If not a Prius or Civic, which conventional vehicle would you recommend for the best efficiency?
A small diesel, currently a VW TDI is about the only small one available, in a couple of years there will be other choices.
There are several things you need to look at when buying a car and thinking about if a Hybrid is right for you.
. What kind of driving do you do?? If it’s MOSTLY highway then forget about a Hybrid.
. How long do you plan on keeping the vehicle?? The longer you keep it the more likely you’ll get the payback.
. How many miles do you put on it each year?? If you’re just an average driver (12k/yr) then it’s probably NOT worth getting. If you’re like me (40k/yr) then I’d at least look into it.
. Features you’re looking at. If you plan on getting a base model vehicle then the Hybrid’s seem to be too expensive. If you plan on getting a fairly loaded vehicle then it may be worth it since Hybrids seem to come fully loaded. I know the Camry Hybrid does.
A Toyota Yaris gets 40+ MPG, is about the same size as a Prius and only costs about 11k.
I fully agree. Which is why I’m saving up my money now. I figure I’ll start paying the bank about $500/month and letting it accrue interest while I drive my “appliance”. 
In a couple years I should be able to afford a nice brand new car. Hell, if I play it right, I might become one of the youngest guys(I’m 27 now) driving a brand new Corvette.
That’s the way to do it, I wish I had figured it out 15 or 20 years sooner.
You might even see me on an infomercial trying to sucker people into buying my book on ways to increase your spending money 3 fold.
page 1: get a job
page 2: save money
page 3: ???
page 4: Profit
South Park reference. 
THE DISPOSAL OF THE BATTERIES IS A BIG PROBLEM TOO–THEY COST ABOUT $8000 FOR A FULL SET AND DISPOSAL IS ABOUT HALF THAT–AND THERE IS NO DOCUMENTED EVIDENCE THAT HYBRIDS GET BETTER MILEAGE COST THAN A COMPARABLE COMPACT-JOHN LALLEMAND–DADE CITY FL
diesels aren’t allowed in our state, Vermont.
The 2001-2003 NHW11 Prius was a compact car, similar in size to the Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla.
The 2004-current NHW20 Prius is a midsize car, similar in size to the Toyota Camry or Nissan Altima.
data from:
size classes defined:
How are vehicle size classes defined?
The size class for cars is based on interior passenger and cargo volumes as described below. The size class for trucks is defined by the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR), which is the weight of the vehicle and its carrying capacity. Fuel economy regulations do not apply to heavy-duty vehicles, so they are not tested. See Which Vehicles Are Tested for more information on these vehicles.
Sedans
Minicompact < 85
Subcompact 85 - 99
Compact 100 - 109
Mid-Size 110 - 119
Large 120 or more
The greatest incremental price difference between a hybrid and a comparable conventional model is about $7500, for the Lexus GS 450h. For most hybrids, it is closer to a $3000 or $4000 difference. Your $10-15,000 number is way too high.
http://www.revenue.state.co.us/fyi/html/income09.html
you mean diesel cars can not be sold NEW in Vermont. Same deal in Maine. You can buy one out-of-state though.
By 2008 there should be various 50 state compliant diesels available.
THEY COST ABOUT $8000
Who told you that??
When they first came out the cost was about $3000…BUT they’d last well past 100k miles. With more hybrids being produced the cost of manufacturing the batteries have come down. They’re down to below $1000.
For most hybrids, it is closer to a $3000 or $4000 difference.
Just talking MSRP the difference in the Camry hybrid and a comperably equiped Camry the price difference is less then $2k.
Hi All,
You really cannot compare the 4 cylinder Camry with the the Hybrid Camry. The Hybrid Camry is a significantly quicker car, and challenges the V6 Camry in some driving situations.
The Hybrid Camry is cheaper than the V6, so in this case, the Hybrid cost is actually negative.
Not sure about the GS450h, but the rumor is the V8 wont be produced anylonger, as the 450h is just as quick, and much more refined thanks to the HSD eCVT. They only sold 8 V8 GS's in was it May or June (?) in the USA.Hi All,
Me again. So why is the Toyota Hybrid cost so low? The Prius battery cost $2400, and the Camry would be similar if not more expensive. Yet the cost of a comparable peforming standard Camry is more!
This is because of the lack of shift time, the larger ratio range available in the HSD transmission (engine can operate at higher power at lower car speeds), the lack of starter (multifunction of the transmission), the lack of alternator (multifunction of the transmission and hybrid drive) and associated bracketry and assembly. There are extra brake system componants however, but this cost is covered by the lifetime service (typically > 125K miles) the original brakes provide (regeneration does 80 % of the braking). The HSD transmission has about half the mechanical parts as well.
Its the multifunctionalism of the HSD transmission, in combination with the superior ratio range (which gets better accelleration out of a given engine) that allows the HSD hybrid to match or be cheaper than a comparable car in new cost. Even though it has a big expensive battery.The Prius is not a compact. The Corolla is a compact, and the Prius is much closer to the size of a Camry than a Corolla. I traded my Camry for a Prius and have no less room. Rear seat passenger rave about how much room they have.
2007 Prius: http://www.toyota.com/prius/specs.html
2007 Camry and Camry Hybrid: http://www.toyota.com/camry/specs.html
2007 Corolla: http://www.toyota.com/corolla/specs.html
Car Sum (interior+cargo volume) Diff to Prius
Prius 110.6 (96.2+14.4) +0.0
Camry 116.4 (101.4+15.0) +5.8
CamryH 112.0 (101.4+10.6) +1.4
Corolla 103.9 (90.3+13.6) -6.7
all listings in cu. ft.
So, the Prius is closer in size to either the Camry Hybrid or the Camry, than it is to the Corolla. The Prius is also over the 110 cu. ft. cutoff for interior+cargo volume, so it is in the midsize category, along with the Camry, while the Corolla is still in the compact car class.