Renewable Gossip

The 50-mpg Toyota Prius is enticing when gas hits $4 a gallon.

Even with this week’s slight dip in oil prices, next week is likely to bring the dreaded return of $4 gas as the official national average at the pumps. (Last week, it hit $3.96.) The knee-jerk reaction from many Americans will be to dump the family gas-guzzler as swiftly as possible, and rush out to purchase a smaller fuel-efficient car or hybrid.

But, according to Jeff Bartlett, deputy online automotive editor at Consumer Reports, this might be exactly the worst time to buy a hybrid or other new high-mpg model. That’s because every other person saddled with a large SUV is adopting the same dump-and-run approach. Therefore, the value of those gas hogs is dropping like a stone at the exact time that incentives are disappearing for hybrids and small cars in high demand.

“The best advice for a fair portion of people is to think through the long-term picture and hold to a gas-guzzler for next few months,” said Bartlett, in an exclusive interview with HybridCars.com.

Bartlett is not saying that hybrids aren’t worth the upfront investment. Just the opposite. If you buy one of the truly efficient hybrids—like a Toyota Prius, Ford Escape Hybrid or Honda Insight, then “buying a hybrid can quickly pay itself off.” But those economic benefits are undermined when buying your hybrid at the exact moment when hybrids are in greatest demand, and when trading in your less-efficient vehicle is the least desirable.”

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