[Jim-Bob]

Originally Posted by cfg83

honestabe -

Yeah, $4K+ sounds about right. I did some searching. I went to autotrader.com and did this :

- zip code = New Port Richey
- within = 200 miles
- Honda Insight
- Honda Civic
- from 1981 to 2007
- Engine = Hybrid
- Transmission = manual

I found 3 results, all 200+ miles away. Here is a Civic for $5K :

Cars for Sale: 2005 Honda Civic Hybrid in Miami, FL 33166: Sedan Details - 290923165 - AutoTrader.com

Jim-Bob -

Assuming this is in your price range, I would run the car past your insurer to see if it suffers similar cost-of-insurance pitfalls.

CarloSW2

Believe me, I will be running all my choices past my agent before I start shopping in earnest. Right now I need to sell off some of my other cars before I buy anything else. I am just starting the research phase right now and feel that the best way to do so with an older car is to ask people who own them and live with them every day. I don't mind a car if it tends to have problems with trim parts or a poor quality stereo. I can easily fix that. I am more worried about a tendency for issues with major components that are outside my ability to service them. I may have a welder, an air compressor and a shop press but my ability to service a CVT or electric assist motor are quite limited.

I also have a few non-hybrids in mind to consider like the B14 Sentra/200sx 1.6/5 speed and the 1995+ Metro if the insurance question pans out. The issue with the 1989-94 Metro is that it did extremely poorly in IIHS crash tests and is subject to high personal injury claims because of it. In a state like Florida which has very high insurance costs already this is exacerbated to ridiculous levels as I unfortunately found out. The hybrid cars I am thinking of tend to have lower insurance costs than my truck due to typically being owned by more careful drivers and their superior occupant protection.

I just don't want to get involved in a technically complex vehicle with expensive sub-systems that are not easily sourced from the U Pull It yards if these systems do not have a stellar reputation. That could easily turn a $2000 beater Insight into a $6,000 nightmare when I would have been better off just buying a better car to begin with. The nice thing about the Metro is just how simple all of the sub-assemblies are to source and rebuild. A transmission would run $175 to rebuild. An engine runs less than $1k, MUCH less. I can't necessarily rebuild a hybrid battery pack in my front yard and would be a little scared to attempt it due to the high voltages and amperage involved. That would mean needing to find a local mentor who would take me under their wing and teach me how to service these systems. Sadly I know of no one in my rather limited circle that messes with these cars. I tend to be the one others turn to with their issues and the others I know do not own hybrids. I can service a vintage Fiat if needed but a vintage Prius would be a whole new challenge to tackle.