Bought a hybrid.
The Saturn finally gave up the ghost, and I'd been wanting to try out a hybrid because it's new tech.
Now is kind of a bad time to buy a hybrid, because the supply chain is missing a few links from the Japan earthquake. As far as I could tell, it's currently impossible to build a complete hybrid engine without some parts from Japan. Even Ford's selection was limited. The fellow at Honda had no Civic hybrids whatsoever; the Toyota dealership had four Priuses left, and they were going fast. Ford reported people coming in and buying hybrids straight at MSRP. They expect this shortage to correct itself by October.
I test drove several of them. They handle like conventional automatics. If you're not Vin Diesel, you won't notice much difference. The Fusion had the most powerful feel, best handling, etc. I didn't get to do a complete comparison - the other hybrids I drove were hatchbacks or smaller sedans - but I got a definite sense that I wasn't going to feel a very different experience from my Saturn.
The most visible difference is the price. Essentially you're trading a much higher initial price for less money spent on fuel. Here's the math for a Fusion:
Difference between a Fusion and a Fusion Hybrid: $6500, 10mpg
Assume $4/gallon for gas for the next few years. (Wow, by the way. I remember when it was a dollar.) That's 0.25 gallons per dollar. Multiply to get 2.5 extra miles per dollar, or 20 extra cents per mile driven. Divide that into the price difference, and I find I have to drive about 32,500 miles for the hybrid to pay for itself. That's not bad.
The downside is the battery. It's currently $4500 plus labor. If it breaks early, the warranty covers it, so it's free modulo inconvenience. But I like to drive a single car as long as I can; I'll likely drive it until the battery dies of old age.
All technologies nowadays have maturing to do after appearing on the market, and hybrids are no exception. Research just turned up a new lithium-ion battery approach the day I bought the Fusion, which promises to perform especially well at high temperatures. (That method's still in development hell; they're just now fitting a factory to produce laptop batteries for it.) By the time my Fusion needs a new battery, one will probably be available at lower cost and perhaps greater range or efficiency.
The labor cost will be high. Interesting tidbit: the battery repair equipment comes with two extra pieces. One is a set of orange rubber gloves that comes up over the mechanic's elbows. The second is a 10-foot hook for a second mechanic to hold around the waist of the first mechanic, to yank him away in case of electrocution. In other words, it takes a minimum of two mechanics to work on a hybrid battery, and might even incur some sort of hazard pay bonus.
I probably would have on the order of another 30,000 mile hill to climb to recover the cost. Or I might trade the car in by then.
We'll see how it goes. It sure is weird turning the car on and not hearing an engine thrum.
Now is kind of a bad time to buy a hybrid, because the supply chain is missing a few links from the Japan earthquake. As far as I could tell, it's currently impossible to build a complete hybrid engine without some parts from Japan. Even Ford's selection was limited. The fellow at Honda had no Civic hybrids whatsoever; the Toyota dealership had four Priuses left, and they were going fast. Ford reported people coming in and buying hybrids straight at MSRP. They expect this shortage to correct itself by October.
I test drove several of them. They handle like conventional automatics. If you're not Vin Diesel, you won't notice much difference. The Fusion had the most powerful feel, best handling, etc. I didn't get to do a complete comparison - the other hybrids I drove were hatchbacks or smaller sedans - but I got a definite sense that I wasn't going to feel a very different experience from my Saturn.
The most visible difference is the price. Essentially you're trading a much higher initial price for less money spent on fuel. Here's the math for a Fusion:
Difference between a Fusion and a Fusion Hybrid: $6500, 10mpg
Assume $4/gallon for gas for the next few years. (Wow, by the way. I remember when it was a dollar.) That's 0.25 gallons per dollar. Multiply to get 2.5 extra miles per dollar, or 20 extra cents per mile driven. Divide that into the price difference, and I find I have to drive about 32,500 miles for the hybrid to pay for itself. That's not bad.
The downside is the battery. It's currently $4500 plus labor. If it breaks early, the warranty covers it, so it's free modulo inconvenience. But I like to drive a single car as long as I can; I'll likely drive it until the battery dies of old age.
All technologies nowadays have maturing to do after appearing on the market, and hybrids are no exception. Research just turned up a new lithium-ion battery approach the day I bought the Fusion, which promises to perform especially well at high temperatures. (That method's still in development hell; they're just now fitting a factory to produce laptop batteries for it.) By the time my Fusion needs a new battery, one will probably be available at lower cost and perhaps greater range or efficiency.
The labor cost will be high. Interesting tidbit: the battery repair equipment comes with two extra pieces. One is a set of orange rubber gloves that comes up over the mechanic's elbows. The second is a 10-foot hook for a second mechanic to hold around the waist of the first mechanic, to yank him away in case of electrocution. In other words, it takes a minimum of two mechanics to work on a hybrid battery, and might even incur some sort of hazard pay bonus.
I probably would have on the order of another 30,000 mile hill to climb to recover the cost. Or I might trade the car in by then.
We'll see how it goes. It sure is weird turning the car on and not hearing an engine thrum.