Buying Hybrids

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…

Urban Champ: New Toyota Prius C offers outstanding value

The subcompact cost-effective king for city drivers

It’s official. C hybrid should dominate city cost effectiveness

So, you need a new car, and you live in a city like Los Angeles, but you want to be as fiscally smart as possible. It’s all about the most bang for your buck. Of course, aside from automatic windows, locks and an automatic transmission, you insist on BlueTooth and USB connectivity as well – I mean, let’s be real.

Then the Toyota Prius C is the car for you. This new small and cheap hybrid car simply blows away the competition. Read more…

Thinking about a hybrid? $4.00 gas almost certain by May

Are you ready for $4.00 gasoline?

Add any escalation in Middle East tensions and much higher gasoline prices are possible

As comes summer so to does an increase in American driving, as gasoline is reformulated into summer blends. Combined these two events push gasoline prices higher in a regular seasonal event. Consequently, USAToday reports that gas prices should increase about $.60 cents nationally by May, topping the $4.00 per gallon mark.

However, add an Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, for instance, and gasoline prices could surge much higher. Read more…

Bad news for Toyota Prius C buyers — limited supplies

C hybrid sold out in Japan after just one month

Japanese demand for the new, smaller Prius backed up 6 months+ already

Next month was supposed to be one of the most exciting launches in the US hybrid segment ever. Finally an impressive hybrid offering for under $19,000.

Unfortunately, in the first month of Japanese Prius C sales, Toyota sold almost an entire year’s worth of intended supplies. Read more…

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…

Priceless? Hyundai lifetime hybrid battery guarantee nontransferable

Price premium for that lifetime battery guarantee?

Just a hybrid marketing ploy?

Last month we covered Hyundai’s lifetime Sonata hybrid battery warranty that guarantees that Hyundai will replace the lithium-ion battery pack in the Sonata hybrid and recycle it, if needed. Then, however, we weren’t sure if that warranty would be transferable.

Unfortunately, the warranty is not transferable, but it’s still a good industry standard that other automakers should follow, as long as it doesn’t affect pricing. Read more…

Why you should buy the hybrid version of the Honda Civic

A good long term hedge against higher gasoline prices?

But I sure wish it was easier to sell the Civic hybrid

“Get with the program.” That’s what an advertising agency friend told me once regarding Hybridcarblog. I’m too critical, he rightly pointed out. Instead, he suggested that I sell every hybrid and plug-in that I cover. That, he assured me, would drive ad revenues higher. Besides, he scoffed, modern journalism isn’t about selling the truth, it’s about selling ad space.

So, how do you sell a car like the Honda Civic hybrid? Read more…

Best new hybrid models for 2012 according to Kipplingers

V - Best new wagon and best resale value in class

They weren’t tops in their class, but these hybrids still scored

While only 1 hybrid car, the Lexus RX 450h, took best in class according to Kipplinger’s 2012 ratings, a few hybrid cars were picked as best new models in their class. Likewise, many hybrids achieved the best fuel economy in their class, but that’s not much of a surprise.

So, we’ll focus on the best new hybrid models for 2012. Read more…

Lexus RX 450h makes Kipplinger’s Best 2012 Car Values

Top Dog in the Midsize/Large Crossover segment

Only hybrid or plug-in to make the list

Kipplingers has released its Best New Car Values list for 2012 and one hybrid made the list, the Lexus RX 450h, a regular favorite of Kipplingers according to the magazine.

With “top notch safety” and “luxury”, the RX450h took the midsize and large crossover category. Read more…

Hybrid conundrum: Rare earth free but also cheaper?

A rare earth free electric motor

Rare earth free Toyota hybrids could be here in 2 years

I’ve been following the rare earth story now for a few years, since the resources are so valuable for the production of hybrid and plug-in cars. And it has always been clear that rare earth free hybrid cars are possible, but the real question has been the costs of rare earth free motors.

Thus, when reports hit the wire today that Toyota has developed a new technology to produce rare earth free hybrids, my interest was again piqued, but my focus was immediately magnified on costs. Read more…