Calling all hybrid owners

I am trying to talk my husband into getting a hybrid. Right now, we have a Jeep Liberty which we love. However, it has 112,000 miles on it. My husband drives a minimum of 70 miles a day, and we are getting something like 20 miles per gallon. Needless to say, I want something that gets better gas milage.

Here's where you all come in. My husband needs some help to see why we need to get on a hybrid waiting list now. Right now, the Honda hybrids are a 2 (aff)-3 (aff) month waiting list and the prius's are a 4-6 month wait.

Anybody want to give me a hand? List your reasons down below.

Lisa Martin

In April 2006, Lisa began blogging to stay connected with distant relatives and friends. As she delved into blogging, she discovered the potential to assist others by sharing her experiences. Lisa has actively engaged in numerous exclusive media ventures. Notable among these are her participation in events such as the Sony Mommy Bloggers Event, the Pampers Mommy Bloggers Event, the Epson Event in Chicago, the Stouffers Event, a memorable yacht excursion with Lands End, collaborations with 1-800-Baskets, an exclusive tour for bloggers by Mrs. Prindable’s, partnerships with Hallmark, PopCap games, Chicago Cubs Mastercard Priceless Events, and Rug Doctor. In addition, she has collaborated with Nutrisystem on a weight loss initiative, teamed up with Buick and Chevy, and served as a brand ambassador for Sprint. Lisa's collaboration portfolio also extends to Disney, where she has participated in press trips for significant movies such as Frozen, Guardians of the Galaxy, McFarland USA, The Good Dinosaur, The BFG, and Cars 3. Notably, for projects like Frozen, The BFG, and Cars 3, she was granted the privilege of walking the red carpet and conducting interviews with celebrities. The impact of Lisa's blog has gained recognition, with The New York Times referencing her content. Moreover, she has been featured in interviews by respected publications such as the Southtown Star, The Chicago Sun Times, and inside.

This Post Has 19 Comments

  1. Tom Sawyer

    Actually, it would depend on what type of driving he does. If those 70 miles are highway miles a hybrid isn't really going to help. Hybrids shine more in stop and go city driving. Also, some hybrids don't get better gas mileage than a normal Honda Civic. A regular Civic is probably going to increase your MPG to 30 (50%) and you will not have to worry about unscheduled maintenance as much as you probably do with the Jeep. 🙂

  2. a. Caleb Hartley

    If you are getting 20 MPG now, you'll literally pay 1/2 as much in gas money and fill the tank about half as often.

    I've heard from Prius Drivers that you can expect about 40 MPG from a Prius overall – which doubles your mileage. at 70 miles per day, you may save enough to make quite a bit of the payment!

    Namaste,

    A. Caleb

  3. Dana

    :mrgreen: Your blog background is amazing! Just thought i should stop and mention it! 😀

  4. Lisa

    @Tom – We live in Chicago, so even though it is highway miles — there is a lot of stop and go. I looked at a report that cars.com did (which is based here in Chicago) and they averaged 60 mpg!

  5. Lisa

    @Caleb That was my thought exactly. We are spending around $500 a month in gas for his car alone, and $250 is a good chunk for another car payment.

  6. corrin

    Just read an article today that the 2009 Prius is going to average 60 mpg and have solar panels on the roof to run the air conditioning!

  7. Lisa

    Ohhhhh, do you have a link? Or where did you see that?

  8. Lisa

    Here is the deal. A hybrid costs between $25-30k, so unless you are paying cash for the car, you are paying probably as much as you do for gas as you do now and then some. Also, since people are panicking about gas prices, car dealers are not going to be willing to make a deal on hybrids.

    That being said, I think a gently used, cheaper alternative would work. I mention this because a friend of mine is looking to get rid of her car for something around $15k that gets good gas mileage, (she has shoulder issues and cannot drive a stick anymore).

    Does he need to be able to haul the kids around or anything? If not, look at the Honda Fit or Toyota, um, Mommy-brain, Toyota something or another, a Ford Focus and the like. Otherwise I echo the first statement about getting a Civic. We had one for years and got great use out of it until we decided to go to a van for hauling the kids.

  9. Kari

    Civic are smaller than the Prius. I still say the Prius–but you know that. We are getting 50 mpg and love the car. I heard about the solar panels yesterday–I thought that was cool. I'll tell Andy to talk to Bill while they are golfing on Sat.

  10. Zip_n_Tizzy

    Really, the question is what don't I like about it?

    We got our first one in '02 and upgraded in '07… would've kept the '02 if we needed 2 cars but we're really just a one car family.

  11. Lisa

    @Lisa I would love to buy used — however, my hubby puts too many miles on a year — we average around 20,000 a year! If we buy used (and we've tried this in the past), it costs us more in the long run because we have to get another car sooner.

    I would love to buy a smaller vehicle like a Focus. However, my hubby is 6'2" and well over 200 lbs. He doesn't fit in a Focus. My mom has one and he has driven it. It is just not comfortable for him. Since in Chicago his commute home can range anywhere from 1-2 hrs to get home at night, he needs to be comfortable.

  12. Lisa

    Why did you like the '02 better?

  13. Lisa

    @ John, okay but most of our traffic here is stop and go. What to advise for that?

  14. Lake Tahoe Rentals

    If you can hold off a little the Toyota Prius 3rd generation is due to be out in 2009. it should get, amongst other things, even better gas mileage.

  15. Mouseclone

    The mech here where I works is working on HHO, hydrogen to help put the MPG up. with out doing anything except putting an HHO generator in the cab of the truck. he has increase the MPG by 8.

    I would look into this for a little while. He has invested $200 so far. he said for every 1 MPG increase he saves about $150 a year. I'm not say it will help you that much.

    I would recommend doing a lot of reading if you travel down this path. Talk with people in your area that have done something with hydro-power as well.

    I will be installing a system in my car soon that will gen HHO gas with out using any of the battery or alternator current. It will pull power from thin air to provide the juice needed to make the HHO gas.

  16. Daniel

    I know you've mentioned the Civic and Prius Hybrid. I would also look into the Smart car. It's no where near as big as either of the two hybrid options. If you are only looking into a car to travel too work and back it might be a great option. They are half the price but also half the size. It's worth mentioning but if you are use too a Jeep might not be best option if solely your only car.

  17. Thomas@Chesapeake Mi

    Forget the hybrids….gas is dead…..either buy a turbo diesel (golf) they are cheap and get as good as gasmileage as any hybrid….or if your really cool get the civic CNG (compressed natural gas) car! Thats cutting edge technology!

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