Camry Hybrid Isn't Worth It

PanAsianBiz ^ | June 6, 2006 | Dr. Bill Belew

[G. Stolyarov II]

A Camry hybrid costs about $5,000 more than it's nonhybrid brother, or is it sister?

If a driver goes 15,000 miles a year with an efficiency of 39mpg s/he will save about $500/yr. Easy math. It will take 10 years to get your money back.

The good news is a Toyota will last 10 years and 150,000 miles. The bad news is Americans won't drive the same car for that long. But then neither will anybody else in any other country. The Japanese will change cars every 3-5 years.

This is one of the reasons why the hybrid market only makes up 1.2% of US vehicle sales.

So, does that mean hybrids aren't worth it?

Hardly...what it means is if more people bought them the price would go down.

It also means that money is spent in making cars rather than consuming gasoline... and there is a different kind of savings there.

The question - are there trade-offs worth it?

[MaDeuce]

My 2003 VW Jetta TDI 5-speed ALWAYS gets at least 51 mpg and a best of 58.75 mpg. With over 108,000 miles on the little beast.

The VW too, come at a premium over the gas VW's, but it is worth it to me ... simple technology, no huge batteries to replace for $4-5,000 every 80K miles. Just change the oil (synthetic) & rotate the tires every 5K, fuel/air filter ever 10K miles and your all set.

[Jim Noble]

Every bad thing that everyone says about hybrids, or ethanol, is true.

But I don't care, because our involvement with Saudi Arabia and the rest of those camel jockeys constitutes a true national emergency, and the cost of getting crude oil to make gasoline from them (and I don't just mean the cost in dollars) is going to rise for the whole rest of your and my life.

Every gallon that a hybrid doesn't burn, every gallon that an ethanol-burner doesn't use, is a step towards national security and freedom from war.

I like turbodiesels, too.

[driftdiver]

And then Mr Robinson all evil in the world will be gone.

[TWohlford]

"I've always believed diesel cars and pickups should have the exhaust pipe in the front. The drivers can then enjoy what the rest of us get."

You obviously haven't followed a newer diesel, have you? No soot, no obnoxious fumes (at least not like it used to be). If you haven't tried diesel in the past 5 years, you haven't tried diesel.

[Poser]

My Toyota Scion XA gets 36mpg average and costs 14K with automatic and everything but cruise control. It's huge inside and cruises at 80 all day.

The hybrid cars aren't there yet.

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

You're right -- I was going to point out the same thing. The acid-test will be how well the hybrid holds its value in the used-car market. If it just depreciates at the same rate as an ordinary car, then it looks like it might be cost-effective. However, if the electrical components depreciate faster -- then it's going to cost more than an ordinary car.

[philetus]

My idea of a hybrid was my brother's 64 GTO, with a 600 hp 396.

[humblegunner]

If a driver goes 15,000 miles a year with an efficiency of 39mpg s/he will save about $500/yr. Easy math. It will take 10 years to get your money back.

I don't think you are supposed to talk about that.

[Izzy Dunne]

we have not seen extremely high prices yet, especially compared to Europe

I saw a report that, of the $6.50+ per gallon they pay in Britain (after converting units), over $4.50 is in taxes. The REAL price was actually lower than U.S.

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

Check out Chevy Silverado or GMC Sierra hybrids -- they have the 110/220 VAC outlets built in. These are "mild" hybrids -- not as complex as the Toyota system -- just a big battery, and a combination generator/motor attached to the engine.

[Fruitbat]

I'd love a hybrid pickup that has 110 VAC and 220VAC jacks for powering tools, etc. A few hundred thousand of those driving our streets would come in real handy in the event of a massive power outage - can you imagine how handy they'd have been in the Katrina aftermath?

Yeah, but LOL, I think that Katrina aftermath was beyond a few wired pickups. LOL

[Alter Kaker]

I've always believed diesel cars and pickups should have the exhaust pipe in the front. The drivers can then enjoy what the rest of us get.

Actually, particulate emissions from diesel engines (what produces the foul smell) are easily controllable, and have been in places, such as the EU. There is currently no economic incentive, however, for diesel manufacturers outside of the EU to control emissions, although the Bush Administration EPA is putting in place modest particulate restrictions on interstate trucking.

The point of all that is that you can have diesel cars without the smell if you want them, as the technology exists today.

[paul51]

If a driver goes 15,000 miles a year with an efficiency of 39mpg s/he will save about $500/yr.

The math is way off. 15,000 mpy @ 29 vs 39 @2.50/gal is not a savings of $500.

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

In the land of the total blackout, the man with a genset is king. :-)

[luckystarmom]

We have a Prius, and we love it!!! However, we didn't buy it to save money or to help the environment. We bought it because it is quiet and fun to drive!!!!!! It's fun because the gas motor isn't going at lights, when going downhill, or when going slow. It is so much quieter than any other car I've ridden in. It's more fun to drive than any other car we've owned including a Mazda RX-7, Toyota Celica, and SUVs. The acceleration is also great because the transmission works differently. You go from 0-60 very quickly!

We bought ours the first year they came out, and it is still doing great. We've only had to replace tires on it. I think it has about 100,000 miles on it.

[MaDeuce]

"Hybrids are going to be the future of the car industry. The internal combustion engine is on the way out and hybrids are just the beginning. Get used to it. Soon we are going to be driving in battery-operated cars in which you type in the destination and then the car drives itself, automatically compensating for traffic and taking alternate routes as necessary. Then we will be taking to the skies as "personal airplanes" will become commonplace."

Man I need to unwind ... Sam, send me some of that stuff your smoking. I need to relax in that world you envision.

I can see it now ... teams of little electric cars trying to pull a Cat excavator or D8 dozer down the highway ... or better yet teams of little electric backhoes trying to do what one old fashion diesel backhoe use to do.

Come on!! Smarten up ... fossil fuels are here to stay for at least 50 or 75 years ... then you'll have hydrogen vehicles ... now your talking!

[Toby06]

GMC has been making 2-stroke diesels for decades. They are inthousands of trucks, construction equipment, generators and boats all over the world. the emmissions are comparable to, ok, yeah, slightly hight than, standard diesels.

In off road toys like motorcycles and snowmobiles, it tkaes a lot more displacement to get the samepower, and without as many parts, are more reliable. Your emissions point holds true, though.

[sgtbono2002]

Why wont Ford release their diesel in this country?

[Teacher317]

No hybrid is worth it.

I disagree. It has been worth it to see what percentage of liberals put their money where their mouth is. When they buy a car, they can spend more to have the enviro-friendly models that they want to impose on the rest of us, and clearly, the majority of liberals reject them.

Also, according to basic economics, an item is "worth" what somene is willing to pay. Clearly, some people do believe that it is worth it to spend a few extra bucks to help the environment - assuming that hybrids actually do so.

[TBall]

I don't know if it is still true, but a year ago the hybrids were actually appreciating if value. A supply and demand thing, but a car that holds its value is definitely worth it.