"SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Just last summer, hybrid cars didn't make much financial sense. One year and 35 cents a gallon later, they still might not, but they're getting much closer, according to a recent study from car-buying research Web site Edmunds.com. "Hybrid shoppers in previous years tended to be more concerned about the environment than they were about saving money," said analyst Alex Rosten. "Now, with gas prices the way they are, people are really looking at hybrids to save money." And, in some cases, the savings are there for the taking. With help from a hefty tax credit, consumers driving their vehicle 15,000 miles a year completely recover the premium paid for on the Ford Escape Hybrid and Toyota Prius within three years. " More at http://www.marketwatch.com/News/Story/Stor...hoo&siteid=yhoo (hope this humongously long link works).
Did you notice that they said it would take 3 years to recover, but yet their table says 2.1? I'm glad to see they used the Camry as a comp.
we would have gotten a camry if not the prius, i'm glad they finally got their heads out of their... eh, you know.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(galaxee @ Aug 23 2006, 12:45 PM) [snapback]308408[/snapback]</div> Same here...actually, the Camry, Accord and Mazda6 were my sedan choices until I stumbled upon the Prius. Would've cost me virtually the same for the car if I'd gotten any one of those (similarly equipped) instead of my fully loaded Prius, but I'd be getting worse gas mileage and paying more to fill up each time. I'm glad I discovered the Prius when I did!!!
What is frustrating is what is often overlooked. In my situation, my previous vehicle was a $27k Jeep Grand Cherokee. I was prepared to spend that same much or slight more on a replacement vehicle. So, I started look at alternatives that would give me better mileage. Nothing really excited me, because everything was pretty much a sedan and I'd be giving up all my storage space. Then I came across the Prius and was interested, although very skeptical on how well a 4 cylinder/electric engine would really perform. After a test drive, I was hooked. So, I think too many comparisons are done between car a with gas and car a with gas/hybrid engine and cost difference between the two. More comparisons should be done between what person was previously driving and the efficiency of a hybrid. Not to mention, how a hybrid can replace many other oversized vehicles. I think I've missed my Jeep maybe a total of 2 times. oh.. and BTW - Based on 30k miles driven a year, my getting 45mpg and gas being $2.50 - I would have saved over $3k a year on gas. I'm still driving about 30k miles a year, but gas has been closer to $3 and my lifetime average is just under 47mpg. So, based on my calculations, the Prius pays for itself.
