Cheap Hybrid Car

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Name 5 hybrid cars that is reliable and cheap?

I want to purchase a hybrid car one day to help the environment but don't know what hybrid been reliable and not a lot of maintance needed, hehe.

5 Reliable AND cheap? That is difficult, as most of the available hybrids have only come out in the last year or two...

However, I can name 2 options.
Pricing wise, I'd say go with the Prius.
Toyota Prius, starting at US$21,100: http://www.toyota.com/prius-hybrid/ (just celebrated its 10th anniversary in Dec. 2007)
Honda Civic Hybrid, starting at US$22,600: http://automobiles.honda.com/civic-hybrid/ (available since 2003)
(even the US federal income tax credit for this Honda doesn't make up the initial price difference...)

Hybrids do cost less in the long term than their conventional counterparts. (Intellichoice used a 5 year ownership comparison in 2006) See http://www.intellichoice.com/press/Hybrid-Survey-2006 and http://www.intellichoice.com/carBuying101/HypeOverHybrids

While Consumer Reports in 2006 only found the Toyota Prius and the Honda Civic Hybrid would pay off within the same 5 year frame. The Honda Accord Hybrid, the Ford Escape Hybrid, the Lexus RX400h, and the Toyota Highlander Hybrid were also studied. (I'll note that there was a mathematical error in the initial publication of Consumer Reports' hybrid vehicle cost analysis, which a retraction was published later... http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11637968/ ) Since this publication, many more hybrid models have become available, so I can't use this to say about hybrids "in general." However, in the US, the Toyota hybrids have sold so many that they no longer qualify for the US Federal hybrid vehicle income tax credit, but Honda and others still have theirs.

Check out the April issue of Consumer Reports if you want reliability information. Both the Honda Civic and Toyota Prius make their best bets for new cars and for used cars.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/new-cars/top-picks-for-2007-4-07/overview/0704_top-picks-2007.htm

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/used-cars/used-cars-best-and-worst-406/index.htm

and the Prius was just rated top Green Car for the 5th year in a row: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/new-cars/news/2007/04/top-picks-for-2007-4-07/overview/0704_top-picks-2007.htm

If you are looking for even cheaper, then look for used models of each, and also look for a used Honda Insight. However, do be warned that the fuel-economy tuned hybrids (such as these) are very good at holding their resale value, so the used prices aren't going to be as cheap as you might expect.

The Prius and Honda Civic are also in Kelley Blue Book's 2007 Best Resale Value Awards: http://www.kbb.com/kbb/ReviewsAndRatings/BestResaleValueAwards.aspx (Though the Prius was dropped in the 2008 list... Also, resale numbers may vary if you are outside of the US.)

The Prius is also in edmunds' used cars best bets list as well, and their lowest true cost to own list (2007 and 2008).

http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/bestbet/articles/index.html

http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/tco/2007/index.html

http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/tco/2008/index.html

The other hybrids on the market have higher initial purchase prices than the Prius and HCH, at least in the US.

Maintenance on a hybrid is the same as on a conventional car, mostly oil/filter changes. But since the gasoline engine is used much less frequently and isn't stressed, it leads a much easier life. Brakes are also lightly used, so depending on your driving you could see longer brakepad life (most common), or shorter (due to rust from non-use).

Just be aware that the hybrid models often have many features as standard that would normally only be found in a higher trim line of the regular model (for example, the Toyota Camry Hybrid matches well with the Toyota Camry XLE trim), so be sure to do an apples to apples comparison. For such a comparison, I suggest using the state of Colorado's alternative fuel vehicle tax credit information, where the state has already computed the incremental price difference of adding the hybrid drivetrain to various models (as the amount of available state income tax credit is based on this incremental difference): http://www.revenue.state.co.us/fyi/html/income09.html

and don't forget to include any potential tax incentives (federal and state) into your purchase price! http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/tax_hybrid.shtml

Note that depending on manufacturer and where purchased, the hybrid battery is covered by a full (not pro-rated) warranty of 8 years/80,000 miles out to 10 years/150,000 miles. Hybrid battery replacements are quite rare, and can be found much cheaper (<$1000) on the used market (scrapyards and ebaymotors). NiMH batteries are easily recycled, are labeled with whom to contact for proper recycling. (Toyota even offers a $200 bounty for each hybrid battery to be recycled, and with the price of recycled nickel these days...) The hybrid battery has no prescribed replacement interval, and is usually stated by the manufacturers that they should last the life of the car. (Just because the warranty is up, doesn't mean that the item is going to die!)