[Righter-than-Rush]

The Escape is not a worthwhile investment due to resale value. Both Prius and Civic are worth looking at, but ONLY in meeting all the following criteria:

1. You keep the car for 200,000 miles and have no accidents requiring replacement of driveline/engine/generator elements
2. You rack up those 200,000 miles in under five years, to retain some element of resale value more than zero
3. You pony up the extra purchase price moneys over the non-hybrid vehicles

If you cannot meet ALL of the above, a hybrid is nothing more than a feel-good toy. Frankly, I feel better by just driving my SUV less by combining trips and by letting my fingers do the walking.

[Labyrinthos]

The Escape is not a worthwhile investment

No one should ever think of a new automobile as an "investment." Investments are supposed to produce a positive stream of income and/or captial appreciation after factoring in depereciation and the cost of ownership.

[appeal2]

If you use cruise control more on the highways, you will get an additional 2-3 mpg which will more than make up for any feel good savings. As far as greenhouse gases go, we all better start eating more meat so that there are less cows producing less methane in their farts.

[Doohickey]

Stocks are an investment. Precious metals. Bonds. Even real estate. But new cars? Please.

[G.Mason]

"If you cannot meet ALL of the above, a hybrid is nothing more than a feel-good toy. Frankly, I feel better by just driving my SUV less by combining trips and by letting my fingers do the walking."

That sums up my feelings also.

I would imagine folks are getting to the point where they are seriously planning their driving excursions.

Shopping the internet, combining multiple chores and shopping trips, and avoiding many unnecessary trips around the town.

This will show up in the economy and there is no if's ands, or but's about it.

BTW ... Motorcycles are a non issue, for obvious reasons that younger people choose not to understand, the new technology autos are a very hard to sell to those over 35 that aren't members of the Green Party, and finally, Inasmuch as I live in a rather rural area I will have my full size pick up truck. ;)

[eraser2005]

NO car is a worthwhile investment, IMO. I'd be willing to bet the Escape pays off better than the Prius if you keep it more like 10 years. Fords are notorious for highly non-linear depreciation curves. My Taurus depreciated $5000 in its first year. In its ninth, it depreciated just $300. I'd bet the Escape hybrid shows the same trend, and thus combined with the $660 annual gas savings, you'd see *much* better payoff if you keep it 8-10 years.

But why do you think you need 200,000 miles in 5 years to break even when CR shows you can essentially break even with 75,000 miles in the same time?

[savedbygrace]

Estimating resale value five years out is difficult at best. Who says great strides in this area won't be made in the next five years to make the value of a 2006 hybrid take a nose dive?

[Redcloak]

The problem with these toys is that you need to drive a lot of city miles to see gas savings. (Ya gotta get that little electric motor in the game.) Racking up the kind of miles you're talking about in the city would put you in the loony bin before you hit your goal!