Any input on Hybrid GM trucks?
 

Looking at used trucks, found a few I like, one is a 2006 Silverado and is a hybrid.

Anyone with experience with them?

95% of the time the truck will see pure highway miles, the other 5% towing the Z.

find out what type of hybrid it is and how technically the system works. I know with the electric motor hybrids with Ford, the motor only switches over under 25 mph, idling for more than 2 minutes, or with no load (trailer, uphill, A/C, etc.), so the only way it actually helps gas mileage is if you only drive it in a city. My brother has the hybrid Mercury Mariner and the hybrid option was 7k and he only gets around 26 mpg, and he drives it very gas friendly. We did the math and it would take at his current rate, 5 years in gas savings just to pay for the option. I'm not sure how the GM versions work so I can't comment on that, but before you buy something find out how it works and do the math to see how long it will take you to pay for the difference.

hybrids really shine in city traffic ( i believe the tahoe hybrid does 21/20 as opposed to 15/18 for the regular. those were estimates off the top of my head). if your doing 95% highway, i'd say a regular gasser would be more cost effective. maybe channeling money into a truck with a taller highway gear.

ps- i read on TCL that 2008 Dodge Rams are being sold at 50% of the sticker price at some dealers to make room for the new models. if your interested i can get more info for you. my buddies 07 hemi gets about 14mpg mixed. a truck with that kind of discount would pay for its own gas in savings alone. i'm going to a local dodge dealer this week to check it out myself

WOW. I wander if that applies to all Dodge trucks? I might be in the market for a new diesel by the end of the year.

a lot of companies don't want anything to do with diesel trucks anymore. we should visit johnson dodge this weekend and see what they say

thats a good idea, they also have that 2.99/gallon for whatever years thing too.

Excludes diesels.

Jake, I read that too, in the WSJ last week. If I could get a new Chevy for 1/2 off MSRP I'd be very tempted to replace all 3 DD vehicles for a new truck & new small car.

they better have one hell of a discount then :lol:

doesnt say that in the rules...

Huh. I seem to remember a listing of excluded models that had the diesels on it. I stand corrected I guess.

no it did exclude diesels in teh beginning, but its possible that they allowed it towards the end.

They've allowed diesels for a while now..
and damn melissa, you beat me to the quote :lol:

I was looking at new / Leftovers when I can across this 2006 hybrid with 15,000 on it for almost $10,000 less then a new one, which is why I'd asked.

I was mostly concerned if anyone knew anything good/bad about them?

Thru my work I can get deals on certain GM.s The discounts are better on gas/hybrid then diesel. I like the mileage I'm getting out of my 5.3L. And after talking with Fetherburner about the mileage out of his HD / the 6L I want no part of one of those!!!!

There are special deals on leftover Denallis. The interior on those are so nicet, but that little 4' bed just looks so wrong on a PU!

The big thing is to find out what type of hybrid system they use. If you're looking for a Denali, I think Paul has one for sale.

john how much you want for your truck :)

denali pick ups are so sick. and dodge is allowing diesels now. if only they made semi's...

Are you trying to rub it in?... Thanks John. :cry:

Those old Hybrids don't do much.

- Justin

The BAS hybrid Trucks only give a small hybrid assist as Justin points out. Its a mild-hybrid system, not a full two-mode system like was launched for the Tahoe, Yukon and Escalade as well as Silvy/Sierra. THAT will give you a much higher MPG rating, and if you do highway, you could see some serious gains.

Hybrids are no where near worth the money right now. Not for us anyways. It maybe ok for those who dont have money issues and want to be environmentally active. You can get a 4 cylinder ford escape for 20,000. Now a Hybrid escape starts at 29,000 bare minumum. Now 5 yrs 6 yrs is the usual average before cars are updated and people trade them in. Now do you think in Five years you will spend 9 - 10,000 dollars on fuel. Honda and Toyota are the only companies that have hybrids decently prices starting at 21 and 22,000. My Chevy Cobalt SS was 22,000. Those maybe be worth getting because there equal to alot of cars being sold in there class. But a base honda starts at 15,000 so again will you be spending that difference in price in gas over the 5 yr period. The only time Hybrids will ever be worth getting are when the prices are only 2000.00 over the base model that it is base on. Thats how I feel about hybrids. The Tahoe hybrids are starting at 55,000 and have a mark up on them by dealers its just rediculous.

and the hybrid Escapes are hard to find as cities are buying them direct from Ford for Department of Transportation, taxi fleets, Police, etc. If you can find one at a dealership, they're trying to hit you with a minimum 2k over sticker.

Crazy thought, but why not just keep your truck and pick up a cheap-o vehicle that actually gets some mpg? With the market the way it is the value of your truck is probably low anyway.

Sorry, hooters is next Thursday.

That was actually the plan, I started looking at Cobolt/Cavalier type car to use, and keep the truck, then I started looking at another truck used, then I found out about the company offerings that lower the price of new ones.

But when I started looking around at new cars, there is only a minimal savings on the compacts compared to what is offer on the trucks. I could actually save money over 4 years buying the truck and paying a bit more at the pump. Of course if gas prices go higher thiat plan would be shot!

I'm still not sure what I'm going to do.

right now, GM is offering model year end clearance on a lot of cars. I could have gotten a brand new HHR for around 13,000 with all the incentives, which is why we were able to talk the dealer down on a used one too. If you own a 99 and newer GM vehicle, you get $1000 loyalty bonus, theres 2250 cash back as well as 1500 customer cash going on until I believe the 31st.