pedal when taking off or you will have a zillion people giving you the finger and blowing their horns at you. Prius uses another trick to gain better fuel economy besides variable valve timing that would work in all vehicles, super thin high pressure tires, that would help any vehicle for economy, but can be a death situation if driving on a slippery road. And with those thin tires and if the battery is fully charged by some accident, very easy to burn rubber on take off.

While the EPA more closely simulated actual driving conditions, they dropped the estimated city fuel economy by ten mpg, 25 mpg would be more accurate under real driving conditions. It's actual key to better fuel economy is it's small size, but would be even better if that motor generator, electronics, and battery pack would be removed, and you would have space of a extra couple of bags of groceries.

Hybrids are BS that just added a lot of extra ####### that can go wrong, and go wrong is the name of the game for maintenance cost.

More BS is cutting the speed of the interstates where fuel economy is the greatest and where 90% of the driving is done in congested city traffic. Nothing like living in a country with endless BS by leaders that got there with the best line of BS.

[Craneman 2]

You see these everywhere in Brazil.

Infact I rented one last weekend while I was in Vitoria, Brazil

when you can get a hybrid for $28,000 that gets what, 45 mpg (tops) or you can get the "regular" equivalent for more than $10K less, that gets 35 mpg, IMO, it's a no brainer really. Especially in this economy. That extra 10 mpg doesn't make up for the extra $10k on the sticker price. Not yet anyway. And not even when gas was up to $4 per gallon.

I would loooooooooove to have a more efficient vehicle, for environmental reasons first, and economical reasons second. But right now, it's really just not a smart thing to do.

there is a car that gets about 45 or so, and is cheap

[Saddle Bronc 124]

I would love to buy a hybrid. If someone could guarantee me a job for the next 3 or 4 years so I've got money to pay for it!

No way could I afford a car loan on my paltry wages right now, and considering we were all informed just yesterday that yes, the company is "in dire straights" right now, no way are we making any purchase that requires a several year loan!

True.

I've noticed that hybrids seem to cost almost twice as much as a comparable-size "regular" petrol car, and easily 60-70% more than a Dicorised (common-rail turbodiesel) one (the latter can oft give the hybrid "run-for-money" in terms of raw mpg) models.

[almaty 19]

they were a fad..and gone...

when gas tops 3.50 a gallon, then maybe

[Saddle Bronc 124]

they were a fad..and gone...

when gas tops 3.50 a gallon, then maybe

On that score (assuming diesel adds extra $0.50 per gallon), a dicorised engine still comes out looking like a better deal: for a 35-mpg car, hybrids seem to top-out economy at 45-mpg; a DICOR can give you 50 easily. Admittedly the DICOR will have trouble in cold weather, and its shift-pattern (on manual, but the basis I'm using is that of a non-dicorised turbodiesel) doesn't match that of a petrol engine. Edited March 18, 2009 by CherryXS

[almaty 19]

they were a fad..and gone...

when gas tops 3.50 a gallon, then maybe

On that score (assuming diesel adds extra $0.50 per gallon), a dicorised engine still comes out looking like a better deal: for a 35-mpg car, hybrids seem to top-out economy at 45-mpg; a DICOR can give you 50 easily. Admittedly the DICOR will have trouble in cold weather, and its shift-pattern (on manual, but the basis I'm using is that of a non-dicorised turbodiesel) doesn't match that of a petrol engine.

always spot on brother sriniv

[Yoink 7]

important points... all car sales are down...

I looked at a fully loaded 2008 prius with 12K miles for 17K$. A subcompact sentra or focus will get 35mpg and cost maybe 2 grand less.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

important points... all car sales are down...

I looked at a fully loaded 2008 prius with 12K miles for 17K$. A subcompact sentra or focus will get 35mpg and cost maybe 2 grand less.

17K is really good! Sentra's suck in comparison. A better comparison would be a new Honda Civic, which sell for about 18k. If the Fed can provide some tax rebates for buying hybrids, and car manufacturers can stay committed to making more fuel efficient vehicles, hybrids will be the car to buy.

[fozzie 41]

"Also, here's a story from 2003"

2003 in 6 years ago!!!!

Not everyone wants a hybrid...of course they don't. And no, American car manufacturers do not make a good hybid...they don't make good cars full stop.

The days of the gas guzzling suv are more than likely numbered. Sales are down more than any other style of car. That is why honda and toyota will stay in business without massive government asiatnce ans all US car manufacturers will either go bust or scrape through with massive amount of help.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

"Also, here's a story from 2003"

2003 in 6 years ago!!!!

Yeah, my point was to show a correlation between the high sales of SUV's over the last several years and government policy. Obama has talked about giving tax rebates for hybrid vehicles. It would definitely help.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

"Also, here's a story from 2003"

2003 in 6 years ago!!!!

Yeah, my point was to show a correlation between the high sales of SUV's over the last several years and government policy. Obama has talked about giving tax rebates for hybrid vehicles. It would definitely help.

They are giving away Hyundai's around here, low interest loans, and up to $6000 cash back.

[NickD 202]

important points... all car sales are down...

I looked at a fully loaded 2008 prius with 12K miles for 17K$. A subcompact sentra or focus will get 35mpg and cost maybe 2 grand less.

Ford dealer here in WI is selling brand new fully loaded Focus's for $13K and with the 5 speed, people are getting 43 mph on the highway.

One factor about performance, sure need all I can get when trying to enter an interstate in the cities, merge lanes are short and really have to pour on coals or wait all day. Don't need that around here on a dead county road, can take a half a day to accelerate up to 55 without blocking traffic or even getting on the interstate.

Is one advantage of a hybrid to use a smaller gasoline engine with that extra boost from the motor/generator, either that, or build more intelligent interstate ramps. Really hate the ones in the Twin Cities, use a common ramp for people getting on and off, how can you get off with people one after another trying to get on?

Another nightmare is where the NW interstate intersects the Eden in Chicago, merging six lanes into four, always a several mile long traffic jam.

I use to like our town before the DOT came in, had three traffic lights, can't even count them today, must be over 50, sit at the damned things for hours with a red light with not another single vehicle in sight. Heard they did the same thing in LA, we should be able to cross or make a left turn with a red light, or cut the damned things down.