Quote:
Originally Posted by twoNeurons
Hybrids make less sense than you think on a consumer car. They're usually a compromise... and when you're using one of the engines you're dragging around the weight and using the space up of the other.
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I think the Prius proves you wrong about this. The beauty of a hybrid is that you get the range and price very close to that of a gas engine but you get many of the benefits of electric drive. Those benefits include far lower gas usage and a lot less wear and tear on the brakes and the gas engine, which results in dramatically longer lifespan. And despite the more complex drivetrain Toyota has managed to make the Prius one of the most reliable cars on the road.
Taxi owners, who know better than most what cars give the best economic value over their lifetime, overwhelmingly choose Prius variants - that should tell you something about how much "sense" it makes as a commuter car.