Quote:
Originally Posted by layback40
hybrids are only an option for around town. For 30 mile + country h/way driving they are not that economical. The little new Mercedes diesel leaves a pirus for dead on economy on longer trips, even the diesel ford focus is more economical except for stop start city stuff & then its quicker to walk or ride a bike!! Next time you are walking some place down town with lots of lights in heavy traffic, pace yourself against a car, you will beat it over a mile or 2, I used to do it all the time when I was at University 35 years ago, would be worse now.
Hybrids will be junk after 4 years as the batteries will need replacing & no one will want to pay for that. People will end up driving them on petrol/diesel only ~ gutless uneconomical car.
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My sister gets 50+ mpg on trips with her Prius. The batteries last a long time about 10 years so I hear. Her father in law bought her old Gen I Prius, still no problems with that car.
I think the Prius is a well built car and will have a long service life. So what if you have to replace the batteries at 10 years for $3K. Umm, I'll spend way more than $3k keeping my MB running that long.
I do think the Prius is a complicated solution to a problem (mpg) that can be solved in a less complicated fashion though. Why else would the US and Japan be the only major consumers of them?
What I am waiting for is a diesel Mazda6, Focus, Smart, Yaris, Corolla, Cobalt, etc. When the average Joe Blow can by an inexpensive diesel, that is when the US can reshape the national oil consumption trend.
A lot hinges on this new Mazda's sales success it seems to me.