Re: Re: Hybrids

Steve, you're right about the highway mileage stats of a Prius vs. an Echo or Corolla. I have an 5-speed 2001 Echo (a great little car, BTW) and I average 35 MPG in town, and 40 MPG on road trips. Considering that my 'fully-loaded' Echo (air conditioning, CD player and alloy wheels was 'loaded' at the time!) was stickered at barely $12K, it's hard to justify the extra expense of a Prius, which gets around mid-50s in town, and mid-40s on the highway, and is priced around $22K.

As gas prices continue to rise and manufacturers make bigger hybrids (the new Toyota Highlander Hybrid - a mid-size SUV w/ seating for 7, 268 HP, and 33/28 projected MPG - is one I have my eye on) I predict sales will really take off, and not just with environmentalists and misers. When a family can comfortably ride in a hybrid that doesn't cost so much that the 'break-even' between sticker price and gas savings happens after half a decade of driving, most people will choose to make the move to greener means of transportation.