V6 or Hybrid?

I'm probably going to buy my wife a new car, that I will in turn adopt in about a year for a commuter car...

Camry is what I'm leaning towards and she loves them and doesn't care about the drivetrain...

So... I can get a 268 HP V6 that would avg. 26-27 mpg overall, which is really good for a V6, and the car is fast... but in traffic it really doesn't matter...

OR I can get a Camry Hybrid for roughly the same price and get 36-38 mpg overall, 190 hp (although its just slightly faster than a 4 cyl. because of the added weight) and get green! 1300 dollar tax credit, clean consience and much less cash spet in gas... but it completely loses the chick magnet factor (unless you like the hairy pit chicks lol)...

Put in this situation what would you do and why?

btw.. the car will be one that we plan to keep until it dies no matter what and just rack miles up on...

I go with the gas mileage. As long as they look the same, you're good to go.

Cool wife. Exactly how many chicks is she going to let you pick up in either car?

How long have the Hybrid's been on the market. Long enough to establish a decent maintenance record?

What's the cost difference between the two?

my dad's had a 3cyc hybrid for 4-5 years and had no problems with it (50-60mpg). eventually you have to replace the battery packs (he hasn't yet).

he bought it cause it lets him drive in the HOV lane regardless of the number of passengers, and that takes his trip into DC down from 90minutes to about 17.

How reliable are the hybrids, as they are fairly new in production? How good is the warranty if they are not? What kind of "normal wear and tear" maintenance are involved in a Hybrid vs V-6 model?
And don't forget to smell the roses

I was going to ask AMD's question...what is the cost difference? So I looked at the website, and it says LE V6 starts at 23,540, SE V6 starts at 24,815, and the XLE V6 starts at 28,020. The hybrid starts at 26,200. With the 1300 tax credit, it's like it starts closer to 24,900, or the cost of the SE V6.

And looking at their model comparison..it seems that the hybrid comes equipped closer to the SE and XLE than their lower end models.

I couldn't see myself buying a hybrid, however if money is an issue, I would get it. Just be sure to get the moonroof and upgraded audio system. I mean, it'll be yours in a year anyways...

I just asked about the prices because I remember reading a year or so ago that in a lot of cases the amount of money you save from getting less gas is a good deal lower than the extra money you have to spend to get the hybrid. I don't know if that's still the case, and I guess you have to factor in how often you drive the car and all that. The tax credit seems like it would be pretty nice though.

either one is getting decked out with navigation and leather and sr and everything... you have to compare the hybrid to the XLE because the eqiupment is very similar...

the difference in price upfront is negligible... its a thousand more for the V6... the hybrid is only 1500 more than the 4 cyl....

they offer 100k mile warranties on all of the hybrid parts including the battery...

I just asked about the prices because I remember reading a year or so ago that in a lot of cases the amount of money you save from getting less gas is a good deal lower than the extra money you have to spend to get the hybrid. I don't know if that's still the case, and I guess you have to factor in how often you drive the car and all that. The tax credit seems like it would be pretty nice though.


hybrid = 1500 more dollars than 4cyl alone

tax credit = 1300 dollars

dont pay personal property taxes in my county = a few thousand more in savings over 5 years

gas = 8 mpg more