Hybrid cars. We hear a lot about them but besides the general environmental benefits (and we aren’t about to discount those!), are they practical and worth the money?

Amongst the hundreds of similar pro-con type of articles, we bring you two from non-environmental websites to see how the media at large is discussing this issue and product.

Cable Pulse 24, a Canadian all-news channel says, you’d have to drive about 10 to 15 years to make back the higher price of the vehicle, unless you live and drive most of your time in the city. They then state that if hybrid isn;t for you because of the cost (or because most of your driving is on the highway), the next best thing is a fuel-efficient vehicle like the Toyota Echo. The whol article is here.

Eric Peters in Netscape’s auto section discusses this issue and more. What struck me was his comment that 8-10 years from now (right around the time your new ‘04 hybrid’s warranty will be running out) owners may get a big repair bill when the battery pack needs replacing. For the entire article, click here.

Photo credit: Toyota