Overview of the Latest in Honda Hybrids

Honda has become one of the top car manufacturers when it comes to the latest craze in the automotive world – hybrid vehicles. Honda has followed in the footsteps of car manufacturing companies like Toyota and Ford who have created a number of their car models in hybrid form. But what is the difference between hybrid cars and the gasoline powered cars we have become accustomed to in the past? Hybrid vehicles run by combining sources of power to fuel the vehicle. Today's hybrid vehicles combine gasoline with electric power to run. By not relying solely on gasoline as fuel power to power the vehicle, hybrid vehicles use less gasoline and omit fewer fumes into the already damaged atmosphere.

With global warming becoming more and more of a concern, hybrid vehicles are growing in popularity. Hybrid cars use gasoline combined with an electric motor powered by batteries to fuel the vehicle. When the vehicle is being used in typical day-to-day driving scenarios where there is a lot of stop-and-go traffic, hybrid vehicles rely heavily upon their battery power. When use of the gasoline engine takes place, or when the car slows down or brakes, the electric battery pack is able to recharge itself, readying itself for more use powered by the electric engine rather than the gasoline engine.

In recent years Honda has put models of some of their most popular vehicles on the market as hybrids. The Honda Acura, Honda Insight and Honda Civic, some of the company's top selling vehicles can now be bought as standard gasoline-powered cars or as hybrid vehicles. Honda began its sale of hybrid vehicles in 2005, the same year as many other car manufacturers. However, now Honda is predicting at least double the sales of their new 2006 hybrid models. That may seem like lofty prediction to make but for many Americans; the rising prices at the gas tank make hybrid vehicles the perfect idea.

Honda's hybrid vehicles will surely save money at the gas pump, getting approximately thirty miles per gallon for city driving and thirty seven per gallon on the highway. The typical Honda vehicle powered solely by gasoline gets approximately twenty one miles per gallon for city driving and thirty one miles per gallon on the highway. That is a considerable difference for people who find themselves filling their gas tanks three of four times a week at prices nearing three dollars per gallon. The price for Honda hybrids does raise some. When comparing the standard Honda Acura to its hybrid counterpart the hybrid cost approximately $4,000 more. However, for many people who purchase hybrid vehicles, the initial price seems to even out when considering the money saved at the gas pump and the environmental safety the hybrid vehicles bring.

That's right; gas prices are not the only reason that makes hybrid vehicles a smarter choice. With a growing need for environmentally safe vehicles, Honda's hybrid vehicles have become more and more popular. Places in the United States that have been plagued by heavy pollution, like the state of California; have seen a growing trend in the purchase of hybrid vehicles over regular vehicles. In fact, millions of Americans are currently living in areas that have poor air quality.

Hybrids could provide the beginning of a solution to this problem. Without a doubt hybrid vehicles will provide somewhat of a reprieve from dire air quality. Since companies such as Honda have worked so hard to develop effective hybrid models, hybrid cars have become a glimpse of the future available today. Many engineers and car manufacturers believe that hybrid vehicles will eventually begin to gain significant ground in sales.

Although the vehicles keep becoming more and more popular amongst American consumers, it is believed that it will be short time until the hybrid vehicle becomes the standard. In fact, companies like Honda that have been conducting research on hybrid vehicles for years have known that this technology would be coming. Honda's hard work over the past few years has undoubtedly paid of, putting them at the top when it comes to hybrid competition. And without a doubt the research will continue to provide society with an even more practical way of getting around.

4 Millionth Mile of Real Hybrid Mileage Data is Recorded

GreenHybrid is proud to announce the acquisition of 4 million miles in its Real Hybrid Mileage Database from over 300 automobiles. The system analyzes tank-by-tank information provided by its members. In addition to calculating fuel economy ratings for hybrid models, the database tracks the progress of individual cars.


GreenHybrid is as an interactive online resource for hybrid electric vehicles. The website hosts an active discussion forum and a collection of related publications. Members are encouraged to contribute articles, tips and experiences for the benefit of enthusiasts and newcomers alike.

"Hybrids meet today's demands for more power and better fuel economy. If you haven't yet heard about this technology, you will," said Jason Siegel, creator of GreenHybrid. The automobiles, powered solely by gasoline, pair internal combustion engines with electric motors. The environmentally-friendly cars achieve increased performance and mileage over their non-hybrid counterparts.

For more information, visit GreenHybrid at http://greenhybrid.com or the Real Hybrid Mileage Database at http://greenhybrid.com/compare/mileage/.

Extended Hybrid Warranty Woes – To purchase or not to purchase?

That is the question!

People have a mass of preconceptions about hybrid cars. Some of these stem from the first few years of hybrids on the market, where battery problems clouded consumers' joy about these fuel efficient cars finally being attainable. With Lexus, Toyota, Mercury, Honda, Ford and other makers coming out with better and better hybrids each year, some of the kinks about these mileage masters are finally being worked out.

The more hybrids people purchase, the more that people trust that hybrids will work for them too. So, the question is whether manufacturers are offering adequate warranties for these vehicles. Are makers compensating for consumers' fears by placing excellent warranties on their hybrids, or are they just placating us with enough to make us not think about junking it after eight years or 80,000 miles?

A good starting place to start when considering the extended warranty is that most hybrids offer a general warranty on the first 36,000 to 40,000 miles, then 80,000 miles on the battery, to lure in battery weary buyers. A further investigation into these futuristic vehicles should show that, much like an extended warranty for your regular car, this can be a gamble.

The real key is considering what items are covered on the warranty. The major concern about hybrids is whether the battery is going to need replacement, even with loving attentiveness paid to how you drive yours. New batteries for hybrid vehicles have been known to be as high as $5,000. A clever way out of this however, is that you can often replace the modules of which the hybrid battery is composed of for less than $150. Knowing that the warranty for your hybrid completely covers the battery under the manufacturer's warranty for 80,000 miles may be satisfactory enough. Others, who drive a lot, see themselves reaching 80,000 in just four years or less.

Dealerships are often making a bundle on extended warranties. Sometimes they run as high as $1,400. Considering that there is usually a deductible on extended warranties, you may find that many repairs that you would want the warranty to cover would be under a $300 deductible anyway.

On the other hand many people decide to buy the extended warranty because they want to ward away extra bills down the road. Unfortunately, the deductibles often make that dream unattainable, after all. If you don't plan to keep the car long past the built-in warranty, then the extended warranty is probably not the right way to go. However, if not having your hybrid a long time includes selling it; an extended warranty can be a great selling point.

If the extended warranty option being offered by your dealership remains confusing to you, then consider giving yourself some time to think it over. After all, many people do not even purchase the extended warranty on their vehicles until the manufacturer's is getting ready to expire. If you drive a lot, then that will still give you about four years to think about it.

The way that hybrids are improving second by second is daunting to their owners. An extended warranty can give some peace of mind if you are worried that your old hybrid model will be obsolete in four to eight years when your warranty expires. Although, you may never use it, it may save the day when a transmission or battery gives out at the most inopportune time. Many people keep a credit card with a high limit for these situations. This way, the money goes straight to the repair, rather than being built into the price of your car and never knowing for sure whether or not you will use it.

If an extended warranty makes you feel better about the fact that you already feel as if you have taken a risk by buying a hybrid, then this is probably the best option. The most important thing about buying an extended warranty is to try and haggle with the dealership. Buy a warranty which pays up-front so you don't feel like you don't even have one at all. Try to get one with a low deductible for the same reason, so even small repairs are covered automatically. Where prices have already been cut lean on the general price of a hybrid, an extended warranty can spare to be cut down.

The Facts on Ford Hybrids

With gas prices skyrocketing to over $3.00 per gallon across the nation in summer 2005, consumers have been searching for a way to get from place to place without spending a fortune. Some consumers seem to think they have found the solution to their problem. Hybrid vehicles have become the new alternative to spending your entire paycheck on filling your gas tank. In addition to saving you money at the gas pump, hybrid vehicles are also a safer choice for the environment. Hybrid vehicles combine sources of power to fuel the vehicle. By not relying solely on gasoline as fuel power to power the vehicle, hybrid vehicles use less gasoline and omit fewer fumes into the already damaged atmosphere.

With global warming becoming more and more of concern, hybrid vehicles are growing in popularity. Hybrid cars use gasoline combined with an electric motor powered by batteries to fuel the vehicle. When the vehicle is being used in typical day-to-day driving scenarios where there is a lot of stop-and-go traffic, hybrid vehicles rely heavily upon their battery power. When use of the gasoline engine takes place, or when the car slows down or brakes, the electric battery pack is able to recharge itself, readying itself for more use powered by the electric engine rather than the gasoline engine. The car manufacturing company Ford has become one of the leaders in hybrid vehicle manufacturing.

Ford has been a staple of American culture for decades. It was Ford who led car manufacturing in the United States for many years and now they have come out with a number of hybrid models to suite any type of consumer. Ford manufactures everything from typical cars to trucks to SUVs in the hybrid form. Ford's hybrids are expected to get up to seventy five percent better mileage per gallon of gasoline when compared to conventional Ford vehicles. This can save owners of hybrid vehicles a considerable amount of money when it comes to the amount of gas purchased each week.

When it comes to the environment, hybrid vehicles could make a word of difference. With so many natural disasters plaguing the globe recently, particularly in the form of hurricanes, fingers have been pointed at global warming as the cause. The large amounts of fossil fuels used in today's society has taken a toll on the environment and will likely only get worse if things continue the way they have been going. Ford hybrid vehicles omit up to ninety seven percent less fossil fuels than regular vehicles. Ford has been one of the leaders in producing vehicles that omit less and less carbon dioxide and other harmful gasses into the environment. Hybrid vehicles manufactured by Ford can typically be driven twenty five miles on electric power without having to switch over gasoline power to recharge the battery. During this time the engine discharges no harmful fumes into the environment.

Many consider hybrid vehicles the future of the automotive industry. With a growing need for environmentally safe vehicles, hybrid vehicles have become more and more popular. Since companies such as Ford have worked so hard to develop effective hybrid models, hybrid cars have become a glimpse of the future available today. Places in the United States that have been plagued by heavy pollution, like the state of California; have seen a growing trend in the purchase of hybrid vehicles over regular vehicles.

In fact, millions of Americans are currently living in areas that have poor air quality. Hybrids could provide the beginning of a solution to this problem. Without a doubt hybrid vehicles will provide somewhat of a reprieve from dire air quality. Many engineers and car manufacturers believe that hybrid vehicles will eventually begin to gain significant ground in sales.

Although the vehicles keep becoming more and more popular amongst American consumers, it is believed that it will be short time until the hybrid vehicle becomes the standard. It is thought that eventually automobiles will be powered solely by hydrogen, using no gasoline at all and only omitting steam into the atmosphere. Although we are not there yet, today's hybrid vehicles do provide a safer alternative so we will be able to provide a future where the atmosphere is still healthy and clean.

Three Good Reasons to Wait a Year for your Hybrid Car

Play The Waiting Game – Three Good Reasons to Wait a Year for a Hybrid Car

Hybrid cars are very popular vehicles in today's society. Hybrid cars combine the power of a gasoline engine with the environmental benefits of an electric engine to create what most consider being a better car. There are essentially two different types of hybrid cars on today's market. One type uses the gasoline engine to charge a battery. The battery then runs the electric motor in the car.

The gasoline engine is reserved for situations where power is required. Another type never fully runs on the electric motor, but reserves that for situations where the car requires more power. Hybrid cars offer thirty to fifty miles per gallon of gasoline, and a host of special features that make them quite competitive with regular cars. They also, though, a price tag of three to five thousand dollars more than a typical car and waiting lists of six months to two years. There are, though, three good reasons to purchase a hybrid, despite the waiting list.

One excellent reason to purchase a hybrid car is to save money. Gas prices have been skyrocketing for the past two years. It hasn't been unusual over the course of the last several months to pay between two and three dollars per gallon of gasoline. If you live in a city or do an extensive amount of city driving, a hybrid is the car for you. Because some hybrids function on electric power only at low speeds, no gas is used during city driving. That means you could get up to fifty miles per gallon of gasoline just by driving to work each day.

Since most traditionally built cars get less than twenty miles to a gallon of gasoline, you could be saving some serious cash. Some hybrids can go more than six hundred miles in between fill-ups, and that could save you more than six hundred and fifty dollars at the gas pump each year.

Another strong reason to purchase a hybrid car is to reduce pollution. City style driving is hard on a vehicle. As a result, cars produce more pollution while sitting in city traffic. Hybrid vehicles were built for this kind of a situation.

Most hybrids produce ninety percent less harmful emissions than traditional vehicles do. Moreover, because many states are cracking down on emissions laws, this can save you in the long run. The government, both state and federal, offers tax incentives to purchase a hybrid vehicle. The internal revenue service alone offers up to one thousand dollars in the Clean Fuel Vehicle Tax Deduction program.

Other local and state agencies offer similar deductions just to purchase a car that will help reduce pollution in our cities and neighborhoods. Additionally, it will help you feel good to know that you, personally, are doing something that will help our nation clear the air and eliminate the toxins we have spent so long adding to the atmosphere.

One final reason to purchase a hybrid car is to end dependency on oil as a power source. Oil powers everything from our homes to our cars. As a result, the United States is one of the leading countries in the demand for oil. This places us in a seriously problematic situation, as we cannot completely provide the oil we need for ourselves.

Auto makers have continually pushed for more oil dependent cars like sport utility vehicles, large trucks, and minivans. Americans have bought into the bigger is better auto craze. The demand for oil goes up every day. Purchasing a hybrid, though, helps to tell the people around you as well as the government and the auto makers that you personally want fuel efficient technology that will stop robbing our natural resources and those of other countries as well as a fuel source that is not dependent on the help of other countries.

Crude Oil costs billions of dollars not only to purchase, but also to secure in trade agreements, to deal with the politics of other nations, and to find peaceful solutions to terrorist issues that change the oil supply. Those billions of dollars could find homes for other programs in our nation if we did not require as much oil.

Hybrid cars are one step to changing the way we think about driving. There are a number of excellent reasons to purchase a hybrid.

Why Hybrids Have Excellent Resale Value

Hybrid cars are hot. They are popular and trendy and at the same time, they are environmentally savvy. Even television and movie celebrities love to be seen in these “green” cars. More and more automakers are starting to catch on to the hybrid car craze by offering more styles and more choices of hybrid cars. In addition to being good for the environment, and needing less maintenance than a conventional car, hybrids have excellent resale value.

Some critics of hybrid cars believe that the price of a hybrid car does not necessarily save the buyer any money in the long run. Not so, say those that support the hybrid. Many times a used hybrid car can sell for as much or more as a brand new hybrid. With a hybrid car, buyers do not always immediately lose that 30 percent of the value the minute they drive off the lot.

When considering a hybrid car, think about this: The starting price for a brand new 2005 Toyota Prius with standard features is listed at $22,546 including shipping. The Kelly Blue Book lists a used 2005 Pruis four door hatchback with standard features for $25,470. That is excellent resale value for anyone.

Edmonds lists much of the same information on hybrid cars. It lists the same Toyota Prius compact sedan at $21,275 and a used 2005 hybrid Prius bought from a dealer at $23,277. Not all hybrid cars, though, are expecting to hold such good value on the used market. The resale value of the Honda Insight has been much lower than that of the Prius. Currently, the Prius seems to be the hybrid with the best resale value.

Toyota expects the sales of certified used Prius hybrid cars to double in 2006. Many are left wondering if the resale values of hybrids are because they are trendy or because they are a good buy. Why do hybrid cars have such good resale value?

It is possible that the hybrid has such a good resale value at the time because gas prices are up. Fuel prices always affect the type of car many people drive. Large cars and SUVs tend to guzzle gas. With a hybrid, buyers can expect lower gas prices at the pump. The resale value for hybrids could also be so good because the cars are popular, resulting in longer waiting lists for the cars. Toyota estimates that there are currently around 22,000 Prius cars on backorder.

Consumers also want to feel good about their vehicle purchase. With a hybrid car, drivers can be one of the growing numbers of people who want a trendy, stylish car with the newest technology while being good to the environment. Many carmakers are offering more styles of the hybrid cars. The Prius is not the only option. Ford offers a small hybrid SUV. Buyers can also purchase a Honda Civic hybrid. GMC and Chevy are currently making two hybrids pick up trucks called the C15 Silverado and the C15 Sierra. The Honda Accord and Toyota Camry are also available in hybrid varieties. In the near future, Saturn, Lexus, Honda, and Chevrolet will make hybrid SUVs available to the public. In addition, Chevrolet will offer their Malibu in hybrid form in 2007. Now since so many hybrid cars are available on the market, drivers can choose a style that suits their needs best, which often increase the demand. Drivers no longer have to sacrifice style for more efficient cars.

The newest in car technology accounts for the reason why many want to buy hybrids. They can expect to pay less at the gas pump for a car that need less maintenance for wear and tear. A hybrid runs more efficiently, too. This cuts down on wear and tear on parts, making the resale value attractive to many consumers.

It is estimated that hybrids currently account for less than one percent of the cars sold in the United States. Because they are growing rapidly in popularity and because many new makes and styles are available, the growth continues. Sales of larger SUVs and cars are on the decline. Over the next several years, more people will drive hybrid cars, making the resale value important to consumers.