Quote:
Originally Posted by California98Civic
Okay, if you're interested in hybrids mostly, but don't forget the awesome advice you got in post #9 ... if it were me, that would be my path...  |
I'm not disagreeing with you, but the right vehicle for a person always depends on how it will actually be driven.
A person that does mostly city driving (lots of stops, shorter trips) will benefit from the hybrids ability to recapture a small portion of that stopping energy. Also, someone less willing to use extreme hypermiling techniques will benefit from a hybrid. Finally, the Prius has systems in place to preserve or accelerate warm-up time. The Gen II uses a vacuum bottle to store warm engine coolant, which preserves the engine heat after it is turned off. The Gen III uses heat from exhaust gasses to warm engine coolant quickly.
People with more discipline/skill can get better efficiency with non-hybrids.
Radiant's requirements are that the car be compact,
automatic transmission (which reduces city driving efficiency), and fuel efficient. The OP needs to honestly consider how disciplined their driving will be in day to day use to determine which vehicle will best meet efficiency goals.