Well I guess my arguements were off for savings due to tax rebates and equipment levels. To sum it up it takes about 4 years in gas savings to make up premium on hybrid prices. This is with current gas prices which most likely will increase in the upcoming years. - Article on AOL Autos on Cost of Hybrids
Trying to calculate how long it will take you to recoup your up-front premium when buying the Prius is problematic, because there is nothing to compare it to. The Prius only comes as a hybrid, so you can’t compare it to, say, “a V6 gas-only version” of the Prius. The Prius’s MSRP is $20,950 - $23,220, depending on level of equipment, and has a fuel economy rating of 48/45/46 (city/hwy/combined).
However, it is possible to compare a Toyota Camry Hybrid to a “regular Camry.”
The Camry Hybrid is powered by a 4-cylinder engine, but for comparison purposes, Toyota spokesman John McCandless claims that, “if you take into account the equipment level of the Camry hyrid – and that it has the performance of a V-6 – the best apples-to-apples comparison is to compare the hybrid to a V-6 Camry LE. Those base prices are less than $2,000 apart – $23,640 for the Camry V6 LE, vs. $25,000 for the Hybrid.”
Toyota reports that the Camry Hybrid’s fuel economy rating is 33 mpg city/34 mpg highway. Meanwhile, the Camry V6 gets 21/31 mpg, city/hwy.
For purposes of comparison, McCandless used a combined fuel economy rating, splitting the difference between highway and city mileage.
“So if you drive 15,000 miles a year, and you buy the Hybrid version, you’ll be using about 454 gallons a year,” says McCandless. “Meanwhile, if you get the V6 LE, you’ll be burning 635 gallons a year. At $3.20 a gallon, that’s a fuel-cost saving of about $547 a year. So it should take you three or four years to recoup the up-front premium you paid to buy the Hybrid. Plus, you get the satisfaction that you are easing the emission imprint on the planet.”
Another popular hybrid on the road is the Honda Civic Hybrid, which can be purchased for even less than the Camry Hybrid. The MSRP of the regular Civic with the 4-cylinder gas engine ranges from $14,810 - $29,500, while the Civic Hybrids MSRP is a flat $22,600. So, in the case of the Civic, the calculations will depend on what trim level and features you order if you go with the regular Civic 4-cylinder. The Civic Hybrid’s fuel economy rating is 45 mpg hwy/40 mpg city compared to 34/26 for the regular Civic.
“The Civic EX [AT] has an MSRP of $19,510 and gets 29 mpg in the EPA combined cycle,” says Martin. "The Civic Hybrid has an MSRP of $22,600 and gets 42 mpg in the combined cycle. That’s an MSRP price difference of $3,090, and a mileage difference of 13 mpg.
“At an of assumed gas price of $3.20/gallon for 15,000 miles/year, it would ordinarily take a little over 6 years to pay back that difference,” he continued. “However, the Civic Hybrid still qualifies for a $1,050 federal tax credit until June. That credit can bring the price difference between the two trim levels to only $2,040. Taking that into account, using the same cost per gallon and 15,000 miles/year, it would only take 3.98 years to pay back the difference.”
Selected Accessories (installation costs not included):Wheel Locks$55Door-Edge Guard$71Car Cover$230Full Nose Mask$158Moonroof Visor$138Front Under Spoiler$356Rear Under Spoiler$356Side Under Spoiler$601Fog Lights$332Cargo Net$46All-Season Floor Mats$117Trunk Tray$107Auto D/n Mirror W/ Compass$234Auto D/n Mirror Attachment$50Interior Gauge Trim Kit$2448 Disc Cd Changer$444Cd Changer Attachment$137