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Originally Posted by redpoint5
How can my statement be factually wrong if there's a huge variability in what can be considered "steady highway cruising" or what constitutes equivalent ICE vs hybrid vehicles?
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Equivalent to me is same year, make, model and options with one an ICE and the other a hybrid. Anything else is is Apples vs Oranges vs Bananas if the question is "does hybrid technology improve fuel economy at steady highway cruising"
Quote:
Originally Posted by redpoint5
The 2010 Toyota Camry is rated 32 MPG highway, and the hybrid is rated 34 MPG. The hybrid carried ~$3,000 price premium at the time. At 12k miles per year, the hybrid would save 22 gallons, or about $65. Payback is 46 years in this scenario. That isn't "never", but you get my point. It still doesn't factor in the extra financing charges associated with the $3k hybrid premium, or the lost interest potential of investing the $3k saved by not buying hybrid.
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Why are you comparing cars that are almost 10 years old? Especially if you are talking financing costs.
The current Toyota Camry Hybrid is rated at 53 mpg highway while the current 2.5L base Camry is rated at 39 mpg. The Hybrid SE is $3,800 more than the 2.5L Camry SE but the Hybrid comes standard with features of the 2.5L XLE. (Smart Key, Dual Zone Climate, and newer version of Toyota Safety Sense) So the cost is not an apples to apples comparison.
Jump to the Avalon and the Hybrid is rated at 43 mpg highway vs 31 mpg for the 3.5L base Avalon. The hybrid is $1,000 more than the gas only. Why would anyone buy the gas Avalon?
Quote:
Originally Posted by redpoint5
As hybrid technology improves and cost premiums decrease, it will increasingly make more sense for vehicles to include the technology, but to imply that all use cases financially favor hybrid tech is "factually wrong".
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And here is likely the disconnect between us. You are talking finances and I'm talking fuel efficiency. Hybrid technology saves fuel. Whether is saves enough to pay of the premium in a reasonable time depends on how the manufacturer prices and equips the hybrid vs the gas models.
TDI's were the same way. We didn't get another TDI to replace our 2003 because by 2013 VW only offered the TDI in the top trim level.