Posted on 04/14/2005 2:25:36 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
Hummer Vs. Prius Waiting List For Hybrids Pushing Up Cost
MADISON, Wis. -- GM is taking the wraps off the 2006 military-style, Duramax turbo-diesel V-8 Hummer H1.
A 300-horsepower engine moves the 7,600-pound beast.
But with gas prices inching toward $2.50 this summer, the Toyota Prius is the hot ride in the Madison area. The Prius hybrids are well known for their fuel efficiency, but now they're also becoming known as one of the only mass-produced cars that can demand $1,000 or more -- used -- than its original price.
Joanne McCann just bought her second Prius and wants to sell her first one.
"I paid a little over $20,000 for the car in '01, and I'm selling it for $15,000," McCann said.
With 19,000 miles on it, she feels this is a steal.
"There certainly is a market now for these cars," she said.
It's not common to pay more for a used car than a new one, but with gas prices increasing, dealers say it's also not surprising.
"Supply and demand can dictate that," said Doug Peitz, sales manager at Jon Lancaster Toyota. "Instant gratification is that you can get the used Prius right now. Some people don't want to wait the four to eight months to get a new Prius."
Peitz says at least two requests come in every day for hybrids -- 22 people are already on the April waiting list.
Other hybrids like the Honda Accord and Civic are also selling like hotcakes, but dealers here say they;re not dealing with a shortage of these hybrid vehicles.
A Kelly Blue Book survey says if gas hits $3 per gallon, 77 percent of buyers will seriously consider a more fuel-efficient car.
McCann said the growing price of her Prius is not what she expected when she bought the car, but is definitely not worried about getting it sold.
"You expect real estate to go up, but whenever you buy a car you expect it to depreciate -- that's just how it is," McCann said.
Because the Prius is so popular, other companies are coming out with hybrid vehicles. Look for them beginning this summer.
News 3 auto expert Matt Joseph said not all used Priuses will sell for more. Joseph said that while the hybrid cars bring a premium, they don't routinely sell for more than new cars.
And here I was thinking of getting something smaller for my commute into work. After seeing what even just a motorcycle can do to one of these mini-cars, I think I'll keep my Durango.
That's hard hitting and true.
I love it when they take their frameless, lightweight compact car and say "With airbag". (sarcasm)
In Europe there are so so many of these communist cars. They all seem to have them. They are the new Trabants and Ladas of the semi socialist Europe where big government thinks for the people by eliminating freedom through taxation (But technically, it's not illegal- you just can’t afford it as a normal person). I’d feel guilty if I stuck my wife and daughter in such a car on the Autobahn or Highway.
I have a friend in Fairbanks who hit a Moose on the Main Highway between Eielson AFB and Ft. Wainwright. He threw the Moose 40 feet (He was speeding a bit) and that animal was HUGE! He had the biggest Ford SUV built (Excursion?) and it was totaled. NO ONE in the car was hurt.
Red6
Buy both. A Duramax V8 diesel Hummer H1 is a great utility vehicle for the special occassions. A gas-sipping Prius is great for a daily driver.
My lesbian friend drives a Matrix. I think the point might hold up ;P
Need more data samples I guess...
If the electric portion of the hybrid is flexible enough to completely control the engine RPM by controlling the load, you could even use the dual-fuel diesel. Which, the book said 50 years ago, might be the most efficient practical thermodynamic cycle.It consists of a diesel engine with a lean carburator, which requires a pilot charge of diesel to ignite the main charge of gas. Runs smoother than the diesel, but can't be throttled and must be controlled by main force through its torque loading.
While Rush defends SUV's and those who buy them, I don't believe he has told his listeners to go buy the biggest SUV.
The irony is that the SUV caze was driven by the liberals and their attack on cars with, in their opinion, poor gas mileage.
If they would have left it alone people would be driving cars getting better mileage that the SUV's. In classic overreach they got laws passed requiring cars to get better mileage (smaller cars) but the people didn't want to buy smaller cars, so they bought much larger SUV's that were classified as trucks and were not required to meet their mileage requirements.
In my opinion, the Hummer has replaced the Corvette as the #1 small penis car. Everyone who owns has to tells us how big and powerful it is and how it drive over small cars. I wonder what Freud would say?
In the interest of full disclosure I drive the following:
2000 Honda CBR 600 F4 Motorcycle - Track / Group ride toy
2001 Honda S2000 – It’s my weekend / track car. It has about 1000 track miles on it (@ Summit Point.) You’d have to gather about 500 SUVs to equal that in off road miles.
2005 Honda Civic Si – My Daily driver. My last tank yielded 28+mpg
I'm confused. She buys it for around $20k and is selling it for $15k. According to my elementary school arithmatic, she is selling the car for LESS than she paid for it, not more.
To me if Saudi Arabia is given a card blanch to build thousands of mosques and preach hate against us in our own country, and we are forbidden from building even one single church in that country, you tell me who is the bitch in this relationship.
Fours years old with 19K, does she live in Pasadena?
That's fine. Too bad your side impact stats on the Prius suck.
You replaced the differential in the S2000 yet? ;)
Honda has a much better idea on hybrids. It must be a usable car first, a hybrid second. The Civic and Accord hybrids are actual cars, and you can't tell them apart from their conventional siblings if you take the sticker off.
The Insight has the same problem - it's a hybrid first and a car second. Honda has remedied this with the Civic and Accord hybrids.
owie!
Same here. The Accord Hybrid will be my....er...I mean, my wife's next car. I get the hand-me-downs.
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