Hybrids worth the money?
According to detnews.com, a writer named Scott Burgess wrote an article entitled “Rating the hybrids: A look at the best and worst, and what’s coming next” giving his opinion about hybrids. There are two reasons to buy a hybrid. The first reason is to get better gas mileage and the second is to better help the environment. More and more people are buying hybrids. Most of these people are buying hybrids in order to help their gas mileage since gas is upward of $4.00/gallon. Burgess wrote about whether hybrids were really worth it if you were just buying the car in order to save on gas mileage. Hybrids cost on average $5000 more than non-hybrid cars. Plus, hybrids in general do not “do their best work on open highways.” They offer the best stop-and-go mileage in the city because most cars can run on electric motors on speed under 25 mph.
The top-selling hybrid, the Toyota Prius continues to sell millions of cars and who can beat 48 mpg highway and 45 mpg city? Burgess said his only “gripe” with this hybrid is that the interior “feels cheap and space is cramped.” According to Burgess, here is the list of hybrids that he recommends.
1. Ford Escape - FWD, great mileage, and alot of space. The 2009 version will have even better mileage and more power.
2. Honda Civic - comfortable compact with great ride and handling
3. Toyota Camry - “best appointed hybrid that gets more than 30 mpg combined mileage”
4. Toyota Highlander - “big people hauler, still frugal with gas”
Burgess also shares with us the hybrids he does not recommend:
1. Saturn Vue Green Line - engine shuts off when stopped. no electric motors.
2. Lexus LS 600h - it’s a luxury car but the ticket price is $100,000
3. Saturn Aura/Chevy Malibu - “these “hybrids” muddy the water with two-mode hybrids. the four-cylinder, six-speed transmission Malibu matches the hybrid sibling on the highway.”
So, even though this is just one persons’ opinion on hybrids, you can take this information with you when you go to look at a new car and specifically a hybrid.