Last month Edmunds.com posted an article about the relative cost of hybrids and the “break even” point.It reminded me of a similar post from 3 years ago that I blogged about.

The article compares regular vs. hybrid versions of cars and based on $3.11 gas and 15k miles per year. They get:

Hybrids:
Ford Fusion Hybrid: 6.6 years
Honda Civic Hybrid: 6.8 years
Lexus RX 450h: 6.8 years
Nissan Altima Hybrid: 10.3 years
Toyota Camry Hybrid: 7.8 years

Since there isn’t a non-hybrid Prius comparing it to a Corolla it takes 6.3 years or a Camry 0.7 years.

The good news is these numbers are better than 2008. It looks like now (when buying a new car) getting a hybrid is worth the financial cost for those who keep cars for a while.

I am still not sold on the environmental aspects. There is an awful lot of battery in a hybrid. A while back there was a bunch of buzz about how Hummers have a smaller carbon footprint than a Prius, which have been refuted to some extent. These apples to watermellon comparisons aren’t realistic for a buyer. Who cross shops a Prius and a Hummer?

The Edmunds Gas Guzzler Calculator tells me that trading in our 2003 Caviler for a new Chevy Cruze Eco would save us $10 per month in gas and that it would take 1683 months (140.25 years) to break even. It can also tell me that getting a larger vehicle (Chevy Traverse) would cost $62 more per month ( or $744/year) in gas.

I really want a minivan, but can’t stomach the 10mpg hit I would have to take. If our family gets any bigger we would have to, but for now I will look at a roof box. Will I buy a hybrid for my next car? I really don’t know.

What I really want is a car that seats 7-8 people and gets 40+ mpg. That is my realistic want. Did I mention it has to have a manual transmission and not drive like crap.