Since most of the people who are giving their opinions haven't actually owned a hybrid, I thought I should add my thoughts. I bought a Honda Insight hybrid in 2005 for $19,500 usd, but the government gave me a $2,000 tax credit, so it made my cost $17,500. I've averaged just over 50 mpg for the 107,000 miles that I've driven so far. Assuming that gas has averaged $3 per gallon since '05, I've spent $6,420 on gas. If I had a similar non-hybrid, it might average about 35 mpg, so I'd have spent $9,171 on gas. Subtracting my gas savings from my after-tax-credit purchase price brings my effective purchase price down to $14,750. I've replaced a few tires, gotten regular oil changes, and replaced the brake pads, but other than that, I haven't spent anything. I know that I probably could have bought something cheaper, but I'm already satisfied with my effective purchase price and that will continue to drop as I continue to drive.
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