Gasbuddy Poll: "Would you consider an electric or hybrid for your next vehicle?"

It depends a whole lot on your state tax policy.
Most hybrids are going to cost $4-6000 more than the equivalent non-hybrid version.
For example, you could get Mazda-3 or Corolla instead of a Prius.

In my region (north VA), our car taxes are very high 5% per year on the blue book value. Also we have very low gasoline taxes. This means you pay 20-40% tax on the incremental higher cost of the green car, and you will not recover gasoline cost as well since the gasoline tax is lower.

California I see as intermediate state....you have high car taxes but not as bad as north VA, and you have high gasoline tax so that means hybrid saves more at pump. And of course re: Plug_ins, CA has massive incentives (completely absent in VA) which accounts for approaching 45-50% of Plug_in sales in CA alone.

Bottom line for me is: due to improved availability of higher MPG conventional cars, it is harder to make the hybrid math work as favorably as it did back in 2006, in my state.

 

Per usual the answer is "It depends."

I would recommend a cheap hybrid like the Prius C or Honda Insight for ~19,000 but not the more expensive ones. You can buy cars that get near-40 MPG for much less money, and saving money upfront is the better deal.

About 10,000 cheaper than a Prius:

 

Yes. I'm already on the band wagon. I reviewed some of the responses on Gasbuddy gas prices. "They" covered every negative excuse not to, to include a few valid reasons. I drive a Prius Plug In to conserve gas because I want to. At this point in my life, I'm going to pay a certain amount for a new vehicle. The hybrid/electric variable is a additional expense I'm willing to pay. What I won't buy is any hybrid vehicle, just because it says hybrid. I spoke to a couple at work who have a "new" 2013 Lincoln MXZ hybrid. He states they're getting consistent average 41 MPG and a high miles (?) per tank. Based on what a Prius hybrid gets, I think he's being overly optimistic. I believe we're on the tip of a exciting future for hybrid/electric vehicles. Yes, I want new, better fuel mileage technology, and I'm willing to pay a fair price. I have a friend who states he does't care about gas prices because he can afford it. Most people can, but at some point, you'll make sacrifices. At the entry level, I drive a 2012 Prius Plug In. I get passed by most cars in my rear view mirror on my daily work commute. Why does he drive that funny looking car? Little do they know, on average, I drive 75% electric and the other 25% is at a bargain rate.

 

• October 2005 - bought a used, 2003 Prius, my daily commuter with 160,000 miles
• May 2009 - bought a new, 2010 Prius for my wife with 50,000 miles

Both cars have tow bars; 1kW emergency power inverters; paid off, and; get 52 MPG year after year. Neither car is even close to needing replacement. But I did look at a Lincoln MKZ hybrid last September for the collision avoidance system but the pending government shutdown killed the deal.

Bob Wilson

 

How do you get 10,000 cheaper? I'm finding it only £3590 cheaper than the same-class Auris Hybrid, in a market where both cars and fuel are far more expensive than here in the U.S.

As best I can see, there is no U.S. price set for it yet. The cheapest current U.S. Focus starts at $19,450, with older style engine and just a 5 speed transmission. Getting the 6-speed Ecoboost next year for $9,000 sounds rather like wishful thinking.

 

How often do you hear of a Lexus driver being told (scolded?) about how much they could have saved if they bought a Toyota?

 

Every time a luxury car driver starts saying, "I saved X dollars off this car," then I do tell them a Lexus is really just a Toyota (and they could have bought the Toyota for far less).

Also: When I said about 10,000 less I was comparing the ~26,000 Prius (including tax) versus the ~16,000 Fiesta (45mpg highway).

 

Great!

	Column 1	Column 2	Column 3
0	[th]2014 Prius[th]2014 Fiesta (auto)[th]metric
1	[tr][td2]51 MPG[td2]29 MPG[td]city
2	[tr][td2]48 MPG[td2]39 MPG[td]highway
3	[tr][td2]94 ft{3}[td2]85 ft{3}[td]passenger volume
4	[tr][td2]22 ft{3}[td2]15 ft{3}[td]luggage volume
5	[tr][td2]$24	200[td2]$14	100[td]MSRP low
6	[tr][td2]$30	005[td2]$21	400[td]MSRP high
7	[tr][td2]$6	250[td2]$3	250[td]fuel savings over 5 years
8	[tr][td2]4 stars[td2]2 stars[td]side impact safety
9	[tr][td2]1.8L[td2]1.6L[td]engine displacement
10	[tr][td2]595 miles[td2]384 miles[td]range on full tank
11	[tr][td2]alloy[td2]steel[td]wheels
12	[tr][td2]spoiler[td2]not listed[td]aerodynamics
13	[tr][td2]electric[td2]manual[td]windows
14	[tr][td2]disc[td2]drum[td]rear brakes
15	[tr][td2]solar roof[td2]n/a[td]solar powered vents
16	[tr][td2]remote AC[td2]remote start[td]pre-cooling the car
17	[tr][td2]DRCC[td2]?[td]optional	distance following cruise control
18	[tr][td2]LKA[td2]?[td]optional	lane keep assist
19	[tr][td2]PCS[td2]?[td]optional	precollision system

Source: Fuel Economy

So the Prius has better fuel economy in the city, highway; more passenger volume and; more luggage volume. Good thing these have no impact in the $8,595 to $10,100 price difference. Then there is the bigger, more spacious Prius, $3,000/5yr fuel savings; better side impact, and; larger engine. So the Prius takes two fill-ups to go the same distance the Fiesta needs three fill-ups, time hanging at a gas station. Then there are the wheels, spoiler, electric windows (try to keep the kids and dogs in the car), and rear brakes. Then there are some nice safety options in the top of the line Prius that I've not found on the Fiesta.

Bob Wilson

 

So why did you use that comment to introduce a video review of a Focus that doesn't yet exist in the U.S.?

And why are you comparing the larger Prius hatchback to a Fiesta sedan that is even smaller than the Prius 'c'?

And why are you comparing the Prius price after taxes, to the Fiesta price before taxes and without the Ecoboost engine option required to get the mpg you are heralding?

This is just more typical TH FUD -- compare non-equivalent configurations, and present the benefits of certain extra cost options as if they were free.

 

I heard a monthly bus ticket is cheaper than a Prius. Why no one compare that instead with a Focus/Fiesta?

 

Indeed!

• Bicycles
• Electric motorcycle
• Better highway mileage on an airliner
• Sail boat
• Roller-blades anyone

Bob Wilson

 

I won't consider anything that isn't electric

 

If you use gasbuddy, it means you care about fuel costs. 51% saying they wouldn't consider a hybrid vehicle is higher than other polls.

 

It's very eye-catching, I look forward to driving it, and everyone else who rides in my Prius enjoys it too.

To think, I could have spent less and been completely unsatisfied about my decision.

 

My wife and I didn't plan on purchasing a new hybrid, nor a plug-in hybrid, but when we compared Edmunds Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) with other larger vehicles, we started looking not just at cars with good fuel economy, but at cars that were less expensive to own and operate. That is where the Prius came up favorably with a low TCO, and with the collective incentives from Toyota ($4,000 rebate), the federal tax credit of $2,500, and the California Clean Vehicle Rebate Program of $1,500, the vehicle with a $31,0225 MSRP was available for a net purchased for less than $21k plus CA Sales tax and license. The vehicle gets around 50mph when operating on gas and the equivalent cost of the electricity when running in EV is approximately $2 a gallon for the cost of California PG&E. So far, nearly 30% of our miles are EV. These numbers, incentives, fuel/electric utility costs will vary by state, but I wouldn't assume there is a cost-prohibitive premium to pay for a hybrid/plug-in vehicle.

 

The Prius hatchback is a mid-size family car. Within its category the Prius is very reasonably priced for anyone who wants to keep it for more than a few years to see the fuel/maintenance cost savings.

We have young kids and need the space, so a vehicle smaller than the Prius was out of the question. For what we paid for our '14 Prius 3, $23k before TTL, we felt we were getting a very good deal. If our state offered any additional incentives, we would have jumped at a plug-in Prius instead.

 

Would I consider another hybrid? Just barely, and it wouldn't be any Prius.

Maybe a used Camry Hybrid at a big discount.

 

It is good to have choices. A little pricy, you might also look for Lincoln MKZ coming off of lease. September is a pretty good month for bargains.

Bob Wilson