About 600 gallons of fuel. Price has changed dramatically from around $1.50/gal to $3.75/gal so the cost savings is impossible to calculate. Using $2.50 a gallon as a rough average estimate:

$1500.00

 

And my wife is a ladybug ..

<groan................>

 

I going to make a different, probably unpopular, point. I think the word "savings" is misleading.

What if gasoline prices had gone down? Would you be asking how much money your hybrid cost you? (in terms of cost differential between hybrid and non-hybrid?)

To answer this question, you need to consider the additional capital you committed to a hybrid. This capital served a as hedge to the price of gasoline.

You could have equally invested this hedge into crude futures, or the ETF (USO)...which is up 40% YTD and more than 100% in past year.

I'm all for buying hybrids for environmental reasons. But fact is, unless you drive far more than the average person, the economics doesn't work out for hybrids...yet. Either the price of oil needs to go higher, or the cost of hybrids needs to go lower for this to become a good investment.

So the question is more like..."how good of an oil trader are you", did you call the direction of the market correctly?

I make this point because many people buy hybrids thinking it is a great economic investment when the reality couldn't be further from the truth (for the average driver).

 

Well as I said above - 94 Mitz pushing 150,000 miles - not burning oil ... yet. So in my case a different car wasn't an option - ya I could have put it off ??? 6 months ??? I could have gone for the 07 HCH, 14Km for only 1500 less than what I paid for the 08. And I was looking for an excuse. And as Kermit said, Sometimes it's not easy being green.

 

If you are thinking in purely economic terms you might be right. I suspect that most hybrid drivers feel good about saving gas/not burning gas. Even if they could have made more money driving a guzzler and investing in the stock market most would choose the hybrid all over again anyway. I would.

 

Im spending 34 dollars less each week on gas. I drive 48 miles each way to work and was filling up every 3 1/2 days in my mustang. So about 125 dollars a month less at 3.59 a gallon

 

It's funny that no one ever says: "yeah, but I'm almost to the break even point on my M3 vs. if I had gotten that 328..." Is it that hard to believe that people are actually having FUN in these cars? For years people have been paying thousands extra for a few more ponies and a stiffer suspention in the name of fun. I have a lot more fun driving the HCH than I did my old Subie, even though it would hit 60mph in literally TWICE as quickly as the HCH.

K (finanically in the black on both hybrids already and couldn't be happier)

 

Gas prices have not tended to go down year over year for last several years
http://www.gasbuddy.com/gb_retail_pr...t.aspx?time=24

but thats not the point - there typically are significant operations (fuel) cost savings if you were going to invest in a new car when the car gets high (>40mpg - hybrid or not) versus much lower FE. I agree that some high FE non hybrids may be the lowest Total Cost of Ownership for say 5 years out, but many hybrids are on the low cost end.

Its investing in new low FE vehicles that are typically bad personal (and environmental) investments. I doubt there are many new Hummer or Escalade owners out there saying "if only gas was back to $3/gal, this would be a great investment" - then again, many probably would.

 

Hybrid owners are investing in the planet. It's time to take GREED out of the equation.

What's your number?

 

Yes, "jpjpjpjpjpjp" just doesn't get it. Some folks justify Beemers and Mercs becasue they enjoy handling or just showing their affluence, others spend so much to restore '50's beaters that they will never get their money out of them.

Why is it hard then, for them to accept that I enjoy a quiet efficient car that I know is good for my pocketbook and also for the planet.

BTW -- based on my first years fuel spend and total operating costs, my TCH will break into the black in month 17. This considers everything: Acquisition costs, energy credit, operating costs, indirect operating costs and depreciation.