hybrids

What are hybrids?

     Hybrids are cars that are usually gasoline-electric and have two motors, one gasoline and another electric. They are very complex and the technology is relatively new, however they get great gas mileage and can be really enjoyable to drive in traffic, since in stop-and-go traffic they rely on their electric motor more than on gasoline motor. Electric motor is silent, thus creates almost eerie silence when standing in traffic :)

     The technology behind them is great, exciting and complex, however, this complexity creates all sorts of potential problems to a consumer. To troubleshoot an electric motor, you have to have extensive knowledge and equipment, because the complexity is much higher than of regular gasoline engine.

What would you recommend doing if I want to buy a used hybrid?

     I would recommend checking it with reputable mechanic that knows hybrid technology. Troubleshooting hybrid engine is not something that be easily done. Generally, buying hybrids can seem appealing at first, because of gas savings, however, in the long run they are bound to be more expensive to maintain, simply because of the amount of parts that they have in them and complexity of the car itself. The savings in gas usually don't justify owning one, however, if you care about the environment, then hybrids might be a good choice for you. 

     One area where hybrid might be useful is on large SUV's that have been coming out lately. It can really save quite a bit of gas in stop-and-go traffic, because SUV's generally have big engines that guzzle gas even when idling in traffic. The technology is too new and just recently came out, thus there aren't likely to be many SUV's cars for sale that are hybrid powered.

Conclusion:

     Generally, buying hybrid is more hassle than it's worth, because gas savings do not justify inflated price for the hybrid and having to maintain and fix much more complex technology than a simple gasoline engine. However, they might be beneficial if you want to buy a large SUV, since gas savings with an SUV are more actual than with a Honda Civic, for example. It's best to get the mechanic that knows hybrid technology to inspect a hybrid, due to sheer complexity of the components involved.