Best cheap Hybrid cars

Thursday, March 19, 2009
Prius top compact according to JD Power
Toyota Prius most dependable compact according to JD Power.Prius reliability still tops

The Toyota Prius isn't just the most fuel efficient hybrid on the road today, it's also one of the most dependable vehicles available according to JD Power. The Prius took the top spot amongst compact cars in the latest JD Power rankings.

In terms of hybrid cars, the Lexus RX400h was a runner up in the midsize premium category.

Labels: Hybrid Vehicles, lexus rx400h, toyota prius

posted by Dahcredyns at 8:38 AM 2 Comments







Toyota developing sporty hybrid to challenge CR-Z
Toyota and Honda escalating their hybrid war. When will US automakers get serious about hybrid cars?Honda's upcoming CR-Z hybrid

Not only is Toyota going to develop a compact hybrid - smaller than the current Prius - that will be cheaper than the Honda Insight, but the hybrid king will also develop a sporty hybrid, based off the MR2, to challenge the Honda CR-Z hybrid according to recent reports.

Love seeing this emerging hybrid battle heat up between Honda and Toyota, but I'd sure love to see a US automaker join the war.

Labels: honda cr-z hybrid, honda insight hybrid, toyota prius

posted by Dahcredyns at 8:05 AM 0 Comments






Tuesday, March 17, 2009
LA Times slams hybrid car sales
LA Times questions future of hybrid vehicles because hybrid sales have fallen from summer highs. President Obama called this kind of thinking irresponsible today. Plus, the two most anticipated hybrid cars are not even on the market yet.Insight will lift hybrid sales

Hybrid car sales go from 60 to 0 at breakneck speed, writes the LATimes this morning.

Hmmm. Buy a Civic hybrid today, or wait a couple of months for a cheaper, cooler Honda Insight hybrid? Or, buy a Toyota Prius today, or wait until a bigger, faster, more fuel efficient Prius becomes available in a couple of months while waiting out a recession?

Certainly, hybrid sales have dropped significantly since this summer, but summer sales were driven by the irrational exuberance created by relatively sudden $4.00 gas. With gas prices cut in half, and consumers facing a recession, one would expect a burst of the hybrid bubble. Nonetheless, gas prices will go back up in the next few years. Thinking otherwise is foolish.

In fact, this morning President Obama called such thinking "irresponsible" while addressing the dangers of foreign oil dependency. And, truthfully, if Americans paid the real cost of oil dependency at the pump, the cost of gas would already be very supportive of significantly higher hybrid sales.

Still, sales of hybrid vehicles will pick up in the next few months, as the two most important cars in the hybrid market come to market. Compare those sales to when gas was $3.00 and I think a far different picture of hybrid sales will emerge.

Labels: honda civic hybrid, honda insight hybrid, hybrid vehicle sales, Hybrid Vehicles, toyota prius

posted by Dahcredyns at 6:54 AM 4 Comments








Friday, March 13, 2009
New Toyota hybrid cheaper than Honda Insight
Toyota already set to challenge Honda as the cheapest hybrid producer. Toyota will sell a new hybrid that is smaller than the Prius and cheaper than the Insight hybrid.Toyota's ultra cheap hybrid?

For quite a while I've been calling out Toyota to come up with a small, cheap city Prius. A compact hybrid used mostly for city commuting when extra seating is rarely needed.

Well, Toyota might not have listened to me, but the buzz around the cost of the Honda Insight has gotten to the hybrid car king. According to reports, Toyota plans to sell a compact hybrid by 2011 - at least in Japan - that will offer a smaller engine than the Prius and a smaller price tag.

Finally, competition in the hybrid cars segment isn't just heating up, it's brewing new ideas and innovations.

Labels: honda insight hybrid, Hybrid Vehicles, toyota prius

posted by Dahcredyns at 12:23 PM 5 Comments







Can Honda sell 100,000 Insight hybrids in this market?
The Honda Insight is set to challenge the king of hybrid cars, the Toyota Prius. Still, can the Insight hybrid sell 100,000 units per year in this economy?Recession-fighter?

Had Honda launched the fantastically aerodynamically designed Insight hybrid at this time last year, it would have been impossible for Honda to match demand.

This year, however, is a whole different matter. Cheaper gas, a dead car buyers market, and a deep recession make the car business a bad business to be in these days.

Still, the Honda Insight is something different. The Insight isn't just the closest thing to a Toyota Prius contender - the undisputed kind of hybrid cars - it's significantly cheaper than the Prius. And, while the Insight isn't as fuel efficient as the Prius in all driving conditions, it's lower sticker price makes it a formidable challenge.

Nonetheless, with a third gen Prius just around the corner, coupled with current economics, selling 100,000 Insights won't be easy, or will it?

Labels: honda insight hybrid, Hybrid Vehicles, toyota prius

posted by Dahcredyns at 10:35 AM 5 Comments