I have read a few articles talking about the pros and cons of hybrid cars and it occurred to me how out of date some of them were. I have seen statements that claim hybrid cars have no power and are thereby a hazard to drive on the highway. Hybrid cars are very expensive to repair. Let’s dispel a few of these myths before we look and what we should consider when deciding between a hybrid and non-hybrid car. I will use the Ford Fusion when making references to hybrid cars.

Hybrid Car Myth #1: Hybrid cars have no power.
Ford estimates that the 2010 Fusion Hybrid will accelerate from a standstill to 60 mph in nine seconds – half a second faster than a four-cylinder Fusion. Reviewers generally agree with that assessment, saying the Fusion Hybrid gives up nothing in power to most four-cylinder midsize cars. The system mates a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine making 156 horsepower to an electric motor making 106 horsepower.  Both motors send power to the front wheels through a Continuously Variable Transmission.

Hybrid Car Myth #2: Hybrid cars are very expensive to repair.
This statement is really open to interpretation and is dependent on the individual hybrid cars owners set of circumstances. If you are the type of car owner that buys a car and keeps it until the wheels fall off, yes a hybrid can be more expensive to repair simply because it has two sources of power and components that control switching between the sources. In reality this would be a very small percentage of the hybrid owners.
The warranty coverage for a 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid is as follows.
Bumper To Bumper:  3 yr. / 36,000 miles
Drivetrain: 5 yr. / 60,000 miles
Hybrid Component: 8 yr. / 100,000 miles
Roadside Assistance: 5 yr. / 60,000 miles
Rust Perforation: 5 yr. / Unlimited miles
As you can see the hybrid has the same warranty as the gasoline powered car with the exception of the hybrid components are covered for a few additional years/miles. I’m sure there are extended warranties available for hybrid cars that could further reduce the cost of future repairs if you fell that is needed.

I could go on with more of these myths but I think you get the point. When looking for pros and cons on hybrid cars, the gap has narrowed to a few items. The pros would be, they are eco-friendly, have fewer emissions, get better gas mileage (city driving) and reduce the dependence on foreign oil. The cons would be additional cost to purchase and reduced availability.

Instead of looking at the pros and cons of hybrid cars it is probably best just to comparison shop like you would for anything else. For example, if you do a lot of highway driving and cost is a factor in making your decision, a hybrid car is probably not for you. Since a hybrid car runs mostly on the gasoline engine at highway speeds, they are about equal in fuel use to the non-hybrid model. However if you do a lot of city driving, speeds under 45mph a hybrid car could save you a lot of money at the pumps. The Ford Fusion gas powered car gets 23mpg city and 34 mpg highway while the Hybrid version gets 41mpg city and 36mpg highway. That is a huge difference in city mileage and not much difference in the highway mileage.

Some other things I would consider are insurance costs, warranties, and definitely see what tax credits and rebates are available.