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People who buy hybrids for purely fiscal reasons have only two choices: drive it for more than five years or buy a Civic Hybrid. Even the vaunted Prius takes right around five years to break even. If they go past 5 they aren't a part of the study because they aren't buying a new anything. The Civic is a great tool, but not the kind of car that inspires you to buy another one, and there is no "step up" in Honda's catalog until the Accord Hybrid comes back. Lousy driving habits or not, I would bet that most of the people "jumping off the bandwagon" are people who bought a hybrid to save money without ever stopping to do the math on whether it would save them money beyond just at the pump.
On a side note, where is the Hybrid minivan? Please spare me the Prius V. It is a wagon at best, and many would look at it and just see a bigger hatchback. I mean like a Honda Odyssey Hybrid (although minivan prices are getting ridiculous as it is). Let Ford put the Fusion Hybrid drivetrain in their minivan, maybe with an ecoboost engine. Hell I would take a Chevy HHR. Just give me something that can fit a trip to Home Depot in the back with the seats down/out, yet get great fuel economy when it isn't loaded down. come to think of it, just give me one that can get above the low 20s.
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