I don't understand what direction people are trying to take my comments in. I'm just trying to understand what motivates some people to buy a hybrid.
The OP mentioned mpg and questioned cost effectiveness. He also said the technology "interested him". OK, but at that point what diff does the mpg/economics make?
It just seems that a lot of people have the idea of getting high mpg to save gas, but ignore other costs. Is that an unreasonable observation? Is it an unreasonable thing to discuss here?
Nah, perfectly reasonable.
I bought one of the Prius subspecies last year, to replace a rapidly disintegrating Saturn L-200. (Needed brakes, rotors, tires, battery, A/C compressor, power steering pump, etc. Every hydraulic seal was about to blow, from what I could see. Repair costs exceeded KBB value.)
I went with the Prius because:
1) It met the interior room requirements (head space, leg room, seating, cargo capacity), actually larger than the Saturn in some dimensions.
2) It met my maintenance requirements, effectively nothing beyond oil changes, filter swaps, and inspections for the first 5 years, all parts readily available, and easily serviced. (Note: I added headlamp replacement to the list after I got the Prius. That's the one un-fun item I've encountered.
3) It checked out in the Consumer Reports reliability data for used cars as a good bet. Folks can argue all they want over CR, but the reliability data is at least available, and matches my experience closely over the past 30 years.
4) The price was really pretty good. This was in early 2008, before gas prices had started the runup to $4/gallon, and after the tax break (which I'd lose through my tax situation anyway) had gone away, and there were plenty on the lots.
I ran the numbers, and the 5 year total ownership cost (before DW gets tired of it and wants something new) looked pretty good compared to other similar sized vehicles. I included maintenance and insurance costs. The new Prius cost the same to insure as the old Saturn.
Other cars in the running included the Toyota Camry and similar sized cars.
I tend to keep cars I use longer. My daily schlepping vehicle is a Metro, gets 33 MPG, and I think I could pull the engine/transaxle without a hoist. I also have no worries about accidentally getting a speeding ticket in it.