I want a hybrid car. If you’ve been reading my blog, then you know by now that I have a heart of green, and that environmentalism is important to me. The more I read about hybrid cars, the more I love them and the more I really want to get them. As of my last research, the Hybrid Civic gets 50 mpg. I love the idea of helping the environment, of using my purchasing power as a vote for environmentalism, of reducing reliance on oil from hostile nations, of saving money as gas prices go through the roof. I love it, love it, love it, and I read about regularly and hungrily everything I can find about them.
So why shouldn’t I get one, at least right now?
1. They cost too much. At 22,000 for a Hybrid Civic, versus about 16,000 for a standard two door Civic, the price is right now prohibitive. As a personal finance decision, it simply is not a good one, and with debt and struggling, I’m not in a position to spend that much to make a statement. To make the price up in gas savings, at $3 per gallon, I would need to save 2000 gallons worth of gas, which I probably wouldn’t any time soon because
2. I already own a fuel efficient Civic Coupe. I generally get upwards of 30 miles per gallon, and have managed 40 when driving on highways. By my calculations, I would have to drive 150,000 miles on my car to get my money back. While I can probably get that out of my car (although maybe not), that would really only matter if I was buying a brand a hybrid instead of my current car, rather than as a replacement.
3. In addition to being a bad decision financially, replacing a two year old car is probably also not a smart environmental decision. Because the differences in mileage are so limited, it doesn’t seem likely that the environmental benefits of a hybrid will outweigh the environmental costs of the manufacturing. In fact, some argue that the environmental costs of producing nickel metal hydride batteries for hybrids make them even Worse than H3’s.
4. A recent study showed that an increasing number of hybrid owners buy them out of vanity. Reading this, and watching the hybrid car episode of South Park, makes me feel a bit obnoxious about the whole thing. (Really, the cloud of smug. Brilliant!)
Which brings it back around to where I started. I do want a hybrid because of what it says about me. I want it because it makes a statement, because it says something to auto manufacturers and to anyone who sees me driving it. I want to feel like I really am part of the solution to the problem, somehow and in some way.
But maybe I’ll wait a few (or more) years. Because I’m not sure I can afford $22,000 worth of smug.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Why I shouldn't buy a hybrid car (but want one anyway)
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17 comments:
If they choice was a Hybrid vs. a Hummer, the Hybrid is the easy choice. With Civics getting great mileage and qualifying as ULEV vehicles, it is probably more environmentally frendly due to the avoidance of batteries.
You want to make a statement?????
How about driving less. Buying less. That makes a better statement than buying a useless car. Keep using your 2 year old car for 8 more years. That will make a GREAT statement! Put money in a savings account, just like the Chinese do, which makes their country strong. Americans saving instead of buying will make a STRONGER statement.
Buy an American car, a Ford, a stick shift, Fords get over 35 miles per gallon PLUS they make hybrids.
I mean, really!!!!!
You want to make a statement....I just did it for you.
Thanks boomie for that reality check. :) I very often need them.
And yeah, while in my fluffy dreams I'm the obnoxious hipster with the hybrid, I am planning to keep my car for 8 more years. That's just how I was raised, and it wouldn't make sense to me to do anything less. The discussion was more for the sake of argument than actually to talk myself out of it.
I am going through an almost identical mental exercise about purchasing a hybrid -- Prius to be exact. And I have come to almost the exact conclusions you have. I am torn. Two things: 1) I am not as green of heart; and 2) I think it is mainly an image thing with me. Although, I did start considering selling my current car to save money --- then my wife said, "what about a hybrid." Now I am stuck with considering buying a car that really wont save me any money in the long run. Anyways ... good luck.
well in reality the civic hybrid doesn't get much more mpg savings than the standard civic anyways. the 50mpg is a pipe dream in the civic hybrid. so good choice, keep your current car and drive it until it dies. with that said, keep your car well maintained.
I'm (pleasantly) surprised to see the Civic hybrid billed as getting 50 mpg. A huge frustration in our household has been the dearth of "fuel efficient" cars that are actually fuel efficient. The most efficient hybrid I've yet seen advertised gets 35 mpg. Since our Geo Metro gets nearly 50 mpg, buying a hybrid would be really STUPID, financially and environmentally. :)
Now, if they would make a hybrid that ACTUALLY saves gas...
2007 Honda Civic Hybrid
Cost=25,000 +
Car Type=Compact
Fuel Type Regular
MPG (city)
40
MPG (highway)
45
MPG (combined) 42
1989 Geo Metro
Cost=Probably a couple of hundred, maybe a few hundred more to make it like new.
Car Type=Compact
Fuel Type
Regular
MPG (city)
43
MPG (highway)
51
MPG (combined)
46
That stopped me.
I don't think buying American is the answer. I bought American... so I have a shitty car. Once America makes cars that are comparable to the Hondas and Toyotas, I'll consider American again. But until then, I'll be buying Japanese.
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