Hybrids, split from the "blind people ..." thread Options

[impala454]

this reminds me of that stupidass article someone posted a while back about how electric cars should make noise so blind people dont step out in front of them

[Mommy]

this reminds me of that stupidass article someone posted a while back about how electric cars should make noise so blind people dont step out in front of them

I watched a CNN video the other day about some 8 year old kid that got hit by a Prius because he couldn't hear it driving down the road. The kid wasn't blind. He just didn't look both ways before crossing. He relied on his sense of hearing instead. When the Prius engine shuts off and the vehicle is running on battery power, it makes very little noise. Can't say I blame the kid. The other day when I was walking to take the trash out, I realized I did the same thing when walking through the parking lot. Thank God there were no shitty Toyota Prius' around

I kinda do see a problem with blind people not being able to know what kind of money they have. People will rip them off.

I have a problem with not being able to hear battery operated vehicles too... but mainly because I just think the Prius sucks. My dad keeps trying to get me to buy one. If I'm going hybrid, I'm getting a Honda Civic Hybrid

[Mommy]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/custom...0,3985576.flash

Ok, here is the thing about hybrid vehicles, Cathryn. Yes, you are going to save money on gas. Yes, the technology is even coming down in price enough to make purchasing a hybrid affordable. The Honda Civic hybrid is only like $21k or something like that. BUT (and this is a big BUT) they are a poor LONG TERM investment. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely agree that they are a great short-term investment (ie you save money now) but in the long-run you lose. Why? Because hybrids have absolutely the worst trade in value. In fact, you may even be upside down on a trade-in with a hybrid (in other words, you owe more money than the car is worth so they have to tack that difference onto the price of the new car you wish to purchase). It would be better to straight out buy a new car without using your Prius as a trade-in. There is no market for used hybrids right now. So, down the line when you decide you want to purchase a new hybrid vehicle, you are not going to have anything to use as a trade to lower your monthly payments. It will probably be another 5 years before they perfect the technology to make it good enough to have value when you go to sell it.

I'm definitely not saying don't buy a hybrid. Hell, I want one, BUT to act like you are saving SO MUCH MONEY is completely wrong. They are more expensive initially (albeit like I said, they are coming down in cost) AND they have no value when you are done with them. Yeah, all cars lose value, but it's always nice to have a little something invested in such a big purchase. Choosing a car that depreciates slower is always a wise decision.

In other news, Ford and other auto makers are drastically cutting back on SUV production. Many are predicting that the SUV could become obsolete here in the next year or two if gas prices continue to rise. Trucks are no longer being bought for personal use anymore. They are really only being purchased by people who use them for business. I can't say this is a bad thing. I actually agree with it. I HATE SUVs. I drove a truck for 2 reasons: 1) I moved a lot and 2) I hate being the little person on the road. In Texas, the bigger the better is the attitude. I didn't want to be the small vehicle in an accident. Selfish, I know.

And how we started arguing about this in a blind thread, I have no idea.