Which new car?

[R.I.D.E.]

I talked with an older couple that had an Insight, they loved the mileage and didn't seem to mind the $5000 battery replacement cost.

I mind it, to the tune of 1200 gallons (70,000 miles) of fuel.

Buy the used car for the cost of the replacement battery, or find another option like I did and buy the car smashed and fix it, or cannibalize the parts for another one.

I would rather buy a used Civic with around 100K than any hybrid (same mileage) unless it was dirt cheap, because you will eventually have a big bill for components that don't exist on the Civic.

It's not that I am against hybrids, quite the opposite.

My concept basically may not even be legitimately called a hybrid, because all the driving power for the vehicle comes from a single reservoir, which recieves power from two different sources. Hybrids by definition recieve propulsive force from two sources.

They are also much more complicated when it comes to repairs.

The older the car the less options you would want, I will take crank up windows that never break to power windows that can cost your nuhdreds to fix. If it ain't there it can't break in the first place.

The best used cars right now are Civic HX models. the earleir VX and others like mine are getting harder to find every day.



regards
gary

[GasSavers_RoadWarrior]

I know more than few models where the rack strips out on the mechanical windows... which is also one of the more common problems on the electric ones. But at least you aren't carrying an extra 10lb of motors around with you.

[mini-e]

Originally Posted by R.I.D.E.

I bought my 94 VX in March with 27,492 miles on it for $3000 wrecked. A lot of people thought I was crazy. Now I am averaging almost 59 MPG, and my car should last me another 8 years.

Currently my per mile fuel cost is under 6.6 cents a mile, at twice the fuel cost thats 13.2 cents a mile. I know people who would be paying almost 80 cents a mile if gas prices double. That's $80,000 for gas to drive 100k miles.

regards
gary

I think you made a good case but many people do not have the time, skills, or inclination to rebuild a crashed car. Also, god bless the vx, there are many nice people who want a car with A/C, a quiet ride, better egress. Not me, I just spent a stupid amount of time making a hx hatch- sort of a updated vx. But one size does not fit all, and some people might want to buy a more comfortable car. I think used low milage prius and civic hybrids are legitimate choices for some people.

[theholycow]

mini-e said it perfectly. I've never seen anyone other than me say "one size does not fit all", but it's a very important mantra.

[trautotuning]

To tell you the truth I think right now Honda's have gone up WAY much...

I just bought a 2007 Mazda6 with 4cyl engine and I must say its AWESOME! Only for $14,000 with 28k miles. So i got the price of a civic, the size of an accord, its REALLY nice inside, and it has really awesome gas milage for its size and especially its looks (look at it in person not it pictures there is a major difference)...

Look into one you wount be dissapointed and I think they are just as relible if not more than hondas- look at kias they are super reliable and guess what kind of engine they use... Mazdas!