How Eco Friendly is it to Buy a new Hybrid?

What do you guys think about Hybrid cars? Is it really that eco friendly to go out and buy a new hybrid to make up for the facts that no one has any damn idea of what to do with the batteries in these cars after they take a crap? Is it really that eco friendly to buy a new car that's made up of thousands of pounds of metal and plastic that uses thousands of gallons of gas and oil along with other harmful chemicals, liquids and gases over it's life span and needs new tires just like any other car. Sure you get better gas mileage then the typical car, but I've read over studies showing that alot of the hybrids that are pumping around 56 to 65 per cent more carbon dioxide than the manufacturers claim. Couldn't I just get a diesel that does as well as some of these hybrids for cheaper and would probably last longer then the hybrids battery life.
I drive a 04' Taurus that I bought used that get's 28-30mpg on the highway while cruising around 70-75mph, obviously if i cruise around 55-60mph it boosts my mpg to around 35mpg, i even accomplished 38-40mpg (consistantly) while driving between 50-55mph for over an hour or more down state roads with hardly any stopping. My girlfriends 99' contour gets 35Mpg easily on the highway, while cruising around 75 to 80mph, I've driven it enough to know, even through to Niagra Falls, so I am pretty sure it can and does better. The reason I bring this up is that alot of the hybrids accomplish around the same Mpg for example the Toyota Camry Hybrid is rated 22 city and 33/34 mpg hwy, and the Ford Fusion gets around 41 mpg. Couldn't I buy a VW diesel or something that mimics the same MPG? I'm just saying.
check out this site about the carbon emissions of hybrids:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article3958376.ece

Tags: camry, civic, diesel, ford, fusion, honda, hybrid, toyota

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Permalink Reply by jamesjimmy23 on July 9, 2009 at 12:41pm: I wish I could get that kind of mileage on my Taurus. I don't drive on the highway that much so it gets around 21 MPG. A Hybrid would be nice for me since most of the driving I do is in the city and not the highway. I also really like the idea of a diesel because they are very clean and get good mileage too. I think I would go for a diesel now since they don't use up the batteries like Hybrids do which need to be replaced after a certain amount of time.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Sean Moriarity on July 9, 2009 at 12:54pm: I read the specs for the 2010 Toyota Prius and they claim to get 50 Miles for City. The only problem I have with the Prius it feels like I am driving a golf cart (BORRRRRRING!!!); ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Brandon Barth on July 11, 2009 at 10:54am: Ya I have one light on the whole way to work and that's getting off of the highway near my work, so I just cruise along. And I know how to time the lights through town to get through them, one by one without having to stop.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Maxime J on July 9, 2009 at 1:22pm: How Eco Friendly is it to Buy a new Hybrid?

It's not so much about how much the car itself pollutes...

Would you be about to change your car anyway? ('04 is not old IMO) Because, according to a research by Toyota, 28 % of the CO2 emissions for the full life cycle of a car are made before you put your hand on it.

Accordingly:
E/The Environmental Magazine (January '09) says it's much better to keep his old vehicle as long as we can from an environmental point of view.

So if you can use a more polluting car for longer before you change, it's the more eco friendly choice.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Brandon Barth on July 11, 2009 at 10:58am: Oh I know, I'm going to drive my car until it won't any more. I put nearly 30,000 to 35,000 miles on my car a year. It has around 115,000 miles on it right now, if i remember correctly. I also have been using Synthetic Oil to get more mileage out of it and to help the car run better. I should probably do a tune up soon also, that should help. But as long as i can drive the car, i'll drive it.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Maxime J on July 11, 2009 at 11:33am: Perfect!

That makes me think that... I'll better be choosing my car with that in mind.. Better love it cuz I won't get another until this one dies... or I kill it.. ^^ mwahaha; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Matt DeFazio on July 9, 2009 at 1:25pm: What ever happened to Mass Transit?

NYC Metropolitan Area FTW.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Brandon Barth on July 11, 2009 at 11:00am: I go 35 miles one way from Newport, Mi to Redford, Mi and there's no mass transit sadly. Michigan can hardly afford anything anyway. I wish there was buses that ran or even trains, I loved it in Moscow, Russia with the Metro and everything, it was cool.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by zach on July 11, 2009 at 12:03pm: No it really isnt that eco friendly, unless you are just getting an electric car, because hybrids still use fuel, and if your selling your car then someone else will end up driving that so your basically just adding another car to the road lol.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Jorge on July 11, 2009 at 2:35pm: How about we just use clean natural gas? It's as perfect as can be. It's clean + no batteries. CNG FTW!; ▶ Reply to This