I may potentially have an 840 mile per week commute soon, and if so that does some serious hybrid justification on the economic side of things.

Heavily considering an Insight MT or HCH2 but Honda is so stingy on the extras, seems crazy they don't want to provide options so people can pay more and get more, so Toyota Prius/Camry are in consideration as well.

(I'd really love to get an Accord Hybrid, but it really doesn't seem like it will get me any MPG above what my Sentra already gets.)

The MPG database on this site is quite useful in making my decision... I'm also a Consumer Reports reader and was disheartened to see how low MPG the hybrids got which was the #1 reason I hadn't bought one earlier, but seeing real world numbers from people helps a great deal.

I also appreciate all the hacks/mods linked to from this site, such as HID upgrades, places to get aftermarket leather upgrades, etc... since if I get a HCH2 I'll be looking to update it to be more like the Accord. :-)

Shawn

 

Welcome,
You'll find more option for the HCH2 than the Insight, that's for sure. I assume you already realize that they aren't making Insights in 2007, but you still may be able to find an '06 around somewhere if you want a new one.

I would skip the Accord if you are really interested in high MPG.

What part of the country are you from?

 

I'm in the Seattle area, and yes the Accord Hybrid was last on my list due to MPG, it was just a more comfortable car for long drives.

 

Shawn,

I subscribe to CR and would take it with a grain of salt. Many who contribute to this database are interested in getting the best mileage out of their cars, and drive it as such. CR tests the hybrids like any other car, so they're not trying to eke the last mile out of a gallon of gas. My TCH got 34 mpg according to CR, but if you look in the database you'll see it generally does a lot better. I'm averaging about 39 mpg, but the average has been creeping up as I've learned the tricks talked about on this site. My current tank is over 44 mpg.

 

I'm glad the database has been helpful to you. Poking around on this site will stir up a lot of old threads in which various opinions of CR have been debated- many hybrid owners think it is either biased or mistaken with regard to some of its conclusions about hybrid cars. Nonetheless, it's a trusted resource for many.

Personally, given my own experiences with a hybrid and how well they have tracked the experiences reported by others on this site, I would give a great deal of credibility to the GH hybrid owners in any dispute between the two information sources. People here really know their stuff. CR is all well and good, but their expertise is very general, and if you want specifics, this is the place to be.

As for which hybrid to get, I absolutely love my HCH I, so I'd like to put in as my two cents that the mileage can be incredible if you drive it like a hybrid and not like a sports car, and with your commute, there would be substantial economic benefits to going that route. I know you're interested in features, and since the HCH II has more than mine, I can't really speak to that- you have to go with what fits your needs, but hopefully you can get aftermarket stuff that you like. Best wishes and good luck making your choice.

 

I was just browsing these introductions to see what people say before posting my own. Back in May I started a job that has me driving 300-700 miles a week. I have had my Prius 63 days and it has about 6,500 miles on (wife took it to San Francisco today so I am not sure excatly where the odo is now ). I will talk more about my car in my intro from Sacramento...