iuswingman

Whatever, i'm not going to continue debating it as it's hijacking the thread.

Agree, if prices skyrocket then hybrids and compact cars will see an increase of sales. Definitely interested to see where the prices actually fall for the hybrid. Given that there may be two non-plug-in hybrid trims, that could open up a cheaper hybrid option while still having overall higher prices across the board like the article indicated.

What I was saying is that the fusion hybrid is highly unlikely to be worth the price premium for me when compared to other hybrid options with similar features. Not that price the only factor in my overall car decision. If that was the case, then I wouldn't buy a new car or I would buy a versa or forTWO. Given that those cars aren't what I'm looking at, it should be safe to assume that price isn't the only factor. My initial point was that people will factor price into their car buying decisions (i thought I was being master of the obvious) then it got sidetracked with replies that apparently misread my initial post. My replies were in regards to overall cost of a car which factors in cost of fuel over the time period you own the car. Hybrids cost more to start out but hybrids also sell for more when you're done with them. Are you factoring that in your cost analysis? The over cost of ownership isn't as far out there compared to similarly equipped nonhybirds I value features, performance (although don't need extremely high performance obviously), overall cost, environmental impact, fuel economy etc. The higher the price, the more it becomes a factor in my decision. Especially if i can't afford the higher price.

There's more to the equation than just price...your suggestions are based on incorrect assumptions that it is as simplistic as there being only 1 factor. I said price IS a factor...NOT that is it the ONLY factor. Your responses also ignores the fact that the hybrid has better performance than the i4 and is priced accordingly. The benefits aren't just fuel economy but better fuel economy also helps lower the long term cost, even for people that only drive 6,000 miles. That's still around $500 a year in savings and can still make up the difference between buying an i4 and a hybrid with similar features about 6 years or so as shown in the previous post.

Definitely looks like it will be one of the best hybrids available when it comes out and might be the best. whether or not it is the best for me remains to be seen when I test drive it next year and if the price premium is worth it to me. If the fusion is nice enough, then it might even get sales from people that were looking at higher end cars rather than those looking at the fusion's normal competition. as far as the i4 being the cheapest, depends on what you're comparing it to and we don't know the price of the next fusion. Based on the article, prices are likely raised across the board. by how much is anyone's guess. Everyone has different tastes and different factors that play in to their decision.

I've mostly looked at the price of camrys and camry hybrids. Wasn't interested in the old Fusion and don't know prices of next Fusion. Camry XLE 4 cylinder - $25,485 Camry XLE Hybrid - $28,160 Camry XLE 6 cylinder - $30,605 Performance on a hybrid camry is about right in the middle between a 4 cylinder and 6 cylinder as far as 0-60. However, Hybrid doesn't get moonroof (as standard) or 17in tires and doesn't get navigation standard like XLE 6 cylinder. Considering where the performance falls on the hybrid, it could be easy to argue that the only premium on a hybrid is the value you place on missing out on a moonroof, navigation and 17in tires. If you don't place much value on those features, then the hybrid option makes a lot of sense for people looking at Camrys. Based on '12 fusion prices, Ford puts a lot more of a premium on the hybrid version than other companies and based on history don't offer deals on it. I would be shocked and happy if that changed for the '13 version but I doubt it. It may very well be the better car in the '13 model year and the pricing may end up being the right choice for Ford whatever they decide. It's definitely the sexier looking car.

premium is about $2000 on a camry but you lose on some of the features. more like $3,000-4000 if you have to add in every feature that is missing. At that point, it would take quite a while to break even on the price premium unless I end up driving more per year. If gas prices go higher than 3.50 as expected then it could still pay off the difference. The only factor is time and gas price. The paths do cross.

When did i say the fusion hybrid was the cheapest option? Unless price is no object, then no matter what car you're looking at, raising the price is going to make other options more viable. Everyone has a price range that they look at when shopping and have a best alternative in mind should a price become more than they're willing to spend on an item. Unless you're saying you'd spend any amount of money on the car you have, then safe to assume you'd have a plan B at a certain price point on plan A.

Actually I have a 40in tv but that's besides the point. Why don't you go buy a Lamborghini? Oh wait, EVERYONE has a price that they aren't willing to spend on a car. Go figure.

Combination of both. I buy what I want at a price that won't break the bank. So far, my camry has been a great choice. A lot of nice features, looks good and dependable. guess I'm just not biased based on brands like some. The old camry looked 10x better in inside and out than the old fusion and drives better as well (test drove both). The new fusion looks better than the new camry but at what price? I'll just have to see if it ends up as a viable option.

At 3.50 a gallon, it would only take about 6 years assuming a hybrid has a $2k premium, which is close to what the premium is for a comparable non-hybrid. 6 years is hardly never for breaking even.

It comes down to being affordable in the short term and long term. So yes, if I can't afford it, I'm not buying it. Do you have a tendency to buy things you can't afford?

If it's $2k more then how many years will it take for 6 mpg better to make it up for someone that drives around 6,000 miles a year? Even if it's just $1k more, it would take quite a while. Difference between 41 and 22 (in city driving) is enough to get me looking at hybrids.. the difference between 47 and 41 isn't enough on it's own to warrant spending a lot more up front. JMO.

Biggest thing for my decision will probably be the entry price for the fusion hybrid and how it compares with the price/features of the camry hybrid. Some sites mention there being 2 trim levels for the fusion hybrid (SE and Titanium) so maybe the SE will be around $27-28k...crossing my fingers. If it's over $30k then I'll probably not even bother.

Interesting. Definitely sounds like they're preparing people for a price that is higher than the current model. Personally, I think they'll find it is a mistake to price it too much higher than the competition. It definitely won't make it to my garage at a higher price even if it's the best looking car.