Post Whores II

[MadMaxx61]

Don't Be Fueled:
Gas vs. Diesel vs. Hybrid Power
Don't be fueled. See how today's vehicles can affect your desire to be less fuelish.

 

[MadMaxx61]

Whatever the reason, many Americans—including you, perhaps—are looking for more fuel-efficient vehicles.

 

[MadMaxx61]

So what should a consumer know when deciding among low-mileage gasoline cars, diesel-powered vehicles and gasoline-electric hybrids?

 

[MadMaxx61]

Fuel Economy Reality
Put into perspective the fuel economy numbers posted on a new vehicle's window sticker. Studies show the average driver has been getting only 75 percent or so of the mileage figures that are on the sticker of their new vehicle.

 

[MadMaxx61]

This will change in the fall of 2007 as the federal government begins phasing in a new way to calculate those fuel economy figures for the window stickers. The goal is to make the fuel economy statistics better reflect what real-world drivers will get.

 

[MadMaxx61]

You see, the numbers aren't derived from real-world driving but from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency emission testing procedures on new vehicles. Thus, the laboratory procedure does not involve cars using gasoline for the testing. Additionally, many variables—including weather, terrain, driving habits and condition of the vehicle—affect the kind of mileage that regular drivers get.

 

[MadMaxx61]

This is not to say the reported numbers can't be used for comparison purposes between vehicles, especially those in the same class.

 

[MadMaxx61]

But some owners of gas-electric hybrids, in particular, have voiced disappointment in the disparity between their mileage and that posted on their vehicle window stickers. These owners of Honda, Toyota, Lexus and Ford hybrid vehicles have ready access to their real-world mileage via graphical displays on the dashboard, which tend to draw driver attention to fuel use and mileage statistics more so than in conventional vehicles.

 

[MadMaxx61]

Consumer Reports magazine, which calculates its own fuel economy stats, noted that its Toyota Prius hybrid test car got 44 miles a gallon in real world driving, not the city/highway rating of 55 mpg that the government reports.

 

[MadMaxx61]

So, yes, while hybrid vehicles generally provide better mileage than like-sized vehicles in their class, drivers should be aware it will take more than just a gasoline-electric powertrain to get the fuel economy they think they've been promised.

 

[MadMaxx61]

Hybrid Pricing
Gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles typically are priced higher than non-hybrid counterparts—anywhere from a couple thousand dollars to several thousand dollars.

 

[MadMaxx61]

For example, the Honda Civic Hybrid has a starting manufacturer's suggested retail price of more than $22,500 for a base, 2007 model. A 2007 Civic LX gasoline-powered sedan with many comparable amenities carries a starting MSRP that is some $4,800 less.

 

[MadMaxx61]

True, the 2007 Civic Hybrid is rated by the EPA at 49 mpg in city driving and 51 mpg on the highway, for a combined 50 mpg. This is 30 percent better than the combined rating of 33 mpg for the gasoline-powered, 2007 LX model.

 

[MadMaxx61]

But even if a driver maximizes his or her fuel savings and gets the full 17-mpg benefit in the Hybrid, he or she would need more than a dozen years of 15,000-mile annual travel before the gasoline savings—calculated with gasoline at approximately $2.40 a gallon—would recoup the $4,800 extra paid for the Hybrid over the traditional Civic LX.

 

[MadMaxx61]

Some of the price difference also may be recouped by a one-time federal tax credit. In the case of the Civic Hybrid, the maximum credit is $2,100 for a 2007 Civic Hybrid.

 

[MadMaxx61]

Additionally, some companies offer money to employees who buy hybrids. For example, the 185,000 nationwide employees of Bank of America Corp. are eligible for a $3,000 reimbursement from their employer if they buy a new gas-electric hybrid vehicle.

 

[MadMaxx61]

Timberland Co., a maker of outdoor shoes and apparel in New Hampshire, offers $3,000 reimbursements for any of its 5,600 employees who purchase a new hybrid vehicle.

 

[MadMaxx61]

Other Hybrid Issues
Auto industry officials project hybrid vehicle prices will come down as the vehicles become more plentiful and there are greater economies of scale.

 

[MadMaxx61]

Indeed, the starting retail price for a 2007 Toyota Prius is $22,175, which is $170 less than the starting retail price for a 2006 Prius. And early in calendar 2007, Toyota was offering some discounted loan and leasing rates on the Prius in certain markets around the country.

 

[MadMaxx61]

Hybrids have attracted buyers in at least a couple states—Virginia and California—because drivers of hybrid vehicles there have been able to use carpool lanes when they travel solo. But early in calendar 2007, California ended distribution of carpool-access stickers for hybrid vehicles because the limit of 85,000 vehicles was reached.