We were ready to buy a Pirus. Looking into them more we found out, you really need to keep a warrenty on them. The batteries alone cost $8000 to replace. There is not a mechanic out here who is trained to work on hybrids. You need to drive to Denver or Omaha. We can't afford a brand new car much less a hybrid.
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"Do the best that you can where you are, and be kind." by Scott Nearing
I would but budget does not allow us for the initial outlay and then the up keep.
The problem with being enviromentally friendly sometimes is the family budget, not that we don't want to but just can't.
We have a 2004 Honda Civic Hybrid. It is wonderful! We get 41-43 mpg. My dh uses it most of the time, since he has a long commute. Here, in So. California, you can get DMV hybrid stickers for your car -- which lets you drive in the carpool lanes. That is a huge advantage for him. We did get the extra warranty for the hybrid (something we never would have purchased for a non-hybrid car) and it covered 100% the battery that needed replacing this last fall. Hybrids were still fairly new in 2004, so we opted for the warranty. You can also get a federal tax earnings reduction credit (don't know how much longer that is going to last). The car did cost us a little more than a regular Civic (about $2500 more in 2004), but we definitely re-couped the extra cost.
Sue-how many miles did you get out of your battery?? That is one of the issues with a hybrid-where are all those batteries going to?? Can they be recycled?? Are they really $8000?? What happens when they are out of warranty??
Gloria
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We all need to help save our planet before it's too late
Our battery lasted almost 4 years (I'll check the mileage when dh comes home with the car). I was shocked when (during a regular maintenance oil/filter thing) the mechanic (from the Honda service center) told me that the battery needed to be replace. The car was running great -- we had no idea the battery was going to run out. Since we had the extra warranty, it cost us nothing -- so it is not like the Honda service center was making money off of us (I think that I was quoted a price of $7000 for a new battery). My dh was told that the new Honda Civic Hybrids (and now ours, since our battery was replaced) do not have this battery problem.
I did not know that Priuses also have a battery "issue". Maybe Toyota has corrected the problem by now.
I'll check our warranty expiration, but I think that we were given a new warranty on the new battery.
I don't think Honda makes a Civic Hybrid in 08. As for the Prius and battery, my BIL who sells cars told us about the battery. I think it is a hybrid 'issue'.
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"Do the best that you can where you are, and be kind." by Scott Nearing
Sue, does the hybrid car have a better maintenance record in terms of other stuff (non-battery)? I am thinking specifically of engine-type problems, since the engine is used less in a hybrid.
Last week I saw on the news that people with vision problems are having a tough time with hybrids, since they are so quiet that people who depend on "car noise" to know when it's safe to cross a street, can't tell the car is coming!
Bluebird -- Honda definitely makes a Hybrid Civic for 2008! It is a popular car, so maybe the dealership that you were looking at didn't have any in stock. They start at about $23,000. We were just looking at some this past weekend.
Barbszy -- We have never had any problem with our hybrid, other than the battery issue. I don't know how that compares to regular Honda Civics. Although, we happen to have a 2004 regular Honda Civic (as well as our 2004 Civic Hybrid), and we never had any problems with that car either. Hondas are not fancy, but they do seem to last forever. Our "third" car (which really is used by our college kids) is a Honda Acura -- also has never caused us problems.
As far as noise goes, the Civic Hybrid is VERY quiet when you are on battery power (it is not a very noisy car when the engine is being used, but it is similar to our regular Civic). When the engine cuts out (when you are using battery power only) it is hard to hear. I am extra careful in parking lots, because pedestrians have a hard time hearing our car if we are behind them. If your foot is on the gas pedal, your engine is running. If you are breaking, your engine starts to shut off. It will shut off completely (and you'll be on battery power completely) once you come to a stop.
Thanks Sue for the hybrid info. Sounds like Hondas are pretty good cars. I have never known anyone with a hybrid(I live in Midwest so they are not as common here). I will keep them in mind when I go to get another car. For now,I'm trying to keep my current car(Ford Escort) going as long as I can.
Gloria
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We all need to help save our planet before it's too late
