The burning question, would a hybrid be better for me?

Associate
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I personally think a hybrid would be a very good choice for the OP needs. I diss agree with Fox on that Hybrids tend to be lesser models, etc. If i was looking at Hybrids i would only be looking at Lexus or Toyota they have been building them for a long time. Sorry if i missed it, but size of car do you require?
 
Underboss
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I personally think a hybrid would be a very good choice for the OP needs. I diss agree with Fox on that Hybrids tend to be lesser models, etc. If i was looking at Hybrids i would only be looking at Lexus or Toyota they have been building them for a long time. Sorry if i missed it, but size of car do you require?

looking at the Auris / CT 200h
so Focus sized as im quite tall
i don't like small cars, but i don't like huge cars either

see post #38
 
Soldato
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(sceptic) I don't see debate has advanced since last weeks hybrid thread, where, depreciation is offsetting, improved economy in (the best case) urban usage mode;
the 2nd hand auris example where you pay 16k as opposed to 10K, so, its difficult to offset that hybrid premium;
additional insurance cost too, plus 10/21 removal of £11.5 cleaner vehicle discount for all but pure ev, if you're using london (or Paris too?) so that's 3k a year.
with that, there should be an imminent surplus of hybrids from down South which will drop 2nd hand hybrid values.
 
Associate
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looking at the Auris / CT 200h
so Focus sized as im quite tall
i don't like small cars, but i don't like huge cars either

see post #38
The CT is nice car, boot is rather small. The Auris is another good call, they also make a estate version, i would add that about 80% of the private Taxi drivers around here are all driving Auris or Prius, that is a guess at the figures Have you considered the Lexus IS?
 
Caporegime
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My point exactly.

A very uninspiring range that contains cars such as the CT which is what, 10 years old now and still being sold new. It looks like 2006 in there.

The GS was kinda ok until they went mad with the styling, but to be honest you need to really really really want a hybrid to pick anything Lexus make over the competition.

And given that Lexus is the best range of hybrid cars it rather sums it up doesn't it? Nobody else seems to bother or if they do they are plug in hybrids usually based on the worst model in the range. I'm looking at you BMW, where the 530e is a 520i with a boot full of batteries and a 40 litre petrol tank, great. I suppose if you like filling with fuel every 250 miles then that's great.

I like how you picked their bottom of the range car to sum up their whole range.

I'll help you out as you seem to think the Ct sums up every hybrid available

https://www.lexus.co.uk/car-models/...VibbtCh3Cdww4EAAYASABEgJ4Z_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
 
Underboss
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Are the 2012 BMW ActiveHybrid 3 and 5 any good? I've read somewhere they don't get anywhere near quoted MPG.

They are good but it's a totally different sort of hybrid. It's not an efficient car - it has a 300bhp turbocharged 6 cylinder petrol engine.
 
Man of Honour
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well, ive been looking on and off for 2 years now

my list as a minimum seems to come back with cars costing £10K +

Auto
Focus Sized car
LED lights or Xenons
LED DRL
Automatic Emergency Braking
Blutooth
USB port for my music
Sat Nav (optional) (i use my TomTom but id like integrated )
Parking Sensors
Folding Mirrors

Surely you must be able to get a Leon with that spec for under £10k? Even the ancient mk2.5 I think can be had with all that except maybe auto brakes. e.g. https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201912024944142?make=SEAT&advertising-location=at_cars&postcode=sp12ph&transmission=Automatic&radius=1500&model=LEON&sort=price-asc&onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly New&onesearchad=New&minimum-badge-engine-size=1.4&maximum-badge-engine-size=1.4&fuel-type=Petrol&page=1
(High mileage, but you say you are going to run it into the ground, so you don't need to worry about trying to sell it, and are only putting 7k/year on it which will bring the average miles per annum down. If you wanted something lower mileage you could get an older one or put a bit more money in and still come out under £10k).
 
Underboss
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Surely you must be able to get a Leon with that spec for under £10k? Even the ancient mk2.5 I think can be had with all that except maybe auto brakes. e.g. https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201912024944142?make=SEAT&advertising-location=at_cars&postcode=sp12ph&transmission=Automatic&radius=1500&model=LEON&sort=price-asc&onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly New&onesearchad=New&minimum-badge-engine-size=1.4&maximum-badge-engine-size=1.4&fuel-type=Petrol&page=1
(High mileage, but you say you are going to run it into the ground, so you don't need to worry about trying to sell it, and are only putting 7k/year on it which will bring the average miles per annum down. If you wanted something lower mileage you could get an older one or put a bit more money in and still come out under £10k).

nice as it is, id want 5-door, and the millage is higher than what i have now, so a bit of a down grade, i like buying low mileage cars

theres this one but i hate the Colour:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201907190258798?quantity-of-doors=5&fuel-type=Petrol&maximum-mileage=60000&make=SEAT&maximum-badge-engine-size=1.4&transmission=Automatic&postcode=ox394je&aggregatedTrim=FR&year-from=2012&advertising-location=at_cars&body-type=Hatchback&radius=1500&model=LEON&onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly

or this one :

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classi...rly New&onesearchad=New&sort=price-asc&page=1
 

bJN

bJN

Soldato
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I think Lexus are now making hybrids that don't require any plugging in? Can't say I've kept an eye on the hybrid market as I've always fallen outside the intended market. But you'd be paying for a brand new car; even "keeping it until it dies" you'd still experience a lot of service costs that any other car would.

If the goal is to save on your current fuel and ownership costs, buying a new car isn't one of them, especially with only 7,000 miles a year. Heck, my 2006 civic 1.8 returns much better MPG than that, and has negligible servicing costs. Granted, it isn't going to be brand spanking new, and it may not have auto-braking, but I'm sure you could find a spec with everything else. And you'd be saving half your budget whilst at it.

I know you've said that you park 1/4 mile away from home, and can't charge at work, but what about other opportunities in your lifestyle? Do you do a weekly shop that has outlets for charging that you could utilize? You do so little mileage that it wouldn't take long to charge for day-to-day use I'd have thought?
 
Soldato
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yes, too big , but thanks anyway


recommending me cars is ok, but as i said i need to know what would save me money in the long run for the journies i do
i still think hybrid would be best for me, than petrol, but im not sure?

What's stopping you working it out? Just use a spreadsheet with average mpg for the models you're interested in and work it out? While you're at it add in depreciation, insurance, tax, servicing, warranty / maintenance & tyres et voila. That's what I do.
 
Soldato
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I really don't see how a hybrid is going to be any better in this scenario than a 'normal' car.

The main advantage of a hybrid is that you recover some of the energy that is otherwise lost under braking. It can also help making a smaller engine feel a bit more punchy. However, the disadvantage is an increase in cost (initial outlay), weight (economy) and complexity (servicing / maintenance risk).

This is obviously different if you can plug the hybrid in, as you're then able to do some of your driving using only electricity - which, if you can plug in at home, is generally a lot cheaper than petrol. As you can't do that, I don't see a hybrid really being anything other than a liability for you.
 
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