Five Hot Hybrids Hit The New York Auto Show

http://electronicdesign.com/power/five-hot-hybrids-hit-new-york-auto-show?NL=ED-03&Issue=ED-03_20130403_ED-03_260&YM_RID=allen.t.maddox@gai-tronics.com&YM_MID=1384399&sfvc4enews=42

 

This article is in the trade magazine Electronic Design. I’m not so much a “car guy”, but when they start to talk about electric and hybrid vehicles I get my geek turned on. “Green” cars have been well outside my price rage for a car for a long time. Not so much just the price, but the priority I put on my commuter and how much I’m willing to spend to get back and forth to work.

This article covers a lot of the basics, plus the base price, which never seems to be what those cars would cost me.

Posche Panamera S E-Hybrid

The first is the Posche Panamera S E-Hybrid. I went on line to “build my own”. Cost??? Over $101K. And that’s without all the high end do-dads and gizmos.

http://cc.porsche.com/icc_pcna/ccCall.do?userID=US&lang=us&PARAM=parameter_internet_us&hookURL=http%3A//www.porsche.com/usa/modelstart/all/default.ashx%3Fmodelrange%3Dpanamera&ORDERTYPE=970130&screen=1920x1200&vLevel=2

That gets 33mpg hyw. I guess if I could afford a Porsche anyway I’d be interested.

GMC Yukon Hybrid

http://www.gmc.com/yukon-hybrid-suv.html?seo=msn_|_GMC_Retention_600973_|_GM-Bing-RT-SN-YukonH-BP-Exact_|_YukonH-General_|_gmc%20yukon%20hybrid  Starting out at a little over $52K it’s half the price of the Porsche but seats 8 and plenty of cargo room. This is still out of my price range, but it would be nice for caving trips with the crew.

Chevy Volt

The article has this at a base price of over $31K. Not bad, but still outside my range. I went on the web site and picked a bunch of essential options, like killer radio, and the price is now almost $43K. http://www.chevrolet.com/volt-electric-car/build-your-own.html?x-zipcode=19601#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@

Hyundai Sonata Hybrid

I drive a Hyundai Elantra. I’m not sure I’d by another Hyundai. I’d give them the benefit of the doubt that they got their act together by now. The base price of just over $26K is getting closer to my budget. Holy Cow. Went to the web site, entered my zip code and the price jumped a grand already. Just for ha-has, I pick the high end package. Added in the essential sunroof and iPod cable and we’re look at over $32K. https://www.hyundaiusa.com/build-your-hyundai/?vehicle=sonata-hybrid&year=2013

Toyota Prius C

This comes in at a base price just a over $19K. The Prius has probably been around the longest. This gets the best mileage of them all at 53/46 city/hwy. http://www.toyota.com/configurator/#!/series/priusc/grade/Prius%20c%20Four The top end comes in at just over $25K. This is almost a manageable price considering you can still probably incentives. Maybe the savings on gas would compensate the difference in my budget. Maybe a little math will help me decide if this is really something worth looking at or stick to my all gas beater.

Read though and let me know what you think? Anything jump out and screams, “BUY ME!!”

Thanks,

Allen