Posted on 04/05/2012 3:44:49 PM PDT by tobyhill
Ed Morans new Toyota Prius was programmed by the dealer to make him feel good about his gas savings. A dashboard display compares the fuel consumption of the Prius and his 2001 Ford pickup truck.
Every time I go to the store it will tell me how much money I saved, said Moran, a horticulturist in Ames, Iowa.
Like more and more Americans, Moran is looking to a fuel-efficient car to help soften the financial blow of ever higher gas prices. Shoppers have more options than ever to fight back, including hybrids, plug-ins, electric vehicles and eco or super fuel economy packages.
But opting for models that promise better mileage through new technologies does not necessarily save money, according to data compiled for The New York Times by the automotive research website TrueCar.com.
Except for two hybrids, the Prius and Lincoln MKZ, and the diesel-powered Volkswagen Jetta TDI, the added cost of the fuel-efficient technologies is so high that it would take the average driver many years in some cases more than a decade to save money over comparable new models with conventional internal-combustion engines.
That is true at todays pump prices, around $4, and also if gas were to climb to $5 a gallon, the data show. Gas would have to approach $8 a gallon before many of the cars could be expected to pay off in the six years an average person owns a car.
(Excerpt) Read more at bendbulletin.com ...
What is the resale value on these hybrids and pure electric vehicles as the warranty on their batteries expires?
Don’t worry: Mr. Obama is working on that $8/gallon thing.
About the cost of a really big brick...
Does that count the cost of replacing the burnt down garage. Does any GM product run 27 years - I don’t see many ‘85 Chevy Citations on the road.
26-27 years is how long I’ve had my Nissan Pickup but I wouldn’t count on the Volt lasting that long (batteries, for damn sure). First actual failure I’ve had on the Nissan is the water pump (just replacing today).
Sure, if it was built before 1971 or so.
VW Jetta is not an exception. I ran the numbers and came up with 250,000 miles to break even on a diesel Jetta vs. a gas Jetta.
HA!HA! Take that GHWB you Globalist Buffoon!
i can now drive to work and back on a gallon of gas
I'll let you know in March 2013 when the odometer reaches 100k miles, the 10-year Drivetrain/battery warranty.
Wait. Never mind. I have no plans to sell it.
Whomever owns the vehicle after ten years would have to replace the batteries at great expense.
That's about the average life span of TDI. Not hard to imagine at all.
Remember that the true payoff is in knowing that you’ve done your part to save the planet.....
“Does any GM product run 27 years...”
I plan to keep my two Chevy Geo’s (Suzuki) sold by GM running until I can’t drive anymore. My 93 XFI gets 60 mpg hwy. My 92 Geo 5-door gets 50 hwy. (Of course, they’re only 19 and 20 years old and GM didn’t make them.)
Well, keep me informed when it reaches the 300,000 mile mark if you still own it. I would love to compare notes with my 2000 Jetta TDI. Be safe out there!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.