When you're looking at the prices of different vehicles, hybrid cars often will tend to be slightly pricier. Because of advanced technology which is within hybrids, they may cost an extra dozen or $2000 or more over the conventional gasoline powered equivalent. The main reason for the difference in price besides the advanced technology is the cost of the batteries.This is a great deal of money but you also have to factor in the type of fuel savings you'll be receiving. This article will first look at an actual Civic hybrid and the difference in price along with some of the benefits you may receive when buying a hybrid.
A good example can be found when looking at Honda's website. A Civic sedan starts at $15,010. A Civic hybrid starts at $22,600. At first blush this may seem like too much money just to help the environment.
There are other factors which must be looked into. When looking at the conventional Civic sedan, it is estimated that you will receive gas mileage of 25 miles to the gallon in the city and 36 miles to the gallon when traveling via Highway. A Civic hybrid is estimated to receive 45 miles a gallon. If you drive within the city most of the time, you will be having a fuel savings up to 20 miles per gallon. This has effectively allowed you to cut the amount of gas you purchase almost in half every year. You would need to calculate how much you drive to see whether or not the fuel savings would be greater than the difference in price. One other financial factor which should come into play is a tax rebate. The federal government in 2005 allowed a tax rebate on certain vehicles between $400 and $3400 in deductions. You would also want to check with your particular state because there may be a rebate available from that form of government as well.
A hybrid is more expensive but if you look into the fuel savings and the rebates, you may come up financially ahead buying a hybrid. It does take some research but you must take solace in the fact that you can save yourself money while also helping the environment. You are helping create less greenhouse gases. You are minimizing impact that your driving has upon your particular locale. Buying a hybrid car makes a statement as far as you're concerned for the environment and hopefully will lead others whom you know to have a similar decision making process.
