Hybrids not the cheapest car to drive (according to edmunds)

[homeworkhome53]

The Aveo huh? Well I knew it was not costing me much when I filled the tank this morning after a week's driving and it cost me $22 and change (271 miles). I've gotten better than 48mpg 5 weeks running. I bought it cause I needed a work car but it is growing on me with evey fillup. Being able to carry a 9'4" kayak inside is just a bonus. This past week I carried the kayak every day and there was not difference in mileage. I'd even thought of getting a Yaris but I think I'll hang onto this Aveo and see how it goes.

homeworkhome53

[akcapeco]

Like the Metro before it, the Aveo gets very short shrift in a lot of people's minds... American's tend to view small cars from the lofty perch of wealth and privilege.

But this isn't the first time the Aveo has shown up leading Edmunds' Total Cost to Own.

Despite anchoring the low end of the totem pole here in the States, the Aveo is actually a decent if not scintillating car -- it has excellent interior packaging, is quiet and smooth to drive... and and while it doesn't get the terrific mileage of a Metro, it has obviously can get terrific mileage.

I'd like to hear more about how homeworkhome53 gets such great mileage.

[Blue07CivicEX]

I punched in the numbers on the spreadsheet and mine spit out the auto-civic sedan as number 1, then when i put in my actual FE it pretty much stomped the competition lol.

[ttoyoda]

then when i put in my actual FE it pretty much stomped the competition lol.

That was a problem to choose in the spreadsheet.. so the window sticker city/highway numbers were used. I had to limit the scope of the problem to what my attention span could handle.

[homeworkhome53]

I've driven the same route to work for seven years and would have said before February that it was flat. The scan gauge has proven that to be a false perception. I've slowed down and started using the topography to advantage. Instead of trying to maintain a speed I drive to maintain an MPG. Slowly I've been able squeeze the MPG out, but I think I've hit the wall (48mpg), so am looking for some mods to assist me in my quest for 53 mpg. But if the Aveo doesn't get good MPG I'd say check the foot on the driver before blaming it on the vehicle. I have 3 vehicles and what I learn on the Aveo has translated nicely to a 94 Chevy short bed 4.3 and a Honda CRV so I'm thinking it was the driver all along. My daily drive takes 7 minute longer each way, but I enjoy it more. I don't miss those 14 minutes out of my day, but I'm an old man. I'm just glad you still can teach and old dog new tricks.
homeworkhome53

[JohnnyGrey]

Most cost of ownership calculators do not factor in the purchase price of the vehicle, only depreciation. Why? Because whatever value is left in the asset can be recovered when you sell it. Counting depreciation, repairs, insurance, fuel etc, Edmunds says my Cavalier wlil cost an average of $5K a year to run. This estimate is high for me because I only pay $500/yr to insure it, I do my own repairs, and I paid $3299 for it, so even if it loses all its value, depreciation is negligible. Even counting things like stereo upgrades, window tint and ecomods, it's still below Edmund's estimate. I'd expect it to be dead on for your average schmoe who just buys the car to commute in, takes it in for service or when he hears an unusual noise.

This article is far from groundbreaking. Hybrids save gas, not money. Even today's compacts with lackluster economy ratings can keep far more money in your wallet than a Prius.

[sdprius858]

Well, after looking at Honda Civic LX Sedan Auto and Prius. The Prius was the cheapest and bigger of the 2. My Tundra was just sucking down gas, and i had to need for a fullsize truck so i traded it in. I got my Prius Package 2 for $22,000 out the door before gas hit $4 back in March. I still have $9600 left on my loan and after lookin at Autotrader at 2007 Prius' selling for $29,995 i decided to list mine on Craigslist as a joke. 2008 with 4900 miles. Asking $35,000. I had 3 calls in 4 hours, one guy offered $32,000. Costs me $33 every 2 weeks to fill up

[Blue07CivicEX]

I hope you sold it and went back to the dealer to get another one :-P

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by SVOboy

I know a lot of people will try to make you think that a hybrid is the only car to drive if you want to save money.

Good example of a straw man argument there. Hands up every hybrid owner whose main goal was saving money. Anyone? Didn't think so :-)

I suppose I'm a fairly typical hybrid owner, Saving money wasn't even on my list of reasons for buying an Insight. I could well afford to buy & fuel a Hummer if I wanted. Conversely, if my purpose was saving money, I'd have bought another used CRX instead of paying about 3 times as much for a nearly-new Insight.

No, what I'm interested in saving is GAS, not money. I don't like contributing to either global warming or jihad. If that means I have to spend more money, I think it well spent.

[basjoos]

I think the cheapest car to operate is an aero-modded non-hybrid, especially if it is an older car that has already gone through most of its depreciation. For a few hundred dollars in aero mods, you can get the mileage of a hybrid without the additional purchase and maintenance costs of a hybrid. I don't think I could find anything cheaper to drive than my car for the type of driving that I do (mostly highway). The purchase cost for a 92 Civic CX would be $1000 to $3000, then add about $400 of aero mods to get a car that will give you 70 to 90mpg on the highway at typical highway speeds (the last couple of tanks have been in the upper 70's).