Just a little wake up call for all the tree huggers. A 16 year old Geo Metro got 50+ MPG for both city/highway. And this wasn't with any fancy gizmos, just plain old gasoline. What everyone should be asking themselves is why there aren't any non-hybrid production cars that get that MPG today.

The last model year of the Metro (1997), it still got 49MPG highway. Does anyone make a gas powered car that gets close to that?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the Metro was a good car. It wasn't. Hell, it might have been the worst car ever, but it got great mileage. And if mileage is all you're looking for, it would be hard to beat one, even with a hybrid.

So again, I'll ask, why we don't have this technology today. Or worse still, with the logical progression of technology, why aren't we driving 60MPG cars?

I'll let others discuss this, but for me, it seems to be only one reason. Lack of demand. If people really wanted 60MPG cars, there would be more of them.

 

THe Prius drives like crap and is too expensive

mpg is the only thing it does good.

 

....or you can just cut holes in the floorpan so you drive around Flintstones-style.

 

what about maintenance/repairs of Hybrids with lots of miles, like approaching 5+ years, 100k miles?

I'd imagine it would be a pain to get battery stacks replaced, and the electric motor/generators repaired.. and hope nothing ever goes wrong with the electronics..

Cause of that, I'd never buy one... maybe lease one for a good rate.. but as others mentioned, if I would be looking at a diesel first.

 

There was hardly anything in the Geo that could be considered "technological." It was just a small, light car with a small engine. The reasons gas milage hasn't gone up since the 80's is because the bulk of consumers want more safety/convenience/luxury/power, all of which = less gas milage. Considering todays hybrids approach and surpass the Metro's gas milage while carrying all these other features and emiting a LOT less toxins proves that even our experimental hybrids of today can be considered somewhat of a success.

The demand for fuel efficient cars is finally back on the rise, but its still not as high as it should be, you pretty much answered your own question, if people wanted 60 MPG cars, there would be. Well now we have a couple, with a few more on the way. Its not a lot but its progress.

 

They're alreaddy doing it. It was suppose to be phased out $500/year starting this year until there wasn't any tax deduction left. Last year they changed it and kept the $2,000 incentive, I believe they'll start cutting it down in 2007 now if I remember right...

 

Please explain why it does not make sense to buy a $21K midsize car that gets (being realistic) 45 mpg, as opposed to a $21K midsized car that gets 25 mpg. I'm not being facetious, I'd like to know the arguement.

 

The fact that a used Prius is going for more than the new one should tell you that you cannot buy one of these cars new for 21K. KBB Retail value for a 2004 Prius was 22k. Ebay had 2 2005 Priuses, one at 26K and another at 32K

 

It's only fair to state that the Prius isn't a conventional midsized car, and the average transaction price is probably closer to $25K. In the end, the Prius is a slow and strange car - not a mainstream alternative to a Camry/Accord.

 

Correct me if I am wrong but isn't the Pruis a compact car? I think of Malibu on the small side of midsize, along with the now defunct contour, and Impala on the big size. I don't think the Pruis is as large as a Malibu, is it?

 

The Prius is classified as a midsize car...

I don't see why the Prius can't be a mainstream alternative to a Camry/Accord. All it is, is a regular car with an electrical assist motor and really good aerodynamics. Its not even that much slower than 4 cylinder Camry's/Accords which are similarly priced.

 

Yah...like changing spark plugs on an Lt-1. I'll take battery cells any day of the week!

You all are missing the point here. Hybrids aren't JUST about bette gas mileage. Sure that's part of the equation, but you are forgetting the much lower levels of NOX.

Why aren't we all driving 60mpg vehicles? We could be if we were all driving 1800 pound cars instead of 3700 pound cars (or 4500-5000 pound trucks for that matter). But people want big roomy vehicles with all the safety and luxuries they can get...these all add weight.

Secretary at my work just sold her chevy metro (1997 i think?). No air conditioning, power nothing...just two bucket seats, a rear bench, a shelel and an engine. I wouldn't want to be in that thing during an accident. She was getting almost 40mpg out of it on the interstate. The metro is far from being a technological marvel. You could put an LS-1 with a T-56 in a 2,000 pound vehicle and get 45+ mpg on the highway too.

The prius and other hybrid's can and most certainly will be alternatives to traditional midsize sedans. Of course a prius isn't as good a deal right now, the manufacturing cost for such a limited production of a hybrid is too costly. Things will be different when auto manufacturers are cranking out 200k of them per year.

 

That's the thing though...why haven't they built efficient cars with good options until now?

 

So the arguement is that the car is commanding a premium, it's slow, and it's compact.

That's not really enough for me to conclude that the technology isn't impressive and everyone driving it is a trendy Hollywood tree-hugger.

If you think it looks silly and you want some more get up and go, then that's fair. The two people I know with them paid msrp and the interior space is the same as a Camry according to Car & Driver. I've sat in one and found it to be quite roomy; the first generation is definately a pillbox though.

 

Well, spark plugs are cheap (even with the labor) compared to battery cells. I doubt that most Hybrids will have working batteries when they reach their second and third owners.


The smog issue has pretty much been beaten. NOX isn't the hot issue these days. In Europe, every car is getting a CO2 is the primary concern, which explains why even European environmentalists are pro-Diesel.


I'd agree that nobody really wants a 1800 pound car these days. Even in Europe where $6.00/gallon gasoline and diesel is a way of life, cars are getting bigger, heavier and safer



What's the point of 40MPG in a society where gasoline is still less than $3.00/gallon?

Why should anyone buy a Hybrid when they don't make any economic sense? I hate to break it to you, but it's a fad.