Given that gas prices only spiked in the last 3 weeks, 1st quarter sales data may not predict future buying patterns.

Only a sustained price of $3.00+ will get consumers to switch to more fuesl efficient engines.

Interestingly, some of those v8 engines get pretty good mileage. In this weeks Autoweek, they did a road test to check real world gas mileage. The winner was the Jetta diesel at 49mpg. The Prius was 2nd at 46mpg. The surprise was the 400hp, v8 Corvette, which averaged 27mpg (sadly, the same as my 4 cylinder, 200hp Acura RSX). Also, on a recent trip to Canada, my Dad got 32mpg at 70mph in his v8 Crown Victoria. Neither has displacement on demand technology.

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There are occasions that every vehicle can achieve great mileage numbers, given the right conditions. Hybrids can go 100+ mpg without plug-in modifications. Just because a Crown Vic gets 32 mpg once in awhile really doesn't mean much.

I have a co-worker who has a Corvette and often tout about his highway mileage. Of course, if every car is as light, aerodynamic, and has a tall 6-th gear like a Corvette, put in a smaller engine, it'd certain get better than 27 mpg.

I'm not trying to put down other cars that don't fit the "mold" of a sensible car, but pointing out that a 400-hp Corvette can get 27 mpg doesn't really give the audience the whole story. It certainly does not mean that putting the 400-hp engine of a Corvette into an SUV will result in the same mileage on the highway.

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You are correct. Also in the Autoweek story was a Jeep Commander that got only 17mpg. It is shaped like a brick. The point is, we can't paint all high displacement engines with the "gas guzzler" label. They can get decent mileage when paired with a fuel saving transmission, good aerodynamics etc. By the same token, not all 4 cylinder engines are as efficient as you might think.

Mileage depends on many factors.

My sister wants a new Civic to replace her '94, but is disappointed that the new ones get worse mileage than she already gets.

Question: At what gas price level do hybrid cars repay the price premium? And how long does it take at a given price? Are we at the point where it makes economic sense for all cars to become hybrid?

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Oh, boy; back again to the "cost" of hybrids. At least it's less hostile here than the regular autoblog site.

Let's just get it out of the open: whenever people try to debate about the value of a Hybrid, it is almost NEVER about dollar and cents.


If transportation is only a matter of monetary expense for an individual, then one would be better off riding a bike or take public transportation, than actually owning a car. If simply trying to achieve the lowest cost possible in ownership of a car, then choosing a used car probably would save more money for gas than any new car, hybrid or not.

For new cars, we can go on in a never-ending loop of comparing perceived value alone. In today's market, people will pay $1000+ per alloy wheel to save weight, but yet light alloy wheels on a hybrid doesn't seem to get the same perceived value. Navigation system can cost up to $1600, and yet the hybrid option as a whole has to be nickled and dimed to be justified. We have not even begun to talk about depreciation values, tax breaks, interest rates, and how the future cost of gas will affect the expenses from year to year.

I think no amount of calculations and words will be able to convince those who are suspicious of hybrid technology. In the end, people are going to buy whatever they want, regardless of COST. It doesn't matter what kind of MPG a Corvette gets in the real world, if a person wants one, that person will rationalize his/her way into justifying the purchase.


I'm sorry if I did not answer the actual question about how a hybrid can save money, but it's a no-win kind of argument, and I'll leave it to the individual to figure it out.

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