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Post em up, Gas receipts.


SpaceGhost

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The argument I have with Hybrid folks is the cost delta between say the Prius or Civic Hybrid vs the regular gas version is still too high. I'm better off getting 29mpg out of a regular civic as I'd have to drive the shit out of the car to see a break even point.

One of the other tabs on the spreadsheet that generates the graph I linked earlier has the complete "filled on, filled with, odometers, tank mpg" history, from which I am able to estimate how much money I've saved versus any other MPG and $/gal point. Compared to my old Sable (25mpg), ball-parking the average price of gas as $2.50/gal, and driving just shy of 28,500mi in two years, I've saved about $1500 so far. Against the 30mpg I'd probably get with a Civic EX, the savings would be $1000. Use $2.75 gas, and the numbers become 1650/1100. $3.00 means 1800/1200. The more expensive gas becomes, the larger the spread gets. There certainly is a higher initial cost to the vehicle, but if you plan on keeping the thing 10-15 years like I am, you still come out ahead.

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One of the other tabs on the spreadsheet that generates the graph I linked earlier has the complete "filled on, filled with, odometers, tank mpg" history, from which I am able to estimate how much money I've saved versus any other MPG and $/gal point. Compared to my old Sable (25mpg), ball-parking the average price of gas as $2.50/gal, and driving just shy of 28,500mi in two years, I've saved about $1500 so far. Against the 30mpg I'd probably get with a Civic EX, the savings would be $1000. Use $2.75 gas, and the numbers become 1650/1100. $3.00 means 1800/1200. The more expensive gas becomes, the larger the spread gets. There certainly is a higher initial cost to the vehicle, but if you plan on keeping the thing 10-15 years like I am, you still come out ahead.

 

I wish I were half as organized as you.

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Gas prices are outragous! It cost me $11 to fill up my Moped the other day!!! I only get like 55mpg... thing is a damn gas hog.

 

 

J/k. I wish I had a moped...lol

 

I've actually been seeing quite a few mopeds out now that the weather's getting nice. Hell, if it saves you money.

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I tossed in $50 yesterday (stupid pump stops @ $50 w/ a Visa card). Woo hoo, 1/2 a tank. And I already blew through about 1/2 of that yesterday, and will kill the rest of it today. Awesome.

 

Still better than driving an economy car, though. That's just torture.

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I miss my old CRX :( I could get a bit over 400 miles per tank, and I think it had about 11 gallons in it. I'm lucky to get 300 miles per tank on my RSX and it's got 13 gallons. Although I suppose that compared to some of you I shouldnt be complaining at all haha
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One of the other tabs on the spreadsheet that generates the graph I linked earlier has the complete "filled on, filled with, odometers, tank mpg" history, from which I am able to estimate how much money I've saved versus any other MPG and $/gal point. Compared to my old Sable (25mpg), ball-parking the average price of gas as $2.50/gal, and driving just shy of 28,500mi in two years, I've saved about $1500 so far. Against the 30mpg I'd probably get with a Civic EX, the savings would be $1000. Use $2.75 gas, and the numbers become 1650/1100. $3.00 means 1800/1200. The more expensive gas becomes, the larger the spread gets. There certainly is a higher initial cost to the vehicle, but if you plan on keeping the thing 10-15 years like I am, you still come out ahead.

 

Just curious but have you considered the cost of maintenance to the vehicle post-warranty? The only problem I would have with buying a hybrid is exactly what you mentioned, I would keep the car as long as possible but once the 100k warranty passes, what kind of maintenance cost's will you be looking at? I 'thought' I read in Motor Trend that the battery and recharge system alone in a Prius cost's over $5k. Dont quote me on this because it was a LONG time ago I read this.

 

Compare that to a brand new civic ex, or hell a used civic ex that gets slightly less MPG and even if you have to swap the engine for a stock replacement you can get away with only spending 1000-1500 and thats if you pay someone else to do it.

 

However, something else to consider is if you travel constantly...like yourself. If anyone you would be the prime candidate to benefit the most from a hybrid, but someone like myself who might travel 10kmiles annually, might not be the best route.

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A guy I work with got a coupon for a local station that was mis-printed for $2.50 off PER GALLON! He filled up and went inside to make them honor it. I forget what he told me the total was, something like $13 to fill his tank.
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Just curious but have you considered the cost of maintenance to the vehicle post-warranty? The only problem I would have with buying a hybrid is exactly what you mentioned, I would keep the car as long as possible but once the 100k warranty passes, what kind of maintenance cost's will you be looking at? I 'thought' I read in Motor Trend that the battery and recharge system alone in a Prius cost's over $5k. Dont quote me on this because it was a LONG time ago I read this.

 

Compare that to a brand new civic ex, or hell a used civic ex that gets slightly less MPG and even if you have to swap the engine for a stock replacement you can get away with only spending 1000-1500 and thats if you pay someone else to do it.

 

However, something else to consider is if you travel constantly...like yourself. If anyone you would be the prime candidate to benefit the most from a hybrid, but someone like myself who might travel 10kmiles annually, might not be the best route.

When they first came out, the nutters who were driving insane mileage in a Prius did have to pay something like $5k for a worn out battery, but economies of scale are bringing that down for both Toyota and Honda (last I heard, a Civic's pack new could be had for about $3k), and as these things get into wrecks, I'm sure we'll start seeing rebuilt sets for even less. At roughly $500/yr gas savings (versus a 30mpg Civic, $2.50/gal), that means six years to cover a potential battery replacement, and four years to cover the original MSRP price difference (heh, the ten years minimum I want to keep it), but in all honesty, I expect the thing to start rusting out before I have to worry about the battery :) As far as regular maintenance goes, the thing is almost as bum standard as any other car on the road. I do oil changes myself, and can take it where-ever for stuff like alignment, gas engine tune-ups, brakes, and so on. The only thing I have to go to the stealership for is if one of the hybrid components (like a power transistor) crapped out. Since nearly everything on the road is still under warranty, there isn't any *good* (that is, not Chevy dealer BS) data out there about how much those modules cost.

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About $45 to fill up my Contour (Kroger gas, $0.20 discount, but I have to put in 93 octane). I get around 25 - 26 MPG and that will last me a week. My wife drives the Mountaineer, but has a gas card through work, so we don't pay for gas in that. I think it's been about $60 to fill that up... :nod:
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