Dear Car Talk:
Let me start by saying I am a female 77 years of age and I drive a 2013 Lexus Hybrid purchased in November 2012 with approximately 36,000 miles on it now. My dilemma is how long can I keep my current car before the thought of replacing that very expensive battery will affect the dollar value of my trade in? Also, when I buy a new car, does it make sense for me to buy another Hybrid? With as few miles as I put on a car now that I am retired, I don’t have to worry about the increased gas mileage the Hybrid would give me and I would have the same “problem” regarding the battery. Is a Hybrid that much better for the environment?
Thank you,
Carol
- You don’t drive enough miles to justify an Hybrid 2. Some Hybrid Taxis in New York City cover well over 100,000 miles with out any problem 3. If you like the vehicle just drive on until you actually have a problem
As far as I know, Toyota . . . your Lexus is a Toyota product, that’s why I mentioned this . . . has very reliable and long-lived hybrid battery packs
Unlike . . . ahem . . . certain Honda hybrids
There are many first generation Priuses still going strong on their 1st battery pack, and with hundreds of thousands of miles on the odometer
So you probably have nothing to worry about, as far as your hybrid battery pack is concerned