Small / economy car deathwatch: we've passed "peak econobox" again

[Shaneajanderson]

Originally Posted by mpg_numbers_guy

But if you want to go all out and reduce your transportation cost as much as possible, buy a cheap $1000 Toyota or Honda; overall that'll have a far lower cost per mile than a new car.

You save some, you lose some. It's all about where and what you want to cut and where/what you want to save.

Or a $350 Geo Metro.

Including the purchase price, fixes, and fuel I'm at about $.15/ mile now, and it's still going down every time I buy fuel. Not too bad in my book.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by Xist

How long does the hybrid battery need to last to save money long-term?

At Prius battery prices about 5-6 years or about half their current lifespan

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by Xist

How long does the hybrid battery need to last to save money long-term?

That would depend on use. A hybrid that spends most of the time in stop and go traffic on a long commute would pay for itself quickly.

A hybrid that only travels constant speed on the highway will never recoup the extra cost, because constant highway cruising isn't where hybrid tech helps.

[Xist]

The only reason I have wanted a hybrid was for all of the hills I drive.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

That would depend on use. A hybrid that spends most of the time in stop and go traffic on a long commute would pay for itself quickly.

A hybrid that only travels constant speed on the highway will never recoup the extra cost, because constant highway cruising isn't where hybrid tech helps.

Hybrid are useful even driving at constant highway speeds because the allow the manufacturer to downsize the engine to a size that is more efficient. What non-hybrid returns the 50 mpg highway your Prius is rated at?

[freebeard]

The dirty, dirty Rabbit diesels?

[Frank Lee]

Originally Posted by JSH

What non-hybrid returns the 50 mpg highway your Prius is rated at?

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by JSH

Hybrid are useful even driving at constant highway speeds because the allow the manufacturer to downsize the engine to a size that is more efficient. What non-hybrid returns the 50 mpg highway your Prius is rated at?

You're not making an equivalent scenario as I have laid out. I said hybrids wouldn't recoup the extra cost for constant highway driving. Now you're asking me to find non-hybrids that get 50 MPG. You don't need a car that gets 50 MPG on the highway to be more economically advantageous, you simply need one cheap enough that also gets decent enough fuel economy.

I'm partial towards hybrid technology, but acknowledge the diminishing returns for smaller vehicles, and those that tend to drive constant speeds.

[litesong]

Originally Posted by JSH

What non-hybrid returns the 50 mpg highway your Prius is rated at?

As mentioned, lots of diesels hit 50+MPG. Many small 3-cylinder cars give way over 50MPG. The recent 3-cylinder Ford Fiesta & other versions got over 50MPG (with power). My old 1979 Plymouth Champ, my 1988 Ford Festiva & similar older cars could hit 50MPG. 2011 Chevy Eco Cruze with 1.4 liter turbo & other similar engined cars would measure 50+MPG. 3-cylinder Ford Fiesta & other versions got over 50MPG. Many other cars....

[JSH]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

You're not making an equivalent scenario as I have laid out. I said hybrids wouldn't recoup the extra cost for constant highway driving. Now you're asking me to find non-hybrids that get 50 MPG. You don't need a car that gets 50 MPG on the highway to be more economically advantageous, you simply need one cheap enough that also gets decent enough fuel economy.

I'm partial towards hybrid technology, but acknowledge the diminishing returns for smaller vehicles, and those that tend to drive constant speeds.

A equivalent scenario is taking the same model vehicle and comparing the hybrid version to the standard ICE version. That is how one determines if the extra cost of the hybrid technology is recouped with fuel savings

Comparing random cars, different sizes, used vs new, etc tells us nothing about the payback from choosing a hybrid.