If Toyota offered it, you would probably be able to buy a base Camry with a hybrid option for only $2,000 more. That is compelling to me.

The reason they only offer it loaded up is so they can recoup some of the costs of the hybrid system. It's all marketing. They say the hybrid system only add $2,000 to the cost, in order to make hybrids seem more affordable, but in reality it's much more. They're "losing" money on the hybrid option, but making up for it by selling the customer $4,000 worth of options.

The reason they only offer it loaded up is so they can recoup some of the costs of the hybrid system. It's all marketing. They say the hybrid system only add $2,000 to the cost, in order to make hybrids seem more affordable, but in reality it's much more. They're "losing" money on the hybrid option, but making up for it by selling the customer $4,000 worth of options.

If you have a limited market and production capacity for something you will offer it only on the highest trim to maximize your profits. While I suspect that what you wrote might be true, I don't think it is safe to make an assumption on the cost of the system due to the trim level it is offered on. Unfortunately there is so much misinformation that is hard to tell what the true cost is.

Going from 16 to 28 MPG saves ~400 gallons/year at 15,000 miles/year. At $3.5/gallon that is a savings of $1,400/year. Even if I had to pay $3,000 I would find it compelling.

Keep in mind that for many people, "MPG" is just like horsepower or 0-60 times. Yet we never see the cost-benefit analysis for whether or not time saved with a V-6 option is worth the extra $2000.

Edited July 26, 200717 yr by empowah

He'd probably get 55 mpg in the Civic Hybrid then.

hey, wait, are you sure the article shouldn't say "Honda sued over horsepower claims" honda claims their vteccy cars have power but 100% of the time, they don't.