Hybrids or Gas?

With no relief in sight to ever

increasing gas prices, everyone

is looking for ways to save at the

pump. Everyone got excited about

the promise of saving money with

a hybrid, but the question is; will

a hybrid really save you money?

After researching the prices of a

hybrid, my excitement started to

dwindled. If you've checked into

the cost of green products such

as wind or solar power, you know

they're priced at a level many of us

simply cannot afford. In compari-

son to their gas counterparts, that

also may hold true for the hybrid.

Whether a hybrid is a cost effec-

tive choice or not, depends on how

long you drive and how long you

keep your car. For example:

The Prices Of Hybrid Sedans

And their Gas-Only Counterparts:

Car Price

Honda Civic LX $15,836

Honda Civic Hybrid $21,725

Chevy Malibu $20,451

Chevy Malibu Hybrid $23,312

Saturn Aura XE $20,045

Saturn Aura Hybrid $23,640

After checking gas prices, I was

surprised with my findings. I think

you might also be shocked by the

results.

The gas mileage difference be-

tween a hybrids and a gas car is

greater for city driving. So some-

one like me who does 75% of their

driving in the city should be a per-

fect candidate for a hybrid. Un-

fortunately, the fastest that I could

recover the cost premium for a

hybrid is 5 years. People who do

more highway miles will see less

savings and longer payoff times,

and if they don't keep their cars for

5 years or more, they may never

recover the hybrid premium at all.

See the graph below for break-

even Points of Hybrid Sedans and

Their Gas-Only Counterparts.

Will you save money by buying a

hybrid? You'd have to do your own

calculations based on how much

you drive and what you think the

future gas prices will be, but in

most cases, it doesn't seem likely.

Hybrids are a way of saving the

environment, and showing your

friends that you care, but it does

come with a cost.