Do Hybrid Savings Add Up?
A lot of folks would like to purchase a vehicle that is more gentle on the environment, but need to weigh those attributes against the bottom line. For many years cost has been a significant stumbling block for hybrids and clean diesels, however a recent study of fifty-one 2009 year models released by IntelliChoice finds that the gap is narrowing.
While the purchase for comparable clean vehicles is still generally higher than their standard counterparts, the cost of operating them is now often cheaper over a typical five year period. This holds especially true for small cars, sedans and crossover vehicles, where the combined average savings in items such as fuel, insurance, repairs, maintenance and depreciation are over 5% in the course of a 5 year period. To see more information and evaluate specific model performance, look at the report summary here.