Hybrids saving most money: Camry, Malibu, Altima

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Among Hybrids, the Toyota Camry and Chevrolet Malibu Offer the Best Overall Value - Car News

Surprise! Not all hybrid cars cut costs equally.

BY JAKE HOLMES July 2008

Car buyers hoping to economize by switching to a hybrid car will save the most money if they buy a Toyota Camry hybrid, Chevrolet Malibu hybrid or Nissan Altima hybrid, according to a study by NADAguides.com.

As gas prices continue to rise around the country, hybrid cars are attracting more and more drivers who want to save money on fuel. But many consumers looking to buy a more efficient car only compare the EPA fuel economy and don=92t factor in the increased price of the hybrid model, according to Tara Baukus Mello, NADAguides.com lead market analyst.

Even though they use less fuel to go down the road, hybrid cars cost more upfront and, depending on how many miles drivers cover, won=92t necessarily save money. Baukus Mello and NADAguides.com studied the prices and potential fuel savings of hybrids on sale in the U.S. to determine their break-even point=97how far the cars must be driven before savings in fuel costs outweigh the initial outlay for a hybrid.

The study used EPA combined fuel economy ratings for 2008 model year hybrid cars and their gasoline-engine counterparts to evaluate fuel savings. Coupled to the manufacturer suggested retail prices (minus any tax breaks for hybrids) for each vehicle, NADAguides.com found varied results. For gas prices, the study used the current cost of a gallon in Los Angeles, $4.59. While that=92s higher than the current national average, it might not be too long before all of us are paying those prices.

The Toyota Camry, Chevrolet Malibu, Nissan Altima, Toyota Prius and Honda Civic hybrids all offer enough fuel savings for drivers to recoup their price premiums after fewer than 75,000 miles of driving=97 or less than five years for an average driver. But even among these five models are some surprises.

Hybrids such as the Chevy Tahoe and GMC Yukon take longer to break even than the five cars listed above (about 75,000 miles), and are thus not mentioned in detail below.

The Popular Kids are Costly

Since its introduction to the U.S. in 2000 as a 2001 model, the Toyota Prius has been the volume leader with over half a million models sold stateside. Discussion on fuel economy and high-mileage hybrid cars always seems to center around the quirky Prius, yet it may not be the best hybrid for buyers looking to minimize overall vehicle costs.

Even though it achieves a combined EPA rating of 46 mpg, the Prius starts at $22,160=97thousands more than a comparable Toyota Camry LE rated at a combined 25 mpg. Baukus Mello=92s study found that a driver paying $4.59 per gallon for gasoline would need to drive 41,626 miles before they saved money. That distance rises to over 47,000 miles for buyers paying the current national average of $4.11 per gallon. For most drivers, that=92s three to four years of vehicle ownership before the Prius delivers cost savings.

The Honda Civic hybrid delivers an even worse return on investment. Though the hybrid Civic is far more fuel-efficient than its gasoline brethren, a $4000 premium for the hybrid is hard to recoup=97even when factoring in a $525 tax break. At $4.59 a gallon, buyers need to accumulate 57,216 miles in order to save money with a Civic hybrid rather than an automatic LX model.

Still, Baukus Mello said she believes many consumers want to drive hybrid cars regardless of overall cost savings. Though the highly- praised Prius isn=92t really going to save money for drivers, it might fulfill a different need: ecological pride.

=93You=92re doing it because you have an interest in fuel economy,=94 Bauku= s Mello said.

Reply to
johngdole
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Among Hybrids, the Toyota Camry and Chevrolet Malibu Offer the Best Overall Value - Car News

Surprise! Not all hybrid cars cut costs equally.

BY JAKE HOLMES July 2008

Car buyers hoping to economize by switching to a hybrid car will save the most money if they buy a Toyota Camry hybrid, Chevrolet Malibu hybrid or Nissan Altima hybrid, according to a study by NADAguides.com.

As gas prices continue to rise around the country, hybrid cars are attracting more and more drivers who want to save money on fuel. But many consumers looking to buy a more efficient car only compare the EPA fuel economy and don?t factor in the increased price of the hybrid model, according to Tara Baukus Mello, NADAguides.com lead market analyst.

The Popular Kids are Costly

Since its introduction to the U.S. in 2000 as a 2001 model, the Toyota Prius has been the volume leader with over half a million models sold stateside. Discussion on fuel economy and high-mileage hybrid cars always seems to center around the quirky Prius, yet it may not be the best hybrid for buyers looking to minimize overall vehicle costs.

Even though it achieves a combined EPA rating of 46 mpg, the Prius starts at $22,160?thousands more than a comparable Toyota Camry LE rated at a combined 25 mpg. `````````````````````

**I just checked on the Toyota site: starting MSRP for an '09 Camry LE is $20, 375 (no add-on options). Considering the difference is $1785, the above sentence employs a little hyperbole, n'est-ce pas? "Thousands" makes one (or at least me) think "Probably, oh... $3 grand or more difference".

````````````````````````````` Baukus Mello?s study found that a driver paying $4.59 per gallon for gasoline would need to drive 41,626 miles before they saved money. That distance rises to over 47,000 miles for buyers paying the current national average of $4.11 per gallon. For most drivers, that?s three to four years of vehicle ownership before the Prius delivers cost savings.

The Honda Civic hybrid delivers an even worse return on investment. Though the hybrid Civic is far more fuel-efficient than its gasoline brethren, a $4000 premium for the hybrid is hard to recoup?even when factoring in a $525 tax break. At $4.59 a gallon, buyers need to accumulate 57,216 miles in order to save money with a Civic hybrid rather than an automatic LX model.

Still, Baukus Mello said she believes many consumers want to drive hybrid cars regardless of overall cost savings. Though the highly- praised Prius isn?t really going to save money for drivers, it might fulfill a different need: ecological pride. ````````````````````````````````````

**It'll save $ if you already drive a comparably prioced car - lateral switching. ```````````````````````` ?You?re doing it because you have an interest in fuel economy,? Baukus Mello said. ```````````````````` **Or spewing out even fewer emissions than the low emission cars.

Cathy

Reply to
Cathy F.

Among Hybrids, the Toyota Camry and Chevrolet Malibu Offer the Best Overall Value - Car News

Surprise! Not all hybrid cars cut costs equally.

BY JAKE HOLMES July 2008

Car buyers hoping to economize by switching to a hybrid car will save the most money if they buy a Toyota Camry hybrid, Chevrolet Malibu hybrid or Nissan Altima hybrid, according to a study by NADAguides.com.

**************

Guess which company supplies hybrid components for Nissan?

Reply to
Ray O

The Camry Hybrid starts at $25,860 and has worse gas mileage than the Prius, so how do they say that the Camry Hybrid saves more money than a Prius does?

-- Michelle

Reply to
Michelle Steiner

The way I read it, I think they were comparing apples & oranges: a Prius & a regular gas engine Camry, not a hybrid Camry.

Cathy

Reply to
Cathy F.

They were comparing various hybrids to their closest equivalent conventional car (e.g., a Civic Hybrid to a Civic, a Camry Hybrid to a Camry, and a Prius to a Camry). Somehow they concluded that a Camry Hybrid saves more money than a Prius does, when both are compared to a non-hybrid Camry.

Reply to
Michelle Steiner

When calculating total cost of ownership you need to know the total life of the car. You need to know the initial cost, cost of repairs each year, what it costs to run and how many years it is likely to last. I am not sure we know what the normal lifespan of a Prius will be. If we assumes it lasts same number of years as an ordinary car it may cost more to own. If it lasts longer it may be cheaper per year to own. As far as I am told the resell value of the Prius is high which may indicate that it will last many more year than ordinary cars. It has less moving parts so it would be natural to assume it to last much longer and then be less costly per year.

Reply to
Gosi

I agree w/you re: claiming that a Camry hybrid is more economical than a Prius - makes no sense.

Cathy

Reply to
Cathy F.

Would you advice a person who drives 90% freeway and 10% city driving to buy a hybrid? What amount of city driving should one have to even consider driving a hybrid?

Reply to
EdV

Yes, I would - because people I know who bought a Prius in '04 (or '05?) were getting 55 mpg on the NYS Thruway.

Cathy

Reply to
Cathy F.

They get worse gas mileage; they don't have as much room for passengers; their hybrid technology is behind Toyota's.

Reply to
Michelle Steiner

The resale value of the Prius has nothing to do with how long it lasts (compared to other Toyota's). It is high because there is a shortage of new hybrid cars, and there is an extreme shortage of used hybrid cars (because not many were manufactured until recently).

For example, the resale value of a big Toyota truck has plummeted. Not because it has any reliability problems, but because no one wants a gas guzzler anymore.

Reply to
Mark A

Yes, &/or the styling. Personally, after having 4 Corollas in a row, with the exception of the first one - a liftback, the subsequent 3 others' sedan styling is becoming distinctly boring from my POV. Whereas the Prius is 1) a liftback, & 2) is just... 'different' - not the same old, same old re: styling. And I love its interior - the amount/no. of storage spaces & roominess.

Cathy

Reply to
Cathy F.

Yeah, we know - have always been. It's all relative...

Cathy

Reply to
Cathy F.

AS far as the Civic Hybrid goes, my 05 got worse mileage than the equivalent "regular" civic on the highway. That plus its miserable tight interior and slow pickup convinced me to trade it in for a Malibu(SS Maxx). With a light foot, I can get well over 24 mpg on the highway with the advantage of having the power to get out tight situations when the need arises.

Reply to
Ted

I'd say that is a huge factor. Remember when having an alligator on your shirt was mandatory? That crowd had graduated to cars.

Reply to
Edwin Pawlowski

"Edwin Pawlowski" ...

I never wore one of those alligator shirts. I don't know that I would be getting 55 MPG in the other hybrids. Tomes

Reply to
Tomes

"Cathy F." ...

I got 54.7 MPG on a tankful for a trip that was mostly interstate in my Prius over the July 4 weekend. It can indeed be done. Tomes

Reply to
Tomes

Everybody was out on the road to celebrate the holiday, there was heavy traffic and stop & go mostly on the interstate? =)

Reply to
EdV

And here I thought they were celebrating the overpopulation of our species.

Reply to
Was Istoben

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