I have to say that the hypermiling concept redefines the phrase "fun to drive." It's all kinds of interesting, trying to balance the challenge of improving FE against attempts at minimizing habits that might prompt the single-fingered salute. I find it far more stimulating to drive with goals in mind beyond that of "how fast can I get there."

Frankly, I get a bit of a grin on my face when someone shoots by me doing 60 in a 40 zone, so speedsters' opinion of my newly-adopted slower pace isn't so much of an impact for me personally. Something that has crossed my mind, however, is the negative impression that slower driving may have on the hybrid badge across the driving community.

Say someone in a legitimate hurry (a phrase open for interpretation, I'm sure) deals with 3 or 4 hybrid-driving [slow pokes] on their way to work. No doubt hybrid drivers across the board will get a bad rap around the water cooler for at least a full day. Until the benefits of FE targeting are a more widely pursued goal on U.S. roadways, giving off a negative impression will continue to be a concern. And while those who are already driving hybrids may not care about that bad reputation - after all, we're the ones saving money - the pace of social conversion toward fuel efficiency overall faces a risk of being slowed as a result of negative word-of-mouth.

 

idk, for me spending 15 min more on the road rather than working is far more costly than the gasoline I save up. Not to mention that the NAH is about 4K more than the 2.5S altima and the 2 cars' mpgs differ by very little, especially on the highway. So do the math of how many years before the hybrid pays for itself...

The reason I got a hybrid is because of low emissions and to support the technology by generating demand so that automakers would have a good reason to continue to invest in hybrids and make them even better - NOT to save money, which I certainly am not :-)

 

Tax Incentive: $2350

5 years of gas @ ~$3.50/gallon:
1) (15K miles * 5 years) = 75K miles
2) 75K miles / 27 mpg = 2778 gallons for 2.5S
3) 75K miles / 34 mpg = 2205 gallons for hybrid
--> (2778 - 2205) * $3.50 = ~$2000

Emissions inspection exempt (in PA, at least): ~$20 * 5 = $100

We're already past $4000, shall we continue? As for spending 15 more minutes on the road, see point #4 from Hot_Georgia_2004's post on page one of this thread. One way or the other, It would be rather surprising if one couldn't find a way to make a hybrid save money as compared to its gasoline-only counterpart. Then again, some things never change - Chevy's hype about its release of the "gas sipping" Camaro next year (23-26 mpg) is proof of that.

http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2008/...vrolet_camaro/

The Camaro is a good looking piece of machinery, no doubt. But the propoganda is yet more evidence that the U.S. auto industry refuses to change because so many U.S. drivers refuse to change. To each his/her own, I suppose.

 

Don't forget that the NAH has a few standard features (traction/stability control, ABS) that are extra-cost options on the base Altima 2.5S (last time I checked). I think that wipes out a good chunk of the price difference - at least if those are features you would've paid for anyway.

 

Not everyone is entitled to the tax credit btw :-))

Though for ppl that are, remeber that its not 2350 that goes into your pocket fully... its lowers your taxable income by 2350, which in the end of the day only gives you about $1000 into your pocket.

That means you need to keep the NAH for about 7 yrs over the 25.S to break even and that is assuming that none of the electrical components need servicing or repairs after the warranty goes kaput.


What I was really getting at is:
By driving normally with traffic and not annoying anyone (that does mean speeding when all of traffic is speeding) I still get 35mpg on my NAH. If I always go less than speed limit and baby the car I can get 40 mpg, though I have also timed my trip length to work and it takes me 5-8 more mins one-way, so call it 10-15 minutes both ways. What I can tell you is that those 5 more MPGs are just not worth the extra 10-15 minutes for me. That may not be the case for everyone.



I absolutely agree with #4. Also note that the tip is to go sub-speed limit when *theres no one around*. Try that on your way to work at 8 am around here. If you go less than 20 miles over the speed limit someones going to pull out a gun and shoot you.



Yes, the NAH is a better car than the 2.5S, no argument there. You pay more, you get more (except for trunk space), so a direct price comparison is not going to be very accurate. But no matter how you look at it, it would take at least 3-5 yrs for the average driver to break even.

 

You've got this wrong - you get the $2,350 as a tax credit which reduces what you owe the the goverment by the full amount. That's how mine worked out last year.

Also when you figure the price difference between a 2.5S and the hybrid you have to figure in the advantage of having stability and traction control. This option isn't even available on a Altima four cylinder even though it should be. That has to be worth at least another $1,000.

 

i agree, it is like getting a $2350 check (as long as you can capture the entire amount)

i used the same justification for buying my car, but i think i called it even with having a bigger trunk

 

The 2.5 getting 27 MPG is a pipe-dream in real world driving as well. 25 is more like it. I have a Versa and can barely get 29, nowhere near the 33 it's supposed to get. I have no trouble getting 35+ in the NAH. A 10 MPG difference is significant.

I calculated the difference between the base NAH and the equivalent 2.5 and it was about a $1,000 at the time I purchased, not counting any deal on ether car.

The Base NAH blew the equivalent 2.5 away in over-all savings unless you are able to get a blowout deal on the 2.5 and, as has been mentioned, stability control is not even an option on the 2.5.

 

Question on Tax credit. Do you guys get any tax credit doc for your NAH purchase? If you don't, what do you use to cliam your 2350 tax credit? I didn't get any tax doc with my NAH purchase and would like to know how I would cliam my tax credit when tax time come next year.

 

Your tax preparer will know what to do if you tell him you bought a hybrid. But if you're preparing your own taxes, for 2008, IRS Form 8910 can be found here (draft version): http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-dft/f8910--dft.pdf