Say no to Hybrids

Since the day I learned about the Hybrid cars, I wanted one but resisted the urge to go get one. Bottomline, you are much better off, money savy and do more for the environment by driving a "1992 GEO METRO" than today's Hybrid. Here are the top reasons why I didn't think it was a great idea to go buy a Hybrid:

• They are expensive. I could not find a seller who sells it below the sticker price++ and without the few months wait. If you are in for a Hybrid to save some money because of its gas mileage, you aren't getting any benefit for at least the first 5 years. In other words, they offset any savings you may get through better mileage.
• These Hybrid vehicles depreciate faster.
• The EPA mileage rating is a scam and the average real world mileage is around 45MPG (not 60+ as published which is under some standard test condition). You are much better off buying a "Geo Metro" as it has better fuel efficiency than Prius for example.
• Hybrids are a diversion and it buys time for the vehicle manufactures from really developing cleaner alternatives like Hydrogen vehicles.
• No one knows how the batteries used by the Hybrids are going to be disposed/recycled. It is a environmental disaster waiting to happen and no one is talking about it since it has not reached the critical mass.
• They are slow and not time tested. The first 5 years are like the test period for these vehicles and we wouldn't know about their reliability and maintainability until this time passes.

Though I had come up with many of the above findings originally by researching it on the internet, I ran into this article which pretty much sums up what I had learned. Here is the summary found from that article:

There is no sensible reason to buy hybrid.

Fuel savings are minimal, performance suffers, repair is problematic and the price is high. The powertrain is overly complicated, and though automakers have thoroughly tested these vehicles, they will likely suffer when exposed to real world driving conditions. As a result, in a few years there will be mountains of batteries that automakers can't dispose of properly, and fleets of hybrids will be selling cheap on used car lots. If you still want a hybrid when this happens, go for it -- you're sure to get a good price. Or you can have fun now with a car that moves you better at a lower price, and wait until hydrogen cars hit the market.