General discussion & info about South Walton, Florida.

All About SoWal

Advertise or find a business, discuss business.

Business & Services

Jobs

Festivals, classes, gatherings, activities.

Events & Music

Food & Dining

Marketplace

property, realtors, builders, development, infrastructure ...

Real Estate

Long Term Rentals

Vacation Rentals

SoWal Lounge

Mermaid

picky

I don't drive one but I saw one yesterday in the parking lot at Trader Joe's.  The bumper sticker on it said [B]"Jesus hates your SUV."[/B] Whew!  How's that for attitude?  :eek:  :funn: 

I wouldn't mind having one since all I do is city driving, and I absolutely hate having to fill my tank at the gas station.  I wouldn't mind cutting that chore to the bone.

I don&#039;t drive one but I saw one yesterday in the parking lot at Trader Joe&#039;s. The bumper sticker on it said &quot;Jesus hates your SUV.&quot; Whew! How&#039;s that for attitude? 😱 :funn: 
 
I wouldn&#039;t mind having one since all I do is city driving, and I absolutely hate having to fill my tank at the gas station. I wouldn&#039;t mind cutting that chore to the bone.

iwishiwasthere

Beach Fanatic

Ouch! Guess that person hasn't been at the beach long enough :funn: 
A friend purchased one and was raving about mileage and how quiet it is.   Still not sure about one long term.

Ouch! Guess that person hasn&#039;t been at the beach long enough :funn: 
A friend purchased one and was raving about mileage and how quiet it is. Still not sure about one long term.

BeachDreamer

Gas mileage is awesome.  Battery replacements are in the thousands.  But most batteries have a 100,000 mile warranty.

bsmart

brain

I recommend reading the November edition of "Cargo" Magazine, it is very detailed in its review of nearly all of the hybird models available in the U.S.  See cargomag.com

I recommend reading the November edition of &quot;Cargo&quot; Magazine, it is very detailed in its review of nearly all of the hybird models available in the U.S.  See cargomag.com

ktmeadows

[QUOTE=iwishiwasthere]Ouch! Guess that person hasn't been at the beach long enough :funn: 
A friend purchased one and was raving about mileage and how quiet it is.   Still not sure about one long term.[/QUOTE]

We have a few hybrid company cars, and I've driven the Honda Civic Hybrid.  It is quiet....in fact, I had to learn to control my urge to restart the car, because there is absolutely no sound when you start it.  The one thing I find annoying about it is that when you drive at slow speed with the window open, or even if you're just driving along quietly with the radio off, the sound of the battery can easily be confused with the sound of a distant ambulance/police vehicle, etc.   Gas mileage is awesome.  We have another company vehicle that's an SUV.  I've never driven it, but I've heard several say that they love driving it.

Not sure I'm ready to purchase one on my own yet, though.  I'm just not convinced that they save all that much money in the long run.  But it is great to drive on long trips; much fewer gas stops!

<blockquote class="xfBb-quote" data-name="iwishiwasthere">Ouch! Guess that person hasn&#039;t been at the beach long enough :funn: 
A friend purchased one and was raving about mileage and how quiet it is. Still not sure about one long term.</blockquote> 
We have a few hybrid company cars, and I&#039;ve driven the Honda Civic Hybrid. It is quiet....in fact, I had to learn to control my urge to restart the car, because there is absolutely no sound when you start it. The one thing I find annoying about it is that when you drive at slow speed with the window open, or even if you&#039;re just driving along quietly with the radio off, the sound of the battery can easily be confused with the sound of a distant ambulance/police vehicle, etc. Gas mileage is awesome. We have another company vehicle that&#039;s an SUV. I&#039;ve never driven it, but I&#039;ve heard several say that they love driving it. 
 
Not sure I&#039;m ready to purchase one on my own yet, though. I&#039;m just not convinced that they save all that much money in the long run. But it is great to drive on long trips; much fewer gas stops!

[QUOTE=luvthebeach]Not sure I'm ready to purchase one on my own yet, though.  I'm just not convinced that they save all that much money in the long run.  But it is great to drive on long trips; much fewer gas stops![/QUOTE]


Right.  The article that I reference above actually says that you are not saving money in the long run...just being an environmental steward basically.

<blockquote class="xfBb-quote" data-name="luvthebeach">Not sure I&#039;m ready to purchase one on my own yet, though. I&#039;m just not convinced that they save all that much money in the long run. But it is great to drive on long trips; much fewer gas stops!</blockquote> 
 
Right. The article that I reference above actually says that you are not saving money in the long run...just being an environmental steward basically.

katie blue

kt loo

I read the same assessment, that the cost savings of hybrids is balanced by the higher sticker price, and the savings balance out in the long run.  BUT...maybe those stats were done before gas prices doubled over the last year. maybe the savings are more significant now?

Either way, i definitely will be looking at hybrids for the replacement when my current Civic dies. (ugh, yes, mopar girl drives a civic :oops:)  In a few years, i'm sure the competition and better tech will lower the price some, and there'll be a lot more choices available.  Like bsmart said, it's about being conscious. If I can spend roughly the same money AND do the right thing...is there really a choice? Can't wait to get a hybrid someday--even if it costs a bit more.  (Just not one of those silly looking Prius's.)

I read the same assessment, that the cost savings of hybrids is balanced by the higher sticker price, and the savings balance out in the long run. BUT...maybe those stats were done before gas prices doubled over the last year. maybe the savings are more significant now? 
 
Either way, i definitely will be looking at hybrids for the replacement when my current Civic dies. (ugh, yes, mopar girl drives a civic :oops:) In a few years, i&#039;m sure the competition and better tech will lower the price some, and there&#039;ll be a lot more choices available. Like bsmart said, it&#039;s about being conscious. If I can spend roughly the same money AND do the right thing...is there really a choice? Can&#039;t wait to get a hybrid someday--even if it costs a bit more. (Just not one of those silly looking Prius&#039;s.)

OhioBeachBum

Lady I know swears by her Prius (near 'couple years old now). That said, even though the economics are better in lower end 2nd generation equipment (like the Civic), they still don't tilt toward a hybrid - until you factor in the "good citizen" aspect. Don't expect that (hybrid) to really be a slam-dunk choice until (when/if) gov't finally gets act together with a full carrot/stick approach (tax incentives on one side mated with tax disincentives on the other) - or gas goes to $5/gal or so.

Hybrids are much more complex - more things to go wrong. And under the hood is definitely more "hands off" to casual fiddling. 750 volts DC - same as 3rd rail in subway...

Lady I know swears by her Prius (near &#039;couple years old now). That said, even though the economics are better in lower end 2nd generation equipment (like the Civic), they still don&#039;t tilt toward a hybrid - until you factor in the &quot;good citizen&quot; aspect. Don&#039;t expect that (hybrid) to really be a slam-dunk choice until (when/if) gov&#039;t finally gets act together with a full carrot/stick approach (tax incentives on one side mated with tax disincentives on the other) - or gas goes to $5/gal or so. 
 
Hybrids are much more complex - more things to go wrong. And under the hood is definitely more &quot;hands off&quot; to casual fiddling. 750 volts DC - same as 3rd rail in subway...

Whoa that is powerful!  Thanks for all the input.  Lots of knowledgeable folks on this board.

Anyone drive a hybrid car? If so, what you the pros and cons?  I have read published information, but would like a personal perspective.

hybrid cars

Grayton BeachCam

Dune Allen BeachCam

Seagrove Beach SkyCam

Inlet BeachCam

Miramar BeachCam Majestic Sun

Santa Rosa BeachCam

Walton County Fair

The Red Bar Jazz Band

Cars of 30A At Alys Beach: Event Highlights & Photo Gallery

Sixth annual Run Watersound At Watersound Town Center October 24, 2026

Support Our Parks: The 2026 Friends of Camp Helen Pumpkin Patch Is Open

Annual Events and Festivals in South Walton

International Coastal Cleanup Day Was A Success In South Walton

Merchants Of Alys Beach Announce New Dining & Shopping Options

No beachcams yet

More cams

Include enough context for a reply on the first pass: who you are, what this is about, and anything time-sensitive we should know.

Write a clear note and we will route it fast

SoWal Contact Form

What helps the SoWal team reply on the first pass

Use these links when your request already has a clear destination.

Prefer a direct route before you write?

Use this when you are not sure where your request belongs and need the SoWal team to route it.

Questions, corrections, and quick help

Share newsworthy updates, corrections, community tips, or photography that can improve SoWal coverage.

Story tips, local leads, and photos

Reach the team for business visibility, partnership planning, or other commercial opportunities.

Listings, sponsorships, and business requests

Use this path for media coordination, press follow-ups, or requests that need a communications contact.

Press outreach and interview requests

Tell us what you need and how to reach you.

Send your note here and the SoWal team will route it appropriately.

Choose the quickest route for your message

Forum account areas

Log in to view member profile, alerts, messages, watched content, bookmarks, preferences, and staff tools.

Member-only forum areas use your SoWal forum account.

Use your forum username or email to post, reply, follow threads, and manage your account.

Log in to the forum

Log in to the SoWal forum

Find people and visit their public forum profiles.

Members

Enter the six-digit code sent to {email}.

Check your email

Join the conversation

Welcome to SoWal

Sign in to SoWal

Signature preview

Ads support our local stories, BeachCams, and community guides. If you use an ad blocker, allow SoWal, then check again.

Help keep SoWal local

Your feedback helps us make SoWal better.

How was this story?

Get local stories, events, and South Walton highlights in your inbox.

Stay close to the coast

Choose whether SoWal may use optional cookies. Necessary cookies keep the site working.

Your privacy, your choice

Site navigation

Submenu

Bite-sized stories, curated itineraries, and community events delivered to your inbox on the regular.

hybrid cars

Latest conversations

Write a reply

Cars of 30A At Alys Beach: Event Highlights & Photo Gallery

Sixth annual Run Watersound At Watersound Town Center October 24, 2026

Support Our Parks: The 2026 Friends of Camp Helen Pumpkin Patch Is Open

Annual Events and Festivals in South Walton