Maybe your Civic is rougher because you got the tires pumped up to 50+ PSI and you will not even think of slowing down for a bump in it. I know I hate to slow down for bumps.

 

You got me there. I'm sure tire pressure is part of it.

 

Lakedude,
I was a bit unclear.I meant that maybe the hybrids will be known as transmission eaters 8 years from now.The Prius and the HCH both have "newish" type transmissions/PSD/CVT.If those trans start punting at 100,000 miles or so , they won't do well on the resale market. On rereading, the only hint that I meant the hybrids is the "give them away."
I did casually mention the interest" the $ made on the $8000."
Hyundai has made huge strides in QC;they do well in surveys now.I have eyeballed them because they are a very good deal. I was aware of the 10 year/100,000 mile warranty; it is in place because of the poor QC Hyundai had when they 1st came on the scene in the USA.
I'm guessing it would be close $$ wise. Of course, I bought with the $3150 in mind; I probably wouldn't have bought a Prius if I actually had to pay the full $26000(OTD).At $22850-OTD (after TC ) it was a "good deal" since that is roughly what a"loaded" Matrix costs(OTD). I wouldn't have paid $26000 for the Prius-despite my numbers. The TC has sold lots of Prius& HCH 2; no matter what members say, many folks bought because of the $3150($2500). Thanks.Charlie

 

I think this is the best statement I've seen on any hybrid/standard comparison thread. You cannot randomly select a similar vehicle and begin to compare it. There are too many individual needs and preferences involved. For me, at 6'7" 250lbs with a wife, baby, and a bad back....the only option for us was a small SUV. We didn't want to deal with the maintenance/cost of a used vehicle, and financing a used vehicle costs alot more than the 0% Ford is offering. Then we got to the vehicles themselves. There were only a couple that I fit in and fit in our garage as well. That left us to choose between the Mercury Mariner and Ford Escape Hybrids and regulars. I broke down the numbers of all 4 vehicles with the options we NEEDED/WANTED and in our situation, with the driving we do, the Hybrid made the most financial sense. Our payback period will be 3 years or less. An Echo, Civic, a Hyundai Elantra, a Vespa Scooter, and a bicycle would all cost less, use less fuel and polute less....but NONE of them actually fit the needs of my family.

 

I certainly agree that the buyer is the ultimate judge of value.

However you all are dead wrong that you can't compare cars unles they are exactly the same except perhaps a single feature. You can compare any 2 cars and you can even compare to a bicycle if you choose to do so. One guy I work with lives next to a store and 1.2 miles from work. He could easily walk to the store and ride a bike or scooter to work, weather permitting. Bikes and scooters are cheap enough you could have a car AND a bike or scooter. Of course he does not walk or ride a bike because the would be unamerican.

 

Engineering, science and medicine require this approach to testing because if not done right, people die. Sure, sometimes we do a multivariable analysis but that requires a statistical approach not evident in comparing two numbers.

Bob Wilson

 

I'm one of the few people who is actually saving money by purchasing my HCH, though that will go away in a few months when I change jobs. Right now, I'm working as a courier, so I'm driving about 200-250 miles a day. I was driving a Nissan Sentra SE (great car, btw), and getting 27MPG mixed city/highway on my daily drives. After trading it in, the Civic has a $50 higher payment, $20 higher in insurance....but I'm saving nearly $200 in gas each month, giving me a net savings of $130 a month while I still have this job. The savings would be larger, but gas has recently plummeted in Columbus from $3.15/gal to $2.29/gal, so it's not quite as much, but it still more than makes up for the payment and insurance increase.

When I change jobs and don't drive as much, that benefit goes away, but I won't really care since I will be making a lot more money, so I'm not too concerned about it.

 

Even on the longer term though, your car will work after you're done making the payments. At that point, its all savings. I see lots of civics on the road from the early to mid 90s. Maintain your car well and the savings will really start to add up. Even if you don't want to drive it that long, the resale value will be higher so you make some money back right there

 

what up

 

My former car got about the same mileage as your Nissan (I got about 25 MPG). With my Civic, I save $50 per month on gas and I drive 250 miles per week. Doesn't quite offset your $70 / month, but all it does is stretch out the "return on investment" point, but you'll still get there.