Prius Sales Down 45% In The Us

[SUMG]

http://www.businessgreen.com/business-gree...prius-big-japan

[MDH]

A rebounding (or so they think) economy and rising oil price (inevitable) will turn that around.

[FirefightnRick]

Anyone know somebody that has had to replace the battery in one of those? Just curious what that is going to set you back for?

Rick

[Shuke-D]

Anyone know somebody that has had to replace the battery in one of those? Just curious what that is going to set you back for?

Rick

My neighbor replaced one recently. She said that the computer controlling the battery needed to be replaced as well as the hybrid battery. Total cost was $5,000. She said the at-cost for the battery alone was $3,500, before labor.

[forevereagle]

Maybe people are starting to realize that the hybrid, while a nice idea in principal, just isn't that great in practice. You might as well buy a Civic or Corrolla. You get the same car for $10,000 less and maintain you gas mileage at speeds over 35 mph. At one point, I actually considered a hybrid, but you have to have it for 8-10 years to see the savings in gas to make up for the extra cost of the car. And that is if you pay cash up front, not including financing and interest. Like I said, a nice idea, but just does not offer the ROI.

[LongJim]

I think they would sell more if they renamed it the Priapus.

[MDH]

Maybe people are starting to realize that the hybrid, while a nice idea in principal, just isn't that great in practice. You might as well buy a Civic or Corrolla. You get the same car for $10,000 less and maintain you gas mileage at speeds over 35 mph. At one point, I actually considered a hybrid, but you have to have it for 8-10 years to see the savings in gas to make up for the extra cost of the car. And that is if you pay cash up front, not including financing and interest. Like I said, a nice idea, but just does not offer the ROI.

You're assuming the average American produces rational thought. Unfortunately, most sold off their SUVs for pennies on the dollar to get a car that would get them 7 mpg more.

[forevereagle]

You're assuming the average American produces rational thought. Unfortunately, most sold off their SUVs for pennies on the dollar to get a car that would get them 7 mpg more.

That was the assumption on my part. Or maybe I assumed that the average American has a friend who was able to give them a rational thought that they could use as their own. Who can know?