Haven't we been here before?

One of the advantages of being a geezer is you remember how history seems to repeat itself. When the first energy crisis happened the Honda Civics with 50,000 miles on them went for almost what they cost new. That was partly due to the fact the Civics got more expensive every year. However it was mostly a cult thing that kept the value up.

I am interested in seeing the resale value of hybrids when people have to start buying replacement batteries.

I doubt you will ever see many accountants driving Hybrids

 

It's amazing how you can pick and choose data to support whatever viewpoint you want to push, and I keep seeing the same recurring tactics:

A Prius is the hybridized corrolla? Have you ever driven a corrolla, believe me its not the same thing! Tactic one is to compare hybrids to cheap 4-cylinder economy cars which still get fair MPG at the expense of hp and space. apples and oranges.

Tactic two, when in doubt, do the math using the performance/luxury hybrids! They cost a more but don't have a big MPG gain. Just wait until the yukon and silverado hybrids get released: Of the ten hybrids we tested, half of them didn't save any gas at all...

I'm seeing these patterns emerge in most of these anti-hybrid articles. Although I'll admit, using some imaginary estimated depreciation value is a new one.

To ender21's point, why are they trying to push this viewpoint with cherry picked data, is there some external influence?

 

It seems like they mostly went for the upscale hybrids just like Obi Wan said. I may actually consider a FEH in my future. You never know. I haven't checked but maybe I'll get a one year old one for half the price of a new one.

"Hondasucks", since you joined I haven't seen too many positive posts out of you and most of the threads you have "contributed" to have been locked. I see a trend growing here. Just as I said before, a few little positive words every so often helps one's credibility. I bit my tongue before on all your other posts, today I decided to call you out. I know you're angry, heck your screen name states that. You should have a ton of info about hybrids and I would think your website had credibilty if you had positive things to say instead of always trolling for some to picka fight with. I won't say anything more about it though. I know you have it in you to say some positive words about hybrids.

 

I'm still trying to get a handle on this hybrid vehicle depreciation thing. Usually consider the classic Prius, but this time I compared 2004 Prius to the base model Camry LE. Added automatic transmission and ABS to the Camry, and rear wiper to the Prius. Internetautoguides.com says they started out at the same MSRP, $20175. For used values I averaged Edmunds, KBB, and NADA with 24k miles on each car. Camry depreciation was $4620, and the Prius a *negative* $1323. My conclusion is that the Prius driver is almost $6000 ahead. Hope the Camry owner got a good deal off the list price.

DAS

 

Im sorry to say but I didn't write this report, I simply posted the article and used the exact same heading they used. Im actually not posting to pick a fight. All i want to do is share the other side of the coin with people who are viewing this site and considering a hybrid purchase. The information I post is what I wish I had read or have been exposed to before making a decision for a hybrid. You can say "You have no credibitlty for posting negative articles" But i can flip that around and say the vast majority here have no credibilty for posting only positive since the majority don't have enough millage on their car to make the proper assesment. Personally i know that is not true and people are posting based on their experience and so am I.

Now lets get back on topic here and I will post MY OPINION since im being attacked and have yet to share it LoL


Right now the Hybrid hammer is hot, so at the moment i don't think the depreciation is bad, but in a few years it will be... There is only so many years of good will battery replacements that the manufacters are going to loose money on, and once that time comes to pass and people have to shell out thousands for new packs, you will see the resale value of used hybrids go to hell in a handbag.

 

I don't hold much faith in "The magazines" these days. When was the last time you read that many of these owners are getting MPG's into the 50's and 60's, and even a few 70's?

I researched the depreciation of my own 2004 HCH with a comparable EX @ 60K miles last year.

According to Kelly Blue Book the EX depreciated much faster and was worth considerably less than the HCH.
I don't have time at the present but if someone wishes I could post some numbers later.

 

I was calling it how I saw it and just voicing what I am sure more than a few have thought. Back on topic now though, I'm zipped

I know my Insight will soon have it's share of problems and I am curious to see how my local Honda dealer will handle it since I do not and WILL NOT use them for minor or midlevel MX or even oil changes. I have a feeling they will not want to help me when the time comes. We'll see.

That being said, I think that IF I shall ever have to actually pay for a battery pack in say....my HCH... the prices will have dropped because there are more of them being sold. A good example, not batteries but I can remember paying $300 for a whooping 4MB of RAM for my computer back in the early 90's. Now, people will literally give you their old 128MB when they upgrade. Hybrids are becoming mainstream enough that the batteries and other parts will drop drastically in price in the somewhat near future.

The price of packs will go down and the battery life longevity will go up. Just my opinion though, guess I'm an optimist.

 

Here's what I banged out a few days ago .

Looking at Kelly Blue Book I compared Suggested Retail Value for a 2003 HCH and HC EX, each with comparable options and 45,000 miles.

The Hybrid was $19,855 and the EX $16,080, Difference of $3775.

Now we are back to the the question of difference in purchase price of each. Are hybrids going close to or above MSRP, and are EXs going for a lot less than MSRP? Vincentric thinks so to the tune of $4101 more for the hybrid.

 

Please don't take this personal but you probably sound like people in the early part of the 20th century when the automobile was coming out. I can hear what people then might have said. "what you have to fill it with gasoline and keep oil in it. To top it off it will cost me over a years pay for it and that darn engine what will it cost to rebuild it? My horse I just have to feed it, and he'll last another 12 years."Then again if people way back were like yourself, even the wheel wouldn't have been invented! kevin

 

Back in 1999 I paid close to $800 bucks for a stick of 128mb SODIMM PC133 for my sony vaio laptop lol

The problem is we are not talking about a standard size battery for all hybrids. You cannot take a HCH2 and plug and play it in a HCH1 or honda insight. Therefor although the costs to manufacter the latests hybrids may drop, it most likley wont effect the older ones like your HCH. And as new, different hybrids are built, the cycle will likley continue. Not to mention NMHD have a shelf life, so mass over-production wont be a solution either. Also, although the idea of "Hybrid" may be considered new technololgy, NMHD batteries are not and really we shouldnt be waiting for prices to drop since this tech has been in high use for a long time already.