[justlurking]

I see a lot of hybrids on the road, even in rural KY. I’ve been to Phoenix, Seattle, Indianapolis and Chicago in the last couple of months and I saw TONS of them in the cities.

Good gas mileage. However, tt current gas prices, the additional cost of a new hybrid doesn't justify it, but that hasn't always been the case.

And, as someone has pointed out: you can now buy used hybrids for the same price as a comparable non-hybrid.

The real question: is this a temporary or permanent situation? It's difficult to predict.

[Mr. Douglas]

I rented a Prius a couple of years ago when i was visiting Seattle. I couldn’t believe the acceleration that thing had. It reminded me of watching youtube videos of the guy that drag raced a little Russian economy car body from like the 60’s with a super high torque electric motor. He would beat some pretty monster gas powered cars with that little thing. It was comical. Of course, it only got about one quarter mile per charge. :-)

[alternatives?]

At what mileage point do you have to replace the batteries on a Prius? What do they cost to replace? That may be why the used Prius are so cheap. (I don’t know).

Also, will the second set of batteries last as long as the first?

I drive a Miata, so a Prius is not a realistic choice for me.