Hybrid conspiracy?

This weekend I had a few friends over to my house. One friend recently purchased a Honda Civic. She mentioned that she actually went there specifically to purchase a Civic Hybrid - and the sales people talked her out of it. Talked her out of it? I was shocked. That is until another friend who bought a new car last year (after her prior one was totaled by the insurance company for damage that didn't seem that large - though we'll leave that waste topic for another post...) said that she's looked into Hybrid cars herself and she had several sales people who told her specifically to not buy a Hybrid. They said to wait a few years for the technology to improve. That's when the shock turned into a bit of anger.

Are they joking?

Yes - technology will always improve. But if you are buying a new car today, Today - not next week, month or even looking around for next year, then why not get the best technology that's available Today? Oh no. Buy a car that will use 25 MPG for now because those darn 60 MPG cars aren't as good as the 80 MPG cars will be in another 5 years. Just wait to buy one of those.

Then it hit me.

Why would two very different girls, in two different parts of town, with different agendas have the exact same experience? Profit margin. Not only do Hybrid's cost more to the consumer, I bet they have a lower overall profit margin. What do you want to bet that there is less of a commission for a Hybrid car?

I'm not a big conspiracy theorist or anything - and 2 does not prove a pattern, but it's enough for me to make a fairly firm guess. I'd love to find out for sure of course (let me know if you know) but I'm going to assume it unless I hear otherwise. When I finally have the money for those hybrid car payments - there is no way in the world they could keep me from it. That may not happen for a long time of course, but I'm already looking forward to it. I'm going to go visit pictures of my future baby right now...