Edmunds: Hybrids not the cheapest way to drive
Click above for high-res gallery of the Chevy Aveo
Edmunds.com recently concluded a study which indicated that a hybrid may not be the cheapest way to travel. The truth is that many normal small cars cost less in the long run to operate, despite the fact that their fuel mileage may not reach that of a comparable hybrid vehicle. Of course, all of the associated bits and pieces which make a hybrid a hybrid cost money, especially such big-ticket items as the motor, batteries and computer systems. This fact means that a typical hybrid vehicle is going to cost more than a vehicle with a single drivetrain.
Coming in at the top of the list for cheap transportation is the Chevrolet Aveo. Of course, before plunking down your hard-earned cash, we'd suggest doing a bit more research. The Honda Civic hybrid managed to break the top twenty for low-cost transportation, though it would spring into the top ten if gas were to hit $5 a gallon, which it surely will. The popular Prius lands at number 34 at current gas prices and would reach number 26 at the five-buck a gallon gas price. Certainly, there's plenty more to consider than just the cost to operate a vehicle, such as how much space is available and safety ratings. Still, for those looking for mobility on the cheap, the Aveo is tops. For everyone else...
[Source: Auto Observer]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
meme 3:06PM (6/27/2008)
Where's their methodology? A "study" is worthless without how they arrived at their conclusions being published ("published" also being fudging a term, since it's not a peer-reviewed study, either; it's merely "published" in the literary sense). Here's one that *publishes* their methodology.
http://www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/hev_calculator/single.php
They only let you compare vehicles that are either hybrid-only or have both hybrid and standard versions, but the results are strikingly different from what Edmunds comes up with (be sure to set a proper gas price when running it). And it's only common-sense that this is the case; who pays anywhere near what they pay for gas on maintenance?
I'm betting Edmunds is only looking at the first year of ownership and using depreciation in place of purchase price, or something of that nature.
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s10 3:14PM (6/27/2008)
Wow, smaller and cheaper cars actually are cheaper than bigger and more expensive cars.. Wow, who would have thought THAT!
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Wave54 3:26PM (6/27/2008)
# I'm betting Edmunds is only looking at the first year of ownership and using depreciation in place of purchase price, or something of that nature. #
That's the problem with car mags and websites -- they only concentrate on the initial aspect of car ownership. To them, a long-term test is 30K miles.
I regretably bought an Aveo 3 years ago and it's been the most expensive car I've ever owned in terms of maintenance. Only the most common parts are available from parts stores -- everything else is only available from the dealer.
A catalytic convertor failure that destroyed the muffler as well ended up costing over $1300. The same parts for other models would have been over 80% cheaper.
In the end, I've ended up paying as much as the Toyota or Honda I thought I couldn't afford without getting the quality, economy, driving dynamics or high resale value.
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Bob R. 3:41PM (6/27/2008)
It doesn't surprise me that small cars like the Aveo or Yaris are being touted as less costly to own overall than a hybrid like a Prius, but it's not a direct comparison.
If your _only_ consideration is lowest lifetime cost of ownership, and the size, performance, and amenities of the car are secondary, then of course many small cars will be suitable.
However, if you take a car like the Prius and look for other cars with a similar size (4 dr. hatch with plenty of cargo room), automatic trans, multi airbags, stability control, etc., the Prius scores much better.
We're actually considering selling our Prius. Based on what we currently owe and the amazing resale value Prii are seeing right now, if we're careful, we could walk away with a new Yaris (or a similar car), half our current car payment, and some cash to use for other purposes.
But downsizing to the Yaris might be too difficult... we have no problem taking road trips or camping trips with 3 people in the Prius. Why doesn't Toyota offer the Yaris in the USA as a 4-door hatchback? That might work for us.
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Warner Young 3:46PM (6/27/2008)
It might be true that an Aveo is cheaper to run, but having driven one once (it was a rental and I had no choice), I would never buy one. It felt too cramped. The rear view was horribly small (I was used to a Camry's enormous rear window). It didn't feel very "solid" as I drove it around. And there were just a myriad of other things that I didn't like about it.
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George Krpan 5:12PM (6/27/2008)
In the recent article about the Think car it said that the batteries accounted for half the cost of the car. That's way too much and then contemplate the scale of pollution of our nations fleet being run on batteries.
How about a hybrid air car. The internal combustion engine turns an air compressor instead of a generator. No batteries required.
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meme 5:46PM (6/27/2008)
"How about a hybrid air car. The internal combustion engine turns an air compressor instead of a generator."
Hey, if you like throwing away 80-90% of your energy, by all means, go right ahead.
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prescott 8:08PM (6/27/2008)
I thought this was an interesting take on the Edmunds release:
http://www.newsday.com/business/la-fi-cars26-2008jun26,0,6555728.story
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Dad 8:31PM (6/27/2008)
"that a hybrid may not be the cheapest way to travel."
Another DUH moment. It took them this long to figure this out?
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42 9:43PM (6/27/2008)
huh, I got 32mpg on my last tank. in an A4 Quattro 2.0T.
hybrid schmybrid.
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Chris M 10:11PM (6/28/2008)
" huh, I got 32mpg on my last tank. in an A4 Quattro 2.0T. hybrid schmybrid"
I got 48 mpg on my last tank, and my Prius cost a lot less than an A4 Quattro. So whoopty do.
Of course, if your objective is absolute cheapest transport, get a reliable used econobox. Or get a bike.
Cost of ownership is just one factor in car buying decisions, and for many, cost isn't the most important factor.
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CNCMike 9:54AM (6/29/2008)
If you bother to look at the stucy you would see that it is based on 5 years of ownership and the methodology is clearly defined on their website. The Civic was the second cheapest car to own and drive for 5 years and is a much higher quality car than a Prius will ever be.
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Gene 1:45PM (6/29/2008)
Anybody drive a Civic Hybrid lately? It is a much more pleasurable car than any of the "lower cost" cars. My average 49 mpg (worst 44, best 62) is a pleasure at the pump, as well.
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Dave B 12:22PM (7/02/2008)
Part of the hybid's appeal is that you get to have a bigger car and still get the good gas mileage.
It is the best of both world's.
If it was simply about the gas mileage and the cost of the vehicle, the whole country would be driving compact cars.
Yes hybrid's cost more, but people are trying to save money on "fuel", not necessarily the cost of the car itself. Additionally they may want to help the environment, or eliminate foreign oil dependency. People will pay more money for a car that can do all these things and still have room for additional passengers and luggage.
In the 1970's the only way to save gas was to go small. Now with Hybrid's, we have options.
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Steve 11:37PM (6/30/2008)
@meme in comment #1:
The article contains an simplified overview of the publication's methodology, for the sake of casual reader for whom the article is intended. At the top and bottom of the article are email addresses to the author and editorial staff; your question about detailed methodology would is more likely to be answered there, not here.
As for the "is it peer-reviewed" tripe, try to keep in mind that the peer-review is an editing and publication process used by scientific journals, and is not without it's own criticism from within the scientific community (most notable is the lack of a double-blind standard). Given that Edmunds is not a scientific journal, peer-review is neither required or expected in articles concerning cost-of-ownership of automobiles. As such, you may want to save your "is it peer-reviewed" questions for knee-jerk responses to studies that do not support the notion of AGW, which quite obviously, is where the peer-review talking point originates in today's casual discourse.
Being a cheapskate myself, I'm impressed that the list pretty much matches (not in order, however) the 12 or so rides I've considered purchasing over the last year, where low purchase price, maintenance costs, operating costs, and insurance premiums are my highest concerns.
The fact that a hybrid is not the least expensive option for most motorists should not a surprise to anyone who has run cost-benefit analysis of the price premium against fuel costs. All Edmunds has done is provide a more detailed breakdown and ranking structure than other publications have in the past.
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