Which would you buy?

[wren]

sir mm, laking patong sa hybrids dito, sobra! and they're selling like hot cakes so you can't really bargain.

[redorange]

The technology is a joke since he gets about 36mpg on the car now and it's a transitional technology. He could have bought 2 Honda Fit's fror that price and have close to the same MPG and not have to worry about the batteries for the electric motor in 5-10 years when they wearout and need replacement to the tune of $5K. Otherwise get a Mazda 5 and the Fit,the Mazda can seat 6 adults and the Fit could be the gas saver. Weird thing now he sounds like he is getting buyers remorse for spending so much on a Camry.

[mazdamazda]

they're paying for the hybrid technology (especially with the astronomical gas prices). i remember test driving a $40K honda accord hybrid.

err... are they really saving?

ok... let's take your $40K Honda Accord Hybrid (avg 30 mpg) and a base $20K Honda Accord (avg 24 mpg).

$20k difference... let's just peg the price of gasoline even at $4/gallon... and you run both vehicles for 200K miles... the Hybrid will rack up $26.6K in gas receipts and the Gas $33.3K. for gas receipts, that just a $6.7K savings not even half of the $20K difference.

if they really wanted to save on fuel, they could have just gotten a Jetta TDi... $22K base price... 36mpg without all those fancy techno babble.

EDIT:

hindi ko na nakita mga reply nyo. hehe. masyadong overated ang hybrid kasi. for SUVs & trucks IMO it is cost-effective & viable... for sedans parang hindi.

[mazdamazda]

sir mm, laking patong sa hybrids dito, sobra! and they're selling like hot cakes so you can't really bargain.

ah... uso jan diba ang "Dealer's Premium" kaya may patong minsan sa SRP?

[wren]

we both know that in the long run, mas mahal pa yung cost ng hybrids kesa sa gas guzzling full-sized SUVs. pero, en vogue ngayun yung hybrid eh, and there are many uninformed buyers out there who are wiling to fork out the dough. kasalanan ni leo dicaprio!

[redorange]

I agree I showed him all the articles that say it would take at least 10 years of ownership before you brake even with the added cost that you paid. Paying 10K over a similar non-hybrid is too much, that same 10K could have bought you alot of gas and if you add the interest you are paying on the 10K then it's even worst. I would have stuck to a regular V6 SE if I had to buy a Camry and saved the money. It's not like you will pay for 10K worth of gas in one shot anyways it's going to be spreadout through a n umber of years and in the meantime you aren't paying interest on it.

[redorange]

Some reports have shown that hybrid sales are actually going down now, the initial sales were because of the gas price panic after Katrina hit the gulf coast.

[MXFX]

just tell him he paid premium for a new hybrid. also, carsdirect.com fully loaded price (all options checked) is about $33K, so about $36k otd. i used that site before for reference and their pricing is about on target.

i knew folks who did the same thing, rushed into a deal and started feeling unsure. i just tell them to enjoy the drive.

[Jun aka Pekto]

Otherwise get a Mazda 5 and the Fit,the Mazda can seat 6 adults and the Fit could be the gas saver. Weird thing now he sounds like he is getting buyers remorse for spending so much on a Camry.

Choosing a Camry seemed like a good choice. That particular model...... probably not. The regular 4-cylinder would've been a better choice if gas mileage and fuel costs are a concern.

I have doubts about having 2 vehicles doing the functions of 1 because of insurance and maintenance costs unless costs for those 2 are still lower than a single Camry Hybrid's. I'd also have to consider initial sales taxes and subsequent yearly registration costs, esp in California.....

[redorange]

Choosing a Camry seemed like a good choice. That particular model...... probably not. The regular 4-cylinder would've been a better choice if gas mileage and fuel costs are a concern.

I have doubts about having 2 vehicles doing the functions of 1 because of insurance and maintenance costs unless costs for those 2 are still lower than a single Camry Hybrid's. I'd also have to consider initial sales taxes and subsequent yearly registration costs, esp in California.....

The cars mentioned combined would have come in at similar price to the hybrid. As far as insurance he pays a little over 1K for 6 months, I pay $1080 for 1 yr full coverage for 2 cars. You just have to shop around for insurance to pay less.

[niky]

It's a lot of money... and I'd have remorse for buying something so expensive, too. But that all depends? Is it fast? If it's a hot rod like the Accord V6 Hybrid, then it might be worth it...

I would've picked a diesel myself... but a diesel VW? Depends. I'm waiting to see how their latest round of offerings hold up reliability-wise first.

[redorange]

Nope not fast and no V6, it's an electric and a 2.4L 4 cylinder engine. I read somewhere that it could take at least 10yrs to 15yrs to get back the premium he paid for the car. I hope it last that long and by that time you would need to replace the batteries which cost between $5k-$10K so you would still be in the hole. Not worth it in my opinion a good 4cylinder car would be just as efficient.

[niky]

I hope no one comes in here sayng anything about reducing emissions saving the environment... blah blah blah... because the best way to lower emissions and save gas is to buy the smallest motor available. A 1.3 - 1.5 liter Honda Fit/Jazz will emit less emissions, use less gas, and cost less resources than any full-sized hybrid.

Really, a full-sized hybrid is a status symbol and a tech car. As it is, for 35k, your friend got his money's worth... too bad it's just a Camry. Still, not a bad car, but not really worth the money unless your friend really uses it to go long distances.

But not bad. Hybrid batteries are a long term maintenance problem, but nobody knows yet the effective lifespan of the battery pack in the real world, as they haven't worn out yet (maybe you can pass them on to your grandchildren? :lol: ) and another hidden benefit is less mechanical wear on your brakes (regenerative brakes lessen pad wear) and your engine (from lesser use and smoother start-stop cycles due to the electric-assist engine).

But as it is, the only people who are seeing full benefits from hybrid technology are taxi owners, who can put over 60k miles on their cars within a year.

[redorange]

Totally agree with you and it may not be polluting the air but what about the used batteries when it wears out it becomes thrash. Well the Philippines just needs to make manufacturers there start using California emissions standards if they want to clean the smog though. I don't know of a place where they use hybrids as taxis yet. Actually the Jazz/Fit here only come with the 1.5 vtec engine and it's a ULEV or ZEV engine if I am correct.

[empy]

mmm...i don't want to make your friend feel bad, but that is a terrible deal for him. like someone already said, the price premium will eliminate any fuel savings he may get for years to come.

btw, slightly OT - redorange, do you mind if i ask you what company insures you for $1080 a year in Norcal? what cars are insured? sounds like a great deal.

i need a new insurance co :seeth:

[slamtaz]

The cars mentioned combined would have come in at similar price to the hybrid. As far as insurance he pays a little over 1K for 6 months, I pay $1080 for 1 yr full coverage for 2 cars. You just have to shop around for insurance to pay less.

sir red orange, this looks like a great deal.. can you pm me which insurance company this is? hope they also have offices here

[redorange]

The insurance company is Wawanesa Insurance based in Canada with an office in San Diego, but they only insure in California and Oregon in the US. The cars insured are a 1998 Mitsubishi Mirage/Lancer GSR and a 2005 Xterra 4x4 SE. They are a reliable insurance company and I found out about them from a co-worker who had his S2000 stolen and they cut him a check in about 2 weeks, both cars have full coverage at the maximum allowed amount.

[slamtaz]

redorange: tnx for the info, too bad though that they dont insure here...

[niky]

Another PZEV vehicle that most people don't know about is the Focus 2.0 or 2.3. Nippy engine, virtually no emissions, and it should be E85 compatible. And with Ford's slow sales, it should be easy and cheap to buy.

[number001]

^Let's not forget that Ethanol is less efficient compared to gas, so people might be surprised why they are consuming more fuel using ethanol than petroleum based fuels.