Bay Shore couple's move to hybrids pays off

[steve]

Hybrids are on the average cost $6000 more than the same gas car. They have very little resale because they cost to much to repair. It would take you 6yrs to see the REAL savings, then the car would lose at least 50% of its value , so it would cost more to lease or own.

[Greetings From Texas]

Don't you get a tax break on your federal return for hybrid cars like 4,000.00 dollars

[Kyonk]

Pat wrote:

You could save alot of money on gas if you didn't act like you were a supreme being driving your car, talking on your phone and harassing the elderly when they are crossing the street.
IS ANYONE HOME?

Old people have no right to be crossing roads. You should have to report to a human recycling plant at 70 years of age, and your body converted to energy. Then we can give all those swanky assisted living apartments to the young poeple who might actually contribute something to Long Island.

[Clear Vision]

Prius batteries.
The batteries themselves have been reliable to around 115,000 miles. However the battery connections have been failing at a high rate. Problem is the battery connection cannot be repaired and the entire battery pack has to be replaced costing from $7,000 -$9,000 usually resulting in the car being scrapped.

Do your own research, there's no free lunch (or mpg) there's only slick marketing that feeds on customer's weaknesses.

[WI Mom]

Ed Burke wrote:

<quoted text>
Of course morons like you forget taht the Hybrid Toyota Prius these people own will still be saving them massive cash that you currently waste long, long, long after the car payments expire, and by then today's Bush Gas will be up to $ 7.00 US Peso's a Gallon, and moron's like you will still be getting the Exxon-Mobil shaft shoved where the sun don't shire. HAAAA ! ha, Ha, Ha, Hah !
I LUV IT ! U R SO STUPID !

And it's not only about the money. It's about the environment and the hold that OPEC has on us.

[Buy American]

Keep on buying Japanese cars you fools. What ever happened to buying American? I believe there are several Hybrid models available from American car makers.

You want an alternative fuel source...Look no further HHO gas. View this and ask why aren't companies all over this?

http://hytechapps.com/company/press

[roger dumass]

If this dude would wake up and smell the coffee, now he has a car payment where before he didn't

[Bob from Patchogue]

I heard about a car that ran on warm wishes and civility. Regretably, the fuel supply ran out years ago.

[Gimme a break]

Buy American wrote:

Keep on buying Japanese cars you fools. What ever happened to buying American? I believe there are several Hybrid models available from American car makers.
You want an alternative fuel source...Look no further HHO gas. View this and ask why aren't companies all over this?
http://hytechapps.com/company/press

What ever happened to "Buy American?" It went out with American quality products! I work hard for my money. I am not about to buy something because of where it's made. That is just plain STUPID!!!
Besides, how certain are you that the "American" car you are driving was actually made in America?

[Steve]

Harry Zimm wrote:

For my safety and the safety of my family, I'll take a solid, well-built, non-rollover SUV any time. My family's safety is worth more than $300/month. Let them talk about their savings when their Prius ends up under an 18-wheeler on Sunrise Highway.

Harry Zim..ahem..there is no such thing as a non rollover SUV. You are living a delusional life.

[Gimme a break]

roger dumass wrote:

If this dude would wake up and smell the coffee, now he has a car payment where before he didn't

Yes, and he has a brand new car that gets about 3-4 times better gas mileage. Rather than an old SUV with 100k miles on it (and the maintenance/repairs that go along with it)

[Steve]

Steve wrote:

<quoted text>
Harry Zim..ahem..there is no such thing as a non rollover SUV. You are living a delusional life.

Harry Zimm...you also can find yourself under an 18 wheeler so what's your point. Another delusional episode

[DEG]

This article got me thinking about Hybrids again, so I did quick research and another calculation to see if the extra cost of a Hybrid over a comparably equipped fuel-efficient sedan makes sense with $4 gas. The easiest car to use as an example is the Honda Civic EX versus the Civic Hybrid. Due to excessive cost, Hybrids typically have extra features. The EX 5-speed is nearly identical in terms of options and costs $3900 less.

The Civic EX gets 26 mpg city, 34 mpg hwy according to EPA. The Hybrid Civic is 40 mpg city, 45 hwy. I used the average of the two, 30 mpg for the EX and 42.5 mpg for the Hybrid. At $4 per gallon, you would have to drive the Hybrid 99,500 miles to offset the extra cost of the vehicle to save $3900 in fuel costs.

It used to be that NiMH needed replacement at 100,000 miles (at a cost of $4500-$5000) but I’ve heard it’s been improved to 150,000 miles in later models. Still, seems like waiting 100,000 miles to recover the cost of the Hybrid isn’t worth it. You're better off with a simple fuel-efficient gasoline engine vehicle.

[Nice job cops]

One person is dead after a police pursuit in Farmingville Thursday afternoon ended with the fleeing suspect slamming into two cars, Suffolk police said.
The person killed during the chase was neither the suspect nor a police officer. Police could not confirm the circumstances of the person's death.
A police officer involved in the chase suffered minor injuries.

[Dan]

"I'm driving in the HOV lane and see everyone sitting in [morning rush hour] traffic and I think," Brindell said, " 'Oh, you suckers.' I see someone at a stoplight sitting behind the wheel of a big SUV -- you know, like an Expedition -- and I think,'You should get a more fuel-efficient car.' "

Those "suckers" are fellow human beings. Some of them have sons, daughters, husbands, wives, etc. fighting in Iraq. Some have loved ones who died in 9/11. Etc. This is not "us" against "them." We should keep that in mind as we deal with OUR energy, economic, environmental problems.

[Get a friggin clue]

Fred wrote:

There is no financial advantage to buying and driving the Prius. I challenge anybody at Snoozeday to back up the impression left in this article that there is .
Now , if and when we see a full electric vehicle with plug in and on board generator configuration @ 100 mpg there will be a $ case to be made IF that vehicle is priced like it competition .

Not on Long Islnad there won't

Not at 20 cents per kWh at the plug.

[Buy American]

Gimme a break wrote:

<quoted text>
What ever happened to "Buy American?" It went out with American quality products! I work hard for my money. I am not about to buy something because of where it's made. That is just plain STUPID!!!
Besides, how certain are you that the "American" car you are driving was actually made in America?

I am quite certain my GMC Acadia was made in the US. Even if it were made elsewhere it would be in Ontario Canada but the profits would come back to the US and not go to Japan.

Every American car I have owned has gotten well over 100K miles. Two even went 215K+. The notion that we don't build good cars here is just false. I might not remember it due to my age but my Uncle dying on Okinawa solidified in my family that we would never buy any Japanese stuff if it could be avoided.

[Four Wheel Fogey]

Harry Zimm wrote:

For my safety and the safety of my family, I'll take a solid, well-built, non-rollover SUV any time. My family's safety is worth more than $300/month. Let them talk about their savings when their Prius ends up under an 18-wheeler on Sunrise Highway.

Harry unfortunately you don't know much about the high center of gravity ALL SUV'S have. Rollover's are one of the MAJOR DRAWBACKS in the design. Years ago Consumer Reports gave several Unsatisfactory Rating's on the short wheel based models! I own a good old Chevy Silverado four wheel drive.Just the latest in a string of four wheel drives I've owned since 1967. I never taken a turn in any of them at the same speed I would in almost any conventional car. Thrown in a bunch of people and the center of gravity goes even higher!

[Lex Orandi]

getacquaintedwithfacts wrote:

Lex Orandi- you do realize that the tax you pay on gasoline is what keeps roads, bridges and tunnels in good repair? What good is 150yrs worth of oil (which I would like to see your conclusive evidence) if the infrastructure is crumbling around you?

We've been hearing that "infrastructure" claim for years and while fed, state & local gov'ts have been collecting hundreds of billions in tax revenues, they've spent (or wasted, more appropriately) a fraction of it on roads, bridges, etc. They just keep finding new ways to increase the tax without doing a thing.

[Ragday sux]

After you look at the price of the car, u realize u aint saving ANY money. I'll keep my new Honda for 17K and spend the diff in gas and still come out ahead.