to hybrid or not to hybrid, Honda CRV
 

My 2008 Honda CRV is getting a bit long in tooth and I am considering a new CRV, my understanding is hybrids show their worth in stop and go urban driving, 40 mpg advertised, but that's not the situation here in the Villages, my 2008 runs a consistent 26 , closer to the highway mileage mpg than city, can anyone with a newer CRV hybrid share their experience ? TIA

We too have an 2008 Honda CRV (153,000 miles). I would stay away from hybrids as there is a much higher repair cost when (not if) things go bad. We are thinking that our next (and most likely last) vehicle will be a Toyota Highlander. They are one of the most bullet proof cars you can buy. Of course, with the shortage of chips, and vehicles in general, we're not sure when we will get one.
Fortunately I found a very trust worthy mechanic in Bobby at Accu-Tech on 301.

My two cents worth. A hybrid is an electric gasoline engine combination. Far more complex than the 2008 gasoline car. Batteries have a service life based on not just use but time. Replacing batteries in a hybrid or one of the fully electric cars is expensive.
The life of the batteries is at best 7 years. They are not worth much used for that reason. As far as advertised miles per gallon. That 40 mpg highway. Does not include stopping for tolls, traffic, bathrooms, food, or the 100 pounds of luggage etc. Actual mpg depends on your driving style as well as the car weight and performance. More weight, faster acceleration needs more power-it does not matter if it is gasoline, electricity or a combination. Actually with a hybrid, weight-part of the weight is the batteries that you are carrying as well as the electric motor and the electronics to control it.

My 2 cents-- a hybrid is 2 problems: a combustion engine & electric drive.

Either go motor or electric.

The hybrid is 2 separate items you need to deal with, whats the advantage?

I can only state that we purchased a 2020 Honda CRV Hybrid early last year when the hybrids first arrived at dealerships and have enjoyed the car for the past year with no issues. I like it more than our 2017 Honda CRV which we traded in for the 2020.

Our youngest was buying a hybrid, looking at 3 models. He lives in Louisville, and drives 4,000 miles a year. Two of the dealers had exactly what he was looking for, however both dealers suggested he go with a non hybrid, do to the lack of miles, and the maintenance for the car.

Third dealer was BMW, which is what he drives now. Salesman didn’t try to sway him either way. His older brother, weighed in, owning a hybrid, and drives less than 4000 per year. His 2 cents, no hybrid, not enough miles to make a difference, and those Multiple batteries has to go to a landfill.

We are buying a new car when the 2022’s come out.
The problem in buying a hybrid now is the technology is changing and I would worry the current hybrids would become obsolete.

The push is for electric cars and to me it is still in the early days.

I will be getting a regular car and worry about the next step in the future.

Also with the low mileage we do doesn’t really warrant a hybrid.

We have a 2019 Lexus hybrid and we love it . The hybrid system is warranted for 10 years so since we have never kept a car over 8 years it’s not a worry for us. It’s nice for town driving especially around the Villages. It can be a a EV when your traveling less than 30mph. Highway driving is all gas.

are you buying or leasing?
I have always been a buyer, but...with the risk we take when we buy, I think I am done buying.
DW and I bought a nice 2017 Honda CR (Turbo, Gas, no hybrid, no electric) and immediately there were issues with gas in the oil. Great! And we're into it for over 30K$, and Honda can make some nice cars, but when they mess up, they aren't great about taking care of the customer. (See Odyssey and transmission issues for their performance on THAT debacle)

This isn't directly related to "hybrid vs gas" but indirectly it is.

You could consider leasing a hybrid, if it's what your heart really wants, and you can find out if you like it, and reduce the risk should you wind up with a nest of problems.

Unless I misread the 40mpg was for city driving ,thought I saw it two different places,, the general consensus is a negative on the hybrid. That was my first thoughts as well but I try to know what I don't, learn from others experience. I intend to wait for the 2022 models to come out and see what they have to offer, safety equipment high on my list of positives ,, thanks everybody

i have a 2019 Camry hybrid it gets 55mpg around town. when I'm on the hiway at 75mph i get 50 mpg, i love my Camry.i just did a trip of 1300 miles and used about 23 gals. of gas.

Has anyone done a cost analysis of the break even point spending more for a hybrid than a gas vehicle? That's the question I have, I found the following but would be interested in hearing what others who have done the research have to say.

To Hybrid Or Not To Hybrid: A Breakeven Analysis | News & Events | Department of Economics | Academics | College of Business | DePaul University, Chicago

When I last looked Hybrids were about $5k more than the same car with gas engine. The increased MPG would never pay that difference back in the normal lifetime of the car. Gas engines are so much more efficient now that the Hybrids are not extending fuel economy by that much. When looking at cost and operating cost Hybrids don't win the race in my book, but there may be other reasons for wanting one.

My experience: 2006 RX400h hybrid

Original owner, no problems for 15 years, and battery is doing fine. Only major shop repair was replacing timing belt at 100K miles.

Hybrid vs all gas? The hybrid premium was just over $5K. Gas savings, negligible.

I'm finally replacing soon with RX350, as the hybrid premium has increased, approaching $10K.

Only concern is car is a bit larger now, but electronics will be more current.

In both old and new, had real GPS; making sure navigation system is real GPS rather than dependent on cell phone.

My rationalization in 2006 was that Lexus would make sure that 1st hybrid attempt would be a solid, problem free experience, and it was.

Off to the dealership today to check things out.

I just bought a new Venza (Toyota) hybrid and am getting over 45 mpg locally. Toyota invented the hybrid and has remained several years ahead of everyone else in hybrid design. I suggest a RAV4 or an upscale Venza.

Respectfully, I disagree with Dave's comments on battery life and MPG. I'm not sure where you're getting your information...but I own a 2010 Prius and was just told by the dealer my batteries are fine, and as long as I drive it regularly, I can expect the batteries to last a long time yet. So that's ten years now and batteries still good. As for mpg, we routinely get 45-55 mpg overall driving. But we don't drive like maniacs...we don't jack-rabbit start and we anticipate braking before we run up on a situation that requires brakes. You have to be mileage minded and adjust your driving to get the best mileage.

Another vote for the Toyota Venza. Drives great, looks great, 45mpg. The hybrid system, including the battery, is completely warranted for 10 years / 150k miles.

Interesting subject and comments. I’ve spent a lifetime in the car business and it never ceases to amaze me how many people think the Asian imports are such great and bullet proof vehicles.

At one time early 80’s through mid 90’s the American auto manufacturers produced substandard vehicles except for a few models within the domestic offering.

This lead almost to their demise. Since then the domestic manufacturers had a choice either go under or get with the program.

As Americans can and do they’ve not only put their products on par with all imports but have recently pulled ahead in quality and technology and safety in many instances.

Many imports were 5 years behind on current safety suites only offering them in their top luxury brands and models.

Finally they’re offering them in their main stream vehicles.

Here’s my question to those that think that imports have a quality/reliability advantage.

If in your mind you were certain that domestic vehicles were as good as if not better than imports would you then buy American?

If not why not? Our manufactures large and small need us to fully support them so that they can continue to lead the world in quality safety and technology.

The absolute facts are and Toyota, Honda, Nissan have all been caught at it several times and fined heavily for it that when there is a catastrophic recall it isn’t labeled as such the recall issued might be for a suspension component replacement or a faulty switch but the real problem is something to go with brake failure, unexpected acceleration, something that could cause fire etc.

The vehicle comes in for the suspension fix which was never an issue to begin with and the item that could cause catastrophic damage is then repaired the vehicle returned to the owner/lessee and they’re none the wiser.

It has happened many times and it will continue to happen as it is better to pay fines (if caught) which they only get caught a small percentage of the time than to lose their bullet proof reputation with the American buyers.

Folks if you’re convinced that imports are so superior to domestic vehicles just ride by the Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Kia, Hyundai, Subaru dealership on any given day and observe that the service bays are full.

They are full doing warranty work period just like the domestic dealerships.

Quit making these automotive decisions by following the little black and red dots in consumer reports and do some homework for your selves.

Domestic vehicles are winning and you should be too by driving and owning them.

Peace out.

Dan the carman for 52 years and counting.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms and grandmothers out there m.

I guess it depends on how long you plan on keeping the car. We tend to run a car into the ground (then give it to the kids :) ).

Many years ago I saw a financial program on PBS where the host said that the difference between keeping a car for 10 years vs getting a new one every 3 years would cost you over $200,000 (but, again, that was many years ago, it might be more now).

2014 Camry Hybrid
 

My Camry is great, no problems in 7 years, over 40 mpg in TV, 38 hwy. Break even at 60-70k miles. New ones get 10mpg more.. Honda hybrids ok but Toyota better

I have a 2013 hybrid Toyota Camry. Your savings in a hybrid is traveling below 25 miles per hour, not long distance it switches off at stops . I get 46 miles (used to get more) a gallon of gas it has 110,000 miles on it no engine problems. I had worried about batteries until I met a guy with over 259,000 miles on his. I would definitely get another one. Not sure about Honda technology

I have a 2018 CVR regular gas engine, I get 33 MPG on the highway, no need to get hybrid

Stuff about replacing the batteries is baloney. I have had two Prius hybrids and they are terrific. I average about 52 miles per gallon. They get over 500 plus miles per tank and from NJ to Florida, I could only need to stop twice for gas. It is a lighter weight car and I have been very happy with the vehicle and the service.

I know you are interested in Honda. However, I have a hybrid experience to share. I just purchased a 2021 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Van. It is a plug-in Hybrid. The first 32 miles are total electric when you start off. After that I'm getting around 37 MPG on hybrid. Chrysler warranties the hybrid battery for 7 years. I won't keep the van that long. IN the meantime when gas prices eventually jump to 5+ per gallon (and they surely will) it will be sweet. Additionally, when I take short trips to the grocery or Home Depot, etc...I leave the Van ON in the parking lot (in electirc mode) and lock the doors while I'm in the store. The van in this situaion is absolutey quite in the parking lot and I return back to my van to a nice cool enviornment. All these nay sayers about hybrid on here assume you will want to keep the vechicle forever (which in some cases could be true) and if that is the case then don't buy one because for sure the eventual repair expenses for 2 motors would be higher. However, your situation is whatever it is. Go test drive a used 2020 or new 2021 Pacifica Hybrid and you be amazed at the comfort and abundance of 'standard' included safety tech Chrysler has put on board. Also the 'cool' factor of driving MOST of your short trips with 100% electric mode is very exciting (not from a save the planet type of thinking) but the experience of total silent electirc and freedom of not always filling up with gas.

This is slightly off topic because you specifically asked about a CR-V hybrid. You might wish to wait a year and take a look at the new crop of fully electric vehicles that will become available. Many will have a $7500 tax credit to offset the higher cost. While charging times on a road trip will take longer than refueling with gas, if road trips are not something you do frequently then it may not be an issue. Since you have an SUV already and are looking at another SUV, I will assume a sedan will not meet your needs. There are several fully electric SUVs available now and more coming next year.

2017 Niro hybrid
 

I have a 2017 Kia Niro hybrid. This was my first hybrid and couldn't be happier. On average I get between 45 and 50 MPG. with the 11 gallon tank that equates to approximately 500 mile range. I have had no problems in terms or repairs.
I do recognize that their maybe problems in the future but then again - welcome to life!

On my second Prius V (wagon style) and get 43+ in and around TV. On cross country road trips will get 37.5, fully loaded (back seat down for cargo) at 75. Wind, hills and speed kill the mpg. It is nice to see 99.9 in city traffic, slow traffic.

Hybrid or Not to Hybrid
 

All you have to do is to figure the cost of the both vehicles the way you want them decked out. Calculate the cost of the Hybrid MPG and the number of miles you drive in a year. Do the same with the price of the non Hybrid. Next using the cost of fuel today calculate the gallons used in a year and the per gallon.
The difference in the cost between vehicles is important.
Divide out how long you will have to own the Hybrid until you pay the increased cost and get a return on your investment.
I had a Camray Hybrid in 2018. The time fore me was about 7 years to realize a rate of return.

I drive a 9 year old Prius. 150,000 miles on it. Never any problems. Original batteries. My dealer wants it to resell because the market is so good. I don’t need a tank of an SUV. I keep the back seats folded down and have a space six feet long for hauling stuff. If I replaced it, I’d get another one. I might splurge on the loaded top of the line with batteries that plug in in the garage. That provides as much juice as I use in a day most weeks. Like a golf cart. That would be $36,000. How much is an utterly loaded CRV? The CRV Hybrid Touring starts there. I would definitely go hybrid if you can afford it. It’s great to be driving in slow traffic and realize it’s not costing much per minute.

The Toyota RAV4 has been totally redesigned and is on the same frame as the Camery. If you go to the top of the line hybrid Limited, which I did, you won't get a better vehicle. You can get different levels of protection but you don't have to worry about the battery. The GPS and sound system is great and the ride is super. I could go on but a few friends of mine bought Honda's and say they made a mistake.
John

2017 Honda Accord
 

I have a 2017Honda Accord with 75,000 miles on it. I absolutely love getting 44-47 miles per gallon with zero issues. I plan to keep this car for 10-12 years. I am a firm believer in Honda and Toyota.

I know this may be a tad off topic, but I am currently in the market for a new car. I just gave my son my long in the tooth but still perfect 2007 Prius. LOVED that car...still do. I currently have a 2014 Suburu Outback that my wife now tells me is too low for her to get in and out of comfortably.

SO...I am looking for a crossover SUV. I have done extensive research on the Honda CRV, Toyota RAV4, Nissan Rouge, etc......I have pretty much decided on the all new, completely re-designed Hyundai 2022 Tucson. The seats are high enough for my wife to use pain free, and the tech features blow ALL the other ones away. You turn on the turn blinkers and you SEE the whole side of the car camera view. It is now larger than the previous models...in fact, it has more cargo space than the bigger Santa Fe.

The Hybrid model gives a huge boost in HP, and MPG, and is only $1250 more than the regular AWD. Anyone looking at a Honda CRV should at least take a quick look at this new 2022 Tuscon, IMHO.

Hybrids yes, plug-ins even better
 

I have driven hybrids since 2012, Toyota has completely and totally nailed down the battery technology. In 2018 I got a Prius Prime plug-in hybrid. Got around 130 miles to the gallon and about 30 miles each time I plugged it in. Around town the 30 miles easily lasted me a few days. Ans OH YEAH--I got a $4,500 tax CREDIT.

I traded in the Prius for the 2021 BMW X3e. A plug-in hybrid;, it is bigger and heavier and I only get about 20 miles per plug-in, but that is plenty to get around town. And OH YEAH--I'm getting an almost $6000 tax CREDIT. Battery technology is way way ahead of what most people think, and I never ever got close to needing to replace the battery.

I would definitely look at the Toyota RAV 4 plug in, which fully loaded is about $40,000. But you would not need all those great options, and OH YEAH--it comes with a $7500 tax CREDIT.

Going to a hybrid or electric or any combination of it is a no-brainer. Going forward you won't even be able to buy gasoline powered vehicles. Both the Toyota and the BMW come with amazing warranties and I never paid for anything, and it has been almost 10 years.

My wife drives a 2017 Honda Civic Touring with the turbo gas engine. She rarely goes on a highway and we have not reset the MPG since day one, with 27,000 city miles on the car the average is 35.6 mpg. and it's been stuck there for about a year now. Not bad for city driving.

E=Fb The Musical Theory of Relativity
 

"E=Fb The Musical Theory of Relativity." I love it! And so true. LOL

Just a little of topic “ Before Tesla: Why everyone wanted an electric car in 1905
What’s old is new again”

A brief history of electric cars: the most popular car of 1900 - Curbed

We sold our 2004 Toyota Sienna to Carmax for $1700 last month before relocating to the Villages. It had 240,000 miles on it nd was made in Indiana. We bought a 2016 RAV4 Hybrid expecting the Sienna to die, but it didn't. The RAV4 hybrid was made in Japan but since 2020 they have been made in Kentucky.

All Chryslers are made in Canada, alond with Dodge Challengers and Chargers, as is the Chevy Equinox. General Motors’ Mexican plants currently assemble the Chevrolet Cruze, Blazer, Equinox, Trax and Silverado along with the GMC Terrain and Sierra.

Buy American? Better do your research'

I had a 2004 Prius for 15 years with 160k miles and never had a problem with batteries (not even even the 12V battery) or the hybrid system. The technology is well proven. We now own a 2020 Accord hybrid and are getting 50mpg city and highway. I wouldn't hesitate to buy a hybrid CRV.

I still miss my 2007 Prius. Just to add, the 2022 Hyundai Tucson is made in Alabama. They are also coming out with a plug in Hybrid, but sadly we are told they are only for now going to be sold in California, etc...not Florida. They will get over a $6k tax credit...(sigh). Driving the 2022 Tucson Hybrid with the two big screens, etc feels very Tesla-like.
I buy the bells and whistles because I like them, and here in Florida one can keep their vehicles a long time, as they do not rust away like I was used to up in NY. If I decide to keep a car for years, I want it to have everything I want it to have, without regrets.

We replaced our CR-V gas model with a CR-V hybrid and are so far quite enjoying it. The cost difference between gas and hybrid was pretty minimal, especially when you consider their CR-V hybrid is all-wheel-drive (which normally costs extra). We get at least 10-12 mpg better than the gas model when driving around The Villages but only 4-6 mpg better when doing highway driving, which I understand is normal with hybrids but still feels strange.

If you think you want to stick with "tried and true" gas-powered models, buy relatively soon. Honda has said they they will be ALL electric (not just hybrid) in just a few years. So have a number of car manufacturers. Gas engines are going the way of coal. They will both have their fans and the transition will be disruptive to some, but they are both going away.