Comments on: What Stops People From Buying Hybrids?

By: hummm

hummm — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:19:55 +0000

The added efficency of a plug-in hybrid will provide a much larger incentive for people to purchase them. But how are we going to supply that electricity?

By: Frank

Frank — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 19:19:04 +0000

so u have to shell out an extra 2000 to get this ugly vehicle that gets better gas milage…or get a cooler one that fits ur wants and needs and spen about that in a year or two for gas…i dont see an advantage to buying these vehicles.

By: John

John — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 19:59:58 +0000

Most hybrid vehicles are extremely ugly.

By: Capthook

Capthook — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 03:34:40 +0000

I bought a 2007 Camry Hybrid in 2006 I have
over 40,000 mi. on it. It is a very good looking car, 4dr, seat 5 people easy, good trunk space, 10yr. 150,000 mi. warrenty, I get
39mpg hyway 40mpg in town, I can walk away from most midsize cars from a stop, or on a hill. the electric motor has 199fptg. I enjoy driveing it very much. It has a 17.3 gal. tank
I can go 636mi. on a tank. It is very good at the price of gas now.

By: Jason Macemore » Blog Archive » Hybrid hurdles

Jason Macemore » Blog Archive » Hybrid hurdles — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 09:38:23 +0000

[...] of my favorite sites, Daily Fuel Economy Tip, has a great article on What Stops People from Buying Hybrids. A few of the issues are listed [...]

By: Gordo

Gordo — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 14:55:55 +0000

I don’t own a hybrid like most people, because of the price. But there are lots of other reasons. I drive a toyota echo (now called Yaris in the US but was always called Yaris in Europe). It is not a hybrid (although its pretty ugly like the prius, haha) anyway, it has plenty of room (4 door, fine for a family of four, five in a pinch, I also like the real big trunk). It gets close to 40MPG. Never had any problems with the car, I actually own two of them, the oldest is from 2000. I bought the second one, a 2001 model with 38k miles on it for just $5.5k a couple years ago. Unlike the civic, it has no timing belt (has a chain which never has to be replaced) and has an ATF filter for additional reliability (never have to change ATF) and even uses a special spark plug that is good for 120,000 miles.

For great reliability, great MPG, and most important, dirt cheap price, the Echo/Yaris makes so much more sense right now than a hybrid. According to Edmunds real world driving stats, the prius is only getting low to mid 40′s MPG (yea, I know there are lots of individual drivers getting better).

My other concerns about the hybrid (and this may be unfounded – I don’t know) – how long do the batteries last? Do current owners even know? How much does it cost to replace them? How environmentally friendly are their disposal? With all the extra systems/parts how does the toal projected maintenance cost compare to traditional vechicles over the estimated life of the car? Are there enough competant mechanics that know how to work on these cars or do you have to take it to the dealership for service?

As for “plug in” – these only make sense if you are one of the tiny minority that has access to renewable energy (solar panels, hydro, etc.) In generally electricity is the least efficient type of energy you could possibly use for a car. I hope people aren’t planning to buy these plug in cars and charge them using electric from coal fired power plants – that is just plain stupid (wasteful, expensive, inefficient, and bad for the environment).

By: missywombat

missywombat — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 22:54:35 +0000

When there is a hybrid peoplemover/minivan like a Honda Odyssey or a Toyota Tarago, that’s when I start thinking about replacing my current car. I’ve been wanting one of these for the past three years…

By: Despite the propaganda, waiting for plug-ins · motormobil.com

Despite the propaganda, waiting for plug-ins · motormobil.com — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 00:55:19 +0000

[...] Daily Economy Fuel Tip surveys why people don‘t buy hybrids now. [...]

By: Lambert John

Lambert John — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 11:12:18 +0000

Hey, if I could afford a hybrid, I would buy one in a heartbeat. I do agree with one writer however, when he said that most of them are ugly – the Prius especially.

Some folks consider their car an extension of who they are. You can say all day long, “well, who cares?” But the truth is, this is America, and we are a “cool car” nation. Always have been. People do actually care what they drive. Just look around you when you’re driving around town today. Do you see a world of Prius’? Probably not.

The two things that would help increase hybrid sales is #1, make them affordable. And #2, make them ascetically appealing. There you go, a recipe for success.

By: William Wilgus

William Wilgus — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 23:15:12 +0000

In the same sense that the extra expense of a Diesel is only justified if you do a lot of driving, hybrids only make sense if you do a lot of city driving. Also, since a hybrid has more components, there will be more repairs required.