I’m thinking about buying a new car. Is a hybrid car worth it?
By Cars & Motorcycles on Apr 22, 2009 with Comments 6
aen935 asked: I’ve heard that you need to replace the battery in hybrids every 3 or 4 years, which defeat the purpose of saving money on the gas because they’re so expensive. I’ve tried looking this up online and I read anywhere from 3 to 9 years. I wouldn’t mind replacing it after 6 or 7 years, but 3 is unacceptable. Does anyone know a cheaper but quality hybrid car? I’m really liking the Honda Civic Hybrid, but I don’t know many others. Any suggestions and/or advice? Thanks!
Filed Under: Buying New Car
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It’s not worth it yet. I’m sure it’s the wave of the future, but now you have to find specific facilities to service your hybrid. Battery replacement can be anywhere from $8,000 to $11,000 dollars, and car companies haven’t even found a safe way to dispose of them. Also, if you are in a serious accident, emergency crews have to wait to assist you until they have certian safety precautions in place. I would wait until these kinks are worked out.
i bet a warranty would cover the cost of replacement, talk to an astute Honda dealer or call the company
No, not worth it. Between the hybrid premium up-front cost and all the extra maintenance, you will spending alot more money than you are saving.
If you like the Civic hybrid, just get the regular Civic…
The Honda Civic Hybrid is better than the Toyota Prius. The Civic and the Civic Hybrid both get really high gas mileage. Go with the Civic Hybrid because it’s better for the environment.
I would avoid the Prius. it is just as good as the Civic Hybrid, yet people are paying ABOVE sticker to get one? I really do not think they are worth it. You could get a Mini Cooper for a little less and get around 35mpg without sacrificing fun.
Your information about the batteries is incorrect. Hybrid batteries are under warranty for 8-10 years, and are designed to last the lifetime of the car. No Prius has had to replace its battery due to old age, and Priuses used as taxis have gone over 200,000 miles on the original battery.
The cheapest hybrid is the Prius base model. The Honda Civic hybrid is close, but slightly more expensive and doesn’t match the Prius’ city mileage efficiency. The reason most people buy the Civic hybrid is because they think the Prius is ugly, but the Prius sells about 5 times more models than the Civic because it’s simply a better car.
One benefit of the Civic hybrid is that it still qualifies for a federal tax credit. Toyota has sold so many hybrids that their tax credits have been phased-out, so the Civic hybrid might be slightly cheaper overall.
You might want to consider that the next generation Prius is coming out this year, for the 2009 model season. It’s supposed to get 80 mpg in the city:
So if you’re not in a hurry to get a new car, it might be worth it to wait until the new models come out later this year.