I told a friend I was considering buying an hybrid car and he told me « Great, I am glad you finally decide to come out of the closet Vince ! » and « You're going to need a little scarf and a moustache to come along with your new car »
Seriously I never thought I would buy one but the gas is 5 buck a gallon in Montreal and we expect to reach more this summer.I have my Elantra just for 8 months now so it's for tomorrow either.So what you guys think about hybrid cars ? Are they weak or something ? Will I be able to overtake other cars when I need to ? I wonder also about the reliability and cost of maintenance.Thanks !!

Before anyone jumps in......... duck!
i'm certain you won't get much support on here for buying a hybrid.

1986 Honda CRX HF. Gets 45 city, 55 highway. My cost, $500. Had zero issues with it. Your cost, a steal at $3500 today only. Put that in your Prius and smoke it.

Taking a $5000 loss on a car to get something that gets 5 MPG better takes a hell of a long time to pay back. $5/gallon gas still means you're buying 1000 gallons of gas. At 30MPG, that's 30,000 miles of driving.

If you're really doing it to save money, a hybrid is a no-win situation. Buy an old econobox for daily driving. Something like JeepDave's HF, or if you want newer, find yourself a VX or HX Civic. TDI cars are pretty good, too.

Ugh, hybrids.

My TDI Jetta eats Priuses for breakfast.

There are many, many suitable alternatives to hybrids.
very, very CHEAP alternatives.
otaku is dead on with the older econobox.

Your Elantra should already be getting great mileage!

I suggest a V10 Ford Excursion 4x4.

i dont think people understand theres more to hybrids than just the prius.
the issue with many hybrids is the cost of purchasing them seems too high for what it is. Often if cant be justified for the amount of driving done per year (to offset the cost of fuel in relation to the higher purchase price of the car)

that is what stopped some people I know from buying the carmy hybrid.
the new hybrids have no issue with overtaking others, the power is there, look at the CR-Z for example, Id be all over it if i were in the market for a new car.

I personally would like one, I think your friend and many on this board feel theres an issue with hybrids and have probably never had one or used one for any amount of time. stop thinking about the ugly ass prius people, theres good looking hybrids too

My mpg right now is 21 town and 29 highway.That could be better.I also thought about the new Ford Fiesta the mpg is pretty good.

Posted by team haymaker I personally would like one, I think your friend and many on this board feel theres an issue with hybrids and have probably never had one or used one for any amount of time. stop thinking about the ugly ass prius people, theres good looking hybrids too

I'm quite content not owning one. I had to drive a couple back when I detailed cars, sometimes we had to deliver them. Ew. No thanks. To all hybrids.

TDI <3

The issue I have with hybrids is that you can get better mpg's with less technology, fewer moving parts. I don't like over complicated no matter how reliable, because eventually it will need repair. I mean, hell, they have Hybrid Chevy Tahoes. I know there is more than just a prius, but none of them make sense to me. I do like the CR-Z too, pretty bad ass little car. But wish there as a pure gas option.

Hybrids are over engineered, baby seal killing pieces of crap. It's the wrong

My '99 Volkswagen gets better mileage than any hybrid in North America, requires less maintenance, doesn't have 10 grand worth of toxic batteries in the trunk, and it actually has a sense of styling to it.

I've done training on hybrid vehicles (servicing, theory, etc..) and they are just the wrong technology at this point.

My '91 Toyota Tercel gets almost the same mileage as a Prius... and I bought it for $600... 7 years ago.

I think hybrid is the answer only to people who don't want diesel. I want diesel, though. If I could buy a diesel Jeep or small truck right now, I'd be shopping them. They're not, so I'm going to keep buying used beaters to offset the difference in fuel cost.

I mean sure, my Jeep gets between 12 and 15 MPG, but I have around $1000 total in it. If I were to find something that gets 30 MPG and spend $2000 on it, I would have to use the thing for a good few years to make my money back. I don't drive nearly enough to bother.

Come to think of it, there is one instance in which a hybrid excels, and that's in traffic jams. I don't mean stop and go, I mean stop and move 5 inches. It can sit there for hours doing that on just batteries whereas anything that burns fuel has to burn fuel each time you nudge the car up an inch thinking the jam is clearing. You can also sit there running the AC on its huge pack. Can't do that with an internal combustion engine.

I guess to sum it up, hybrids make sense for the people that can't think to turn the motor off if you're sitting and make smart decisions when it comes to that nice 35 degree air coming from the magical air vents.

I'd rather a diesel, thanks.

VW TDI beats all

Posted by yokes VW TDI beats all

Needs more emphasis.

03 TDI Jetta wagon <3
394,000 thoroughly enjoyed kms.

Posted by team haymaker I personally would like one, I think your friend and many on this board feel theres an issue with hybrids and have probably never had one or used one for any amount of time. stop thinking about the ugly ass prius people, theres good looking hybrids too

And there are better looking cars than any hybrid that get better mileage. Excluding the Porsche 918 hybrid.

At the last dealership I worked at, I did a one week training course on servicing them, how they work, and why they're "great", including driving most hybrid cars sold here, as well as getting to see most varieties of these cars dismantled.

They all sucked, and none of them have any redeeming qualities. You might as well drive a 5.9 litre Durango if you want to save the earth, because it'll be doing less damage.


ALSO:
My diesel makes a nice VROOOOM sound when I drive it. Hybrids just go "wsssshhhh"

VOLKSWAGEN DIESEL.
END OF DISCUSSION.

Hybrids are a joke.

Posted by bandi ALSO: My diesel makes a nice VROOOOM sound when I drive it. Hybrids just go "wsssshhhh"

I thoroughly enjoy the lack of insulation in my TDI because of the skid plate...and sounds even better in a parking garage! There's nothing like the smell of diesel on a cold morning...

Posted by shadowedsmile I thoroughly enjoy the lack of insulation in my TDI because of the skid plate...and sounds even better in a parking garage! There's nothing like the smell of diesel on a cold morning...

i would like that 50+mpg would be the best.