Posted on 05/14/2012 10:46:30 PM PDT by Hillarys Gate Cult
Most Hybrid Owners Choosing Not to Rebuy Hybrids - Many consumers are looking to fuel-efficient cars in order to find relief from today’s high gasoline prices. And automakers have been paying attention – there are now more fuel-efficient hybrid vehicles available than ever before. But when people who currently own a hybrid vehicle buy another car, they’re not buying another hybrid.
(Excerpt) Read more at carbusinesstoday.com ...
I only know two out of maybe eight or nine hybrid owners who are really happy with their vehicles. Both own a hybrid as a second vehicle for driving around Dallas only. If that’s the only driving you do, one would be hard to beat, but that is a very tiny market.
A bit of a surprise, actually.
I mean, if someone is dumb enough to buy a hybrid in the first place, you’d think they’d lack the sense not to return to their own vomit again.
Wait till they go to trade them in.
My wife and I purchased a 2005 Prius and loved every minute of driving that vehicle. When I retired, we purchased a 2010 Prius and we love it, too. We sold the older Prius to my daughter and her husband and they are proud and happy Prius owners also. The Prius is a joy to drive, a lot of torque, snappy and maneuverable.
Guess we are just the anomalies out there...
That will be a million dollar question new to most sellers that will have them squirm, “ are these the original batteries?”
I would buy another gasoline only Escape 4x4. The heated seats and navigation system and leather seats are accessories I would buy again. The "moon roof" is a non-starter. I never use it. When it is opened, it is a bitch to get it properly closed so it doesn't whistle or leak. It's just not worth the aggravation.
Maybe because they’ve become permanent fags after driving them.
Maybe Prius is the only good hybrid? I have some friends who have the exact same story as yours, even with the daughter getting the old one. They love it and I drove the old one quite a bit on windy country roads when I visited and I was quite impressed.
I have a 2006 Prius, never had a better car or better mileage. It has never been to the dealer for maintenance. It’s averaging 53 MPG. During a trip from Colorado Springs to Aspen, & driving around, for 264 miles. The fill-up was 4 gallons, that is 66 MPG. You can definitely put me down for a repeat Prius buyer. And the Truck is a Dodge Ram 2500 Diesel for off-road pleasure.
In my family we call them Pious Drivers. I loved my Volvo, but I hated the “you must be a liberal” assumptions that came with it. I know I would never pay that much money for something with wheels and an engine... but I do not live in a city. I knew the MPG was not accurate because they were rarely accurate in any vehicle. I want that 6 cyl BMW diesel they will not sell here. Killer mileage.. it beat the pious. Not to mention it was a great you tube video of the guy in the pious sweating because he refused to turn on the AC while the beamer driver drove in comfort and style.
We bought our 2005 Prius just as a home to work commuter (the majority of our miles driven) and we love it. At constant 48 mpg in town it saves ue over $150 per month just in gas. We bought it with 75000 miles on it, now has 93000 (trouble free miles) and it looks like they are selling for the same price I paid for it 2 yrs ago. Nothing wrong with those numbers.
We bought our 2005 Prius just as a home to work commuter (the majority of our miles driven) and we love it. At constant 48 mpg in town it saves ue over $150 per month just in gas. We bought it with 75000 miles on it, now has 93000 (trouble free miles) and it looks like they are selling for the same price I paid for it 2 yrs ago. Nothing wrong with those numbers.
Heated seats move from being a luxury to a necessity after you’ve had them for a while.
On the sunroof, have you tried treating the gaskets with a quality rubber treatment like 303 Aerospace Protectant? Or is the problem just bad geometry?
The Euro mfrs have some awesome diesel powerplants that we rarely get due to the regulatory costs of getting EPA and NHTSA approval. A different engine in a previously approved car makes it a completely different car from a regulatory perspective, which kills engine innovation.
I think the real problem with them is the ever-present problem of replacing whatever battery pack it has. In some cases, the costs could reach up into the thousands, equivalent to a major engine repair or similar.
Frankly, I don’t think estimates for battery life by manufacturers are believable, often idealized and overstated.
Sounds like GE and GM do not want competition. Markets manipulated by pure politics are not free markets. If we want the Beamer, or any other car we like, we should be able to get it. If I was still military I would buy a pair and have one “imported”. Ah.. how I miss the good ol days.
You can’t even do that any more. The gray market car is a thing of the past.
On the engine thing, go to audi.com (USA site), get into the configurator, and look at the engine and transmission choices for, say, an A4. Then go to Audi.de or Audi.co.uk and do the same thing. If you’re into cars, you’ll be amazed at all the cool stuff you can get 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.