> Pic Dude Wrote:
> >Somehow I don't see electrics/hybrids as "cool".  Cool is...
> muscle car with big 460 V8 blown/stroked to 514 and high enough
> compression ratio to generate flames out the exhaust!  With fuel
> consumption measured in gpm (gallons per mile).
> Now that's cool!  :-)
>
> OK, we are all entitled to our opinions and there is no accounting for
> taste.  Assume for a moment that I think the Insight is cooler than a
> muscle car, and therefore you can assume I am insane.
>
> Let's see:  3500 Miles per year, at 16 MPG is 218 gallons of gas.  Gas is
> cheap in Missouri, we are paying about $1.38 this week.  That's $301.
>
> I can already see how this is going. With the Insight, at an optomistic
> 57MPG, we use 61 gallons to go the same distance.  That's $84, for a
> savings of $217 and change.
>
> Say we drove more, many people put 12,000 miles a year on a car.  The gas
> hog uses 750 gallons, at a price of $1035.  The Insight uses  210 gallons,
> costing $290.  It saves $745 over the klunker.  Not great.
>
> Now payback is another thing - payback compared to what?  I paid $5000 for
> my used van, not a really fair comparison.  There are few cars with such a
> tight amount of space as the insight, so how would one compare?
>
> Car payments on a $20,000 car might cost me $300 a month, which makes the
> difference in operating costs pale in comparison.  Not looking good.  If
> the battery is going to wear out in 4 years the Insight is really looking
> bad.  Anybody got facts on this?
>
> All I really need to get around town is a car that carries two people and
> two sacks of groceries, and the Insight fills that niche nicely.  I have a
> pickup for hauling big stuff, and a comfy van for traveling or hauling
> hordes of kids.
>
> Well, there is still the "cool" factor to consider.  Anybody seen a used
> Insight lately?

I don't like the Insight.  Honda bragged about how small their electric
motor was.  The only advantage that I can see to the Insight over the Toyota
Prius is that the Insight comes in standard.  I'd check the Prius's figures.

--Brendan

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