I test-drove a hybrid before we bought our current car a few years ago and decided to stick with the standard system for a few reasons, some of which will apply to you and at least one won't:
Hybrids cost a lot more than comparable models with a standard combustion engine, something like $8,000 more. You can buy more than 3,000 gallons of gas with $8,000.
The car we eventually ended up with (a 2003 Corolla) had decent mileage to begin with (about 33 mpg highway). (So, assuming we really average 29-30 mpg, the cost differential would pay for about 90,000 miles' worth of gas.)
When I turned on the a/c on a warm but not hot Florida day, the mileage on the hybrid I drove (a Prius) plummeted from 45 mpg to 31 mpg. In other words, a hybrid presented no real advantage for much of the year here. (This is the reason that wouldn't apply to your situation. But the equivalent may apply if a heater also makes the hybrid less efficient, which it inevitably would.)
Incidentally, we're very happy with our two-year-old Corolla. The 2003 model had much better crash-test results than the prior Corolla, and I hope that's kept up. It was our first brand-new car purchase.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2005-07-20 02:58 am (UTC)Incidentally, we're very happy with our two-year-old Corolla. The 2003 model had much better crash-test results than the prior Corolla, and I hope that's kept up. It was our first brand-new car purchase.