Hybrid cars are great and have a lot of advantages, no doubt about it. Hybrid cars save you gas, therefore keeping your wallet thick! These cars also have less contribution to the greenhouse effect than conventional cars. These are the two biggest pros of a hybrid car. But we all know if something has advantages, it has disadvantages too! The Price The biggest disadvantage of hybrid cars is definitely the price! For instance, the 2008 Toyota Camry costs about $19,000, while the hybrid version costs almost $25,000. That is approximately a $6,000 difference, which is a lot of money. Another example is the 2008 Honda Civic with a base price of $15,000, while the Civic Hybrid is costs $7,000 more. On average, the hybrid version of a car costs between $2,000 and $4,000 more than the non- hybrid version. Dangerous in Accidents Although the electric engine gives you more mile car finance calculator age and helps you save gas, it can be also dangerous in a collision. Most hybrid cars use metal hydride batteries and the high voltage that they store can be really unsafe when the wires are exposed, thus there is a chance the driver will get electrocuted when involved in an accident. The Battery As mentioned above, the batteries in hybrid cars can kill theoretically. There are some other issues with the battery. Hybrid car manufacturers include warranties to cover the batteries for 80,000-100,000 miles. The carmakers also say the car’s battery will last forever. But what if something unforeseen happens and the car’s batteries are not under warranty anymore? Unfortunately batteries cost a fortune! The other problem with the batteries is that it needs to be recharged at least every second week. So, if you go to vacation you might need to find a “car-sitter” to take care of your car.
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Another Mahindra on the block
The year 2011 is lined up with launches of new models across the board. Just like the previous year the Sports Utility Segment (SUV) is all set to see the launch of a number of new models. Recently, a popular auto magazine published the spy shots of a Mahindra & Mahindra SUV testing in Bangalore. From the pictures the Mahindra’s new world SUV looks like it would fall in the premium SUV segment and would be up against the off-roaders and soft-roaders of the segment. According to speculations the SUV is likely to be powered by the mHawk engine that does duty in the company’s successful off-roader Scorpio. The engine is expected to be tuned to produce more power than the Scorpio falling in the140 to 160 bhp range. The transmission offered with the engine is likely to be a six-speed what is a food processor manual gearbox. There could also be a new automatic gearbox in the offering. On the safety front the car would have the usual ABS, airbag and adaptive cruise control package making the SUV fall in the price bracket of Rs 15-18 lakh. The new Mahindra SUV might hit Indian roads during the festive season around the month of September just like a year ago a number of its counter parts ? Skoda Yeti, BMW X1, Hyundai Santa Fe and Tata Aria ? made their debuts during the festive season.Other Mahindra products:Mahindra Xylo – The car has a diesel engine with a 2500cc displacement generating 110 bhp at 3200 rpm and 28.3 kgm torque at 1700 rpm. It has a seating capacity of eight passengers and a minimum turning radius of 5.60 mts.Mahindra Xylo has front disk breaks and rear brakes are drum type.