View Poll Results: WHich one?
Civic Hybrid. Save the planet, but don't save face
21
43.75%
GS 400. anywhere from 15-25MPG, but image is everything
27
56.25%
Voters: 48. You may not vote on this poll
GS400 or Honda Civic Hybrid?
05-05-06, 02:45 PM
#19
a GS4 in a stop and go situation will sip up gas faster than you can drink a glass of water in a minute. The civic hybrid probably gets double the city mpg, while still only requiring regular as opposed to premium on the lexus.
Why not get him a car that will do the job specifically? I understand..it's like saying "why buy a new corolla when you can buy a used GS300." People have different prioities. If he doesn't care about power, the GS4 isn't what he needs. He would rather get a GS3, and even so, you're going to have to give him a good reason why he should choose a used gs3 over a brand new civic with warranty and yaddy yaddy ya.
Gas, repair, and insurance will catch up soon and will offset any savings you made over the civic hybrid, initially. If he plans to keep his car for long, you're going to pay a lot more in the end.
Now if this car is just temporary for a year or two, then the Lexus wouldn't be such a bad idea.
Why not get him a car that will do the job specifically? I understand..it's like saying "why buy a new corolla when you can buy a used GS300." People have different prioities. If he doesn't care about power, the GS4 isn't what he needs. He would rather get a GS3, and even so, you're going to have to give him a good reason why he should choose a used gs3 over a brand new civic with warranty and yaddy yaddy ya.
Gas, repair, and insurance will catch up soon and will offset any savings you made over the civic hybrid, initially. If he plans to keep his car for long, you're going to pay a lot more in the end.
Now if this car is just temporary for a year or two, then the Lexus wouldn't be such a bad idea.
05-05-06, 07:54 PM
#21
I own a GS400 and we just bought a 06 Civic Hybrid.
Points against the GS vs Civic
- The gas premium vs regular cost.
- The gas milage, well the GS can't touch it.
- Here in Cali, we get to drive the car pool lane with a single driver
- Around town manuevers and parking
- 7 year 70k warranty . If we don't claim anything in that time period the dealer will refund all of the extended warranty fee.
- The GS will start to cost ya in maintenance, now that it's wearing out
Points against the CIvic vs GS
- Classier ride
- Way faster
- More trunk and passenger space
- Smoother ride
Points against the GS vs Civic
- The gas premium vs regular cost.
- The gas milage, well the GS can't touch it.
- Here in Cali, we get to drive the car pool lane with a single driver
- Around town manuevers and parking
- 7 year 70k warranty . If we don't claim anything in that time period the dealer will refund all of the extended warranty fee.
- The GS will start to cost ya in maintenance, now that it's wearing out
Points against the CIvic vs GS
- Classier ride
- Way faster
- More trunk and passenger space
- Smoother ride
Last edited by RMMGS4; 05-08-06 at 02:41 PM.
05-08-06, 01:47 PM
#22
Driver
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: California
Posts: 169
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
any GS will cost you a lot more to keep/maintain, comparing with Civic or similar 'low-end' cars.
i dont see any point to get a GS if ur sole purpose is for delievery.
if i was in your shoe, i would just get a low-on-gas car.
if u really want a GS4, sell the GS3..and then get GS4.
i dont see any point to get a GS if ur sole purpose is for delievery.
if i was in your shoe, i would just get a low-on-gas car.
if u really want a GS4, sell the GS3..and then get GS4.
05-09-06, 11:15 PM
#26
Lead Lap
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: AZ
Posts: 687
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
What? I got no love for my Scion xB idea? 
Toyota family and way cooler than a Civic of any type. Great delivery vehicle too.
Let's toss that bad dawg on the poll and she how she does. I know it wasn't one of our original two choices, but it should have been.
Toyota family and way cooler than a Civic of any type. Great delivery vehicle too.
Let's toss that bad dawg on the poll and she how she does. I know it wasn't one of our original two choices, but it should have been.
05-10-06, 02:09 AM
#27
Originally Posted by GSteg
For some reason, I think people are voting for the GS to be even because they are loyal to lexus, and can't stand to see it lose to a Civic on a poll. 
I could be wrong though
I could be wrong though
I think it's because with polls, everyone is curious to see the score, so they just vote to see the results.
The second problem is they don't read the thread which explains the criteria that people are supposed to vote on.
Instead they just see the poll at face value which may send a completely different message:
"Save gas, save a tree"
"Get a GS, Ok milage with class"
Just the way in which the poll selections are phrased it is already biased and slants the vote.
It would of been better to put something like. "Best choice for delivery vehicle"
Last edited by RMMGS4; 05-10-06 at 02:14 AM.
05-10-06, 09:29 AM
#28
there are good about the civic hybrid of course, like car pool (not applicable to you) and saving the planet, but a lot of studies have shown that over time, the current hybrids aren't really going to save you any money yet. yes you pay less for gas, but you pay more for the car, overall you aren't saving.
and in terms of resale value, given that the value of the gs4 is pretty low now, if you sell the car again later i think you are going to lose less money than selling the civic, so from that point of view i am voting for the gs
overall, i chose gs as well, but i can tell you something about image is there
and in terms of resale value, given that the value of the gs4 is pretty low now, if you sell the car again later i think you are going to lose less money than selling the civic, so from that point of view i am voting for the gs
overall, i chose gs as well, but i can tell you something about image is there
05-10-06, 11:03 AM
#30
Originally Posted by rominl
there are good about the civic hybrid of course, like car pool (not applicable to you) and saving the planet, but a lot of studies have shown that over time, the current hybrids aren't really going to save you any money yet. yes you pay less for gas, but you pay more for the car, overall you aren't saving.
and in terms of resale value, given that the value of the gs4 is pretty low now, if you sell the car again later i think you are going to lose less money than selling the civic, so from that point of view i am voting for the gs
overall, i chose gs as well, but i can tell you something about image is there
and in terms of resale value, given that the value of the gs4 is pretty low now, if you sell the car again later i think you are going to lose less money than selling the civic, so from that point of view i am voting for the gs
overall, i chose gs as well, but i can tell you something about image is there
You make an interesting point Henry. I would be interested to see the studies to know where the losses are counted, after how much time and after how much milage? Depending on how you measure and collect data, someone can create a study that will prove either point. I am always skeptical about studies until I know how the information was collected and calculated and more importantly if the group doing the survey is an independent and non-bias entity. If say the entity was paid by Chevron Oil to perform the study, then the study doesn't mean squat, without an opposing entity verifying their report.
A study saying you will "lose money" depends on how long you hold on to the car and if you drive a lot of milage. For those who drive a lot of miles, the return on investment may be worth it. The key area I see is battery life and the cost to replace them. This maintenance issue is probably the determining factor as to whether a Hybrid will save or lose money in the long run.
Henry, if the study you read has good information on how long a battery will last, then I would give the study some credibility. If it is proven that the battery maintenance causes a higher operating expense, I can see the possibility of the Hybrids not saving the user money in the long run.
From a resale standpoint, I suppose comparing any new car versus a used car, will result in this same disadvantage where the new car loses. So that comparison is not limited to just a Civic vs. GS. Almost any new car will be at the disadvantage of de-valuation during the first few years.
So if we are comparing overall dollar value as the most important criteria, I would consider the GS more seriously as well.
Now buying a used Hybrid may help out a lot, since that initial de-valuation has already been factored. So if we compare a used GS to a used (2yrs old) Civic Hybrid, I would sway back to the Civic, if we know how the battery life will compare.
An interesting note. A Non-Hybrid Civic might actally be a better competitor to the used GS. It's milage is still high, but the lower initial cost, lower maintenance cost and Honda reliability are still there.
For me personally, we basically spent the money on a Civic to be able drive (single driver) in the car pool lane. This saves the wifey up to 2 hours a day in travel time, meaning more quality time with the family. The value of family time is quite high, so for us it is worth having a hybrid for that one reason alone.
Last edited by RMMGS4; 05-10-06 at 11:10 AM.