KBB picks: Honda Insight, Ford Escape hybrid and Chevy Volt
Cheapest to own hybrid after 5 year according to KBB
Best hybrid and plug-in deals after 5 years of ownership
Kipplingers, Forbes, Intellichoice, Consumer Reports, US News & World Reports, etc. have all offered up best and most cost-effective vehicle lists in recent months, and it’s sometimes a little surprising the lack of consensus. Consequently, I’ve often wondered if there isn’t some sort of advertising-related objective.
Regardless, these lists are still interesting and usually useful for buyers, and the latest one comes from Kelly Blue Book. Read more…
Categories: Buying Hybrids, Buying plug-ins, Chevy Volt, Ford Escape hybrid, Honda CR-Z hybrid, Honda Insight, Hybrid Cars, Nissan Leaf, Plug-in Vehicles, Toyota Highlander hybrid, electric cars Tags: Chevy Volt, Ford Escape hybrid, honda crz hybrid, Honda Insight, Nissan Leaf, Toyota Highlander hybrid
Smart buy: Many hybrid cars are an Intellichoice
GM's eAssist makes sense according to Intellichoice
Toyota dominates list of 2012 Best Values
You know the line. Hybrids just don’t add up. The hybrid premium isn’t made up for decades, long after the car has expired. Blah, blah, blah. Yet, over and over numerous forms of analysis regarding such trivial issues as cost of ownership find a lot of hybrid cars do make sense, financial sense.
The Intellichoice Best Values in 2012, for instance, concluded that 5 of the best 24 values were hybrid-only vehicles. Read more…
Categories: Buick LaCrosse Hybrid, Buying Hybrids, Honda Insight, Hybrid Cars, Lexus CT 200h hybrid, Toyota Prius, Toyota Prius V Tags: Buick LaCrosse Hybrid, Honda Insight, Hybrid Cars, Lexus CT 200h hybrid, Toyota Prius, Toyota Prius V
128.3 mpg in a hybrid: “That’s why I bought this thing”
The dash of Dave's hybrid
If only the rest of America thought the same about fuel economy
Hype. Image. PR. Image over all else. That’s largely the nature of our modern world these days. Maybe it has always been that way. Automakers, for instance, are geniuses at covering up their role in the terrible geopolitical and environmental mess the world finds itself in these days. But they’ve only been giving consumers what they want, right?
Except for people like Dave Perry. Rather than the normal American ride, Dave bought a hybrid to push the limits of gasoline-powered fuel efficiency, and boy did he ever. 128.3 mpg over the course of 132 miles. Read more…
Categories: Buying Hybrids, Energy Independence, Fuel Economy, Honda Insight, Hybrid Cars Tags: Fuel economy, Honda Insight, Hybrid Cars
Interesting pricing and great resale value, yet poor Honda hybrid sales
Can great resale value get Honda's hybrid cars back on track?
2 out 3 just ain’t good enough
Today, Honda doesn’t just offer the cheapest hybrid, but also the hybrid with the greatest resale value for 2012, yet Honda sales still got slammed last month.
Some of this lag in sales was caused by the launch of the 2012 Honda Civic hybrid as well as supply shortages caused by the Japanese earthquake this Spring. Nevertheless, something appears missing from Honda’s hybrid mojo. Read more…
Categories: Buying Hybrids, Honda Civic Hybrid, Honda Insight, Hybrid Cars Tags: honda, Honda Civic Hybrid, Honda Insight, Hybrid Cars
A cheap hybrid vehicle purchase requires Insight
If it's all about dollars, then its all about the Insight hybrid.
Honda keeps its focus on cost-effective fuel economy
These days, if you think fuel efficient automaker, you might think Toyota. Because of some recent plug-in launches, you might even think GM or Nissan. But it has been Honda that has perpetually offered some of the best fleet fuel economy in the US for many, many years.
And, when it comes to the cheapest, most cost-effective hybrid cars, it’s still about Honda. Read more…
Categories: Buying Hybrids, Fuel Economy, Honda Insight, Hybrid Cars, Toyota Prius Tags: Fuel economy, Honda Insight, Hybrid Cars, Toyota Prius
Foreign oil independence is much bigger than EV range
The only plug-in that matters if its all about EV range
A singular solution to US energy independence is decades away, minimally
My plug-in gets more EV range than yours!
Seriously? That’s what some in the battery-advocating community have devolved to, really? Has it all come down to patting ourselves on the back — typically with the help of significant government subsidies — when it comes to the idea of foreign oil independence?
Intelligence doesn’t matter? Logic? Public transportation? Read more…
Categories: Buying Hybrids, Buying plug-ins, Chevy Volt, Energy Independence, Honda Insight, Hybrid Cars, Nissan Leaf, Plug-in Vehicles, Tesla Model S, Toyota Prius, Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid, electric cars, plug-in hybrid cars Tags: electric cars, foreign oil dependence, Hybrid Cars, plug-in hybrids
Cheaper compact hybrids coming from Honda
Hybrids the key to Honda
More mid-sized Honda hybrids also coming
While the idea of world cars seems to be gaining traction in the auto industry as a way to scale down costs, meeting regional demands is still going to require regional products according to Honda. Hence, while cars like the Fit will be sold in several different markets, the next-gen Fit will be developed “at each R&D base in the world’s six regions simultaneously” to ensure a proper fit for each each market.
Likewise, cheaper hybrids will also be a bigger part of the formula. Read more…
Categories: Buying Hybrids, Honda CR-Z hybrid, Honda Civic Hybrid, Honda Fit Shuttle hybrid, Honda Fit hybrid, Honda Insight, Hybrid Cars Tags: honda, Hybrid Cars
September a benchmark month for Toyota Prius, alt vehicle sales
Will Prius and hybrid supplies finally normalize in September?
Forget about the hybrid slowdown story, it’s nonsense
A few days ago AutoObserver published a story regarding the slowdown in advanced powertrain auto sales. Since then I’ve seen several stories referencing this angle.
Really? A slowdown? You mean an earthquake/tsunami that crushed Toyota Prius, Honda Insight and most other hybrid supplies impacted hybrid sales? No way. Read more…
Categories: Buying Hybrids, Buying plug-ins, Chevy Volt, Fuel Economy, Honda Insight, Hybrid Cars, Toyota Prius Tags: Chevy Volt, Fuel economy, Hybrid Cars, Toyota Prius
2012 Honda Insight: Still Honda’s best hybrid
Honda's best US hybrid is getting better
At least in the US
Last week Honda teased a new picture and a few new details regarding its upcoming 2012 Honda Insight, at least the European version, although it is very likely most of these updates will also make it to the US.
While the changes aren’t significant, they should help resolve a few critical Insight issues, and keep the Insight positioned as Honda’s best hybrid offering in the US. Read more…
Categories: Honda Fit hybrid, Honda Insight, Hybrid Cars Tags: Honda Fit hybrid, Honda Insight, Hybrid Cars
Like China, should the US reconsider plug-in tax credits?
America needs to Focus on more than plug-ins
Could the US achieve more sooner?
The latest word coming out of China suggests that significant changes to tax policies for new energy vehicles are coming. Instead, of focusing on plug-ins, China is preparing to incentivize hybrid sales, and other fuel efficient technologies.
Should the US consider a similar, and possibly more competitive, policy? For instance, would a $2000 clean vehicle tax credit be better than just a tax credit for plug-in vehicles? Read more…
Categories: Buying Hybrids, Buying plug-ins, Energy Independence, Fuel Economy, Gas tax, Honda Insight, Hybrid Cars, Plug-in Vehicles, Tax Incentives, Toyota Camry hybrid, Toyota Prius, electric cars, plug-in hybrid cars Tags: electric cars, Energy Independence, foreign oil dependence, Hybrid Cars, plug-in hybrids
