alright, i must confess, i don't actually own a hybrid, nor do i plan on buying one soon. i'm only in college. I joined the forum for two main reasons. 1) my mom is going to need a new car soon and i'm trying to convince her on a hybrid. 2) i'm using hybrid cars for a project i'm doing in english class.

my question to EVERYONE out there is, why did you choose to buy a hybrid vehicle over a regular one. if you could please say what kind of vehicle you own and why you chose it i would greatly appreciate it.

you can include things such as mpg, amenities in the car, tools, reviews, price. anything that influenced your decision.

basically i'm writing an analytical report asking whether or not the general public of the US will switch to hybrid cars based on their design and stuff like that.

any input would VERY greatly appreciated.

 

I own a 2004 Toyota Prius.

I bought this because I believe in the technology that Toyota has created. The fact I can get 50+ MPG, Smart Start/Entry (Key FOB stays in my pocket at all times), Bluetooth intergartion (NJ & NY have handsfree laws) and 80% less emissions should give everyone the reason.
I have tracked the hybrid technology for years, watching Toyota and waiting for a stable product which was delivered in the 2004 models.
I am also a computer "GEEK" so having the Smart Start/Entry, Bluetooth and GPS was enough for me .

For the people who buy SUVs (H2) and have never taken them anywhere except for the Mall, none of them have the right to complain about gas prices since they are the cause.

 

Hi Ted -

You have come to the right place if you want input on hybrid cars! I, like you, do not at this moment own a Hybrid, but have one on order, and coming to this site /discussion group provided me a lot of information I used to make my choice.

I will say the reason I have chosen a Hybrid for my next car is threefold. Initially it was to lesson dependence on oil from mainly foreign countries. Of course the cost of gas during this past summer also hastened my decision to begin looking. Once I got involved in researching hybrids and reading the stories of what others were doing to achieve hypermilage (mileage well above what the EPA and others get) I thought this added to the enjoyment of owning a vehicle that is better for the environment then an all gas vehicle.

As for the vehicle I currently own, it is a Dodge Dakota Quad Cab 4x2 pickup. I get about 17 MPG tooling around town and do very little highway driving and do very little hauling (one of the main reasons I realized I did not need it).

 

I currently drive a '05 Honda Insight 5-speed.

After reading about 70-80-90-100 mpg on this forum and others, it really got my interest going.
I was driving a Dakota, 19-20 mpg at best. Decided I could get by without a pickup, and started shopping for a new car.
Looked at the Prius, and really liked it. But in the end decided that a two-seater was all that i needed and it beat everything else on fuel economy. And it drove like my older RX-7's that I had years ago (fun factor).
My wife has a Acura TL, so I had faith in Honda reliability.

Fuel savings was a big factor, but I was attracted to the technology built into the car also.

Regards,

 

I've always been a huge environmental freak. I knew as soon as the Insight made its debut in the US in 1999 that I was going to get a hybrid car. Honestly, I didn't think I'd get one as soon as I have, but my previous vehicle (12mpg pickup truck) blew up, and I happened to get a great deal on a 2005 Civic Hybrid CVT. For years before I got a hybrid, I knew all there was to know about all the hybrids out there, and I was the "hybrid guy" to all my friends - we couldn't pass a hybrid on the street without some sort of exclamation on my part.

I'm still the "hybrid guy", and I tell everyone I can about hybrid cars and the choices available. However, I've never driven one of the hybrid SUVs - I'm only a wannabe expert.

 

hi. i have a 2005 honda civic hybrid, which i bought in september. one of the reasons i got mine was definitely monetary. i have a 40 mile commute (one way) and was spending close to $300 monthly on gas as the prices went up up up. i was driving a honda CRV, which i bought the previous year. i wanted the 4 wheel drive and the space, since we live on a farm and i can haul stuff. however, for as often as i did that, it was not worth it. also, with two grandkids, i am very concerned about the environment and liked what i see as a reduction in the pollution this car emits. it's my 4th honda, and you can't beat the dependability.

 

thanks for the replies everyone.

a few more questions, hope you all don't mind.

how hard do you think it would be to get more of the general public to buy hybrids?
does there need to be a MAJOR gas crisis or something like that before many people actually take hybrids seriously?

on a side note, i REALLY like the accord hybrid
i have a 97 accord two door right now and it does decent on the gas mileage for a reular car. seeing how i'm in college cost of gas is a big deal. my mom wants to get a new car soon, i'm trying to sway her into getting a hybrid. either the escape, highlander, or accord. the 400h would be nice but it's a little more than we can afford.

i'm waiting for the gs430h or something like that. lexus's flagship gs model, but hybrid

 

First of all, welcome to GH.

Secondly, you'd be far better off, if you're really looking for the info, to ask in the General Discussion forum. Not everyone checks Intros, reads them, or cares for that matter about newbies.

Thirdly, you may get a weath of information from: https://www.greenhybrid.com/discuss/...ight=Magic+SUV

Lastly, in answer to your recent questions, "how hard do you think it would be to get more of the general public to buy hybrids?" Not very. The biggest problem is education. Most people still believe that hybrids don't deliver the MPGs advertised, they can drive it like they do a race car and get good milage, the battery is toxic, they're too expensive vs the savings in gas, and the insurance prices go up and/or are discontinued. This is partly perpetuated by the media, as well as a general ignorance and "fear". With some good, strong, positive publicity, the hybrid vehicle can replace standard ICE only vehicles.

Now, the problem is that education. Few people want to really learn about hybrids, and are comfortable with their ignorance, though as people like us buy them and share our info, that can change things. To get a real change, to get the light of knowledge to spread out, there has to be a real triggering event. A massive spike in gas prices. A lot of positive media (and lack of negative media), including (and this is a must) lots of interviews with real world owners rather than "car experts". And more hybrids. Not numberwise, but optionwise, especially in the American (Non-Toyata or Honda) market. A proliferation of hybrid commercials. Should enough of those or even all occur, then the average American would consider buying a hybrid all the time.