"When bought brand-new, it has consumed more energy than it has saved" does not imply "buying this is never the best choice for the environment". Instead, it implies that one should work out where the break-even point -- beyond which the net is savings over a gasoline-powered vehicle -- occurs, whether that point will realistically be reached and passed by the majority of owners, etc.

The Toyota Prius, when compared to a Toyota Corolla LE, takes 16.2 years to break even. Data from 2008.

http://www.edmunds.com/advice/fueleconomy/articles/116513/ar...

Note that this is only comparing from the start of ownership. If you want to compare the offset in energy in making the hybrid vs the gasoline engine, we're getting into multiple decades.

Which is a much better argument, and what I was hoping someone would come up with :)

Why not?

Buy a brand new hybrid and use it for more than 10 years, instead of buying a 10 years old used car and use it for two three years until its mechanical parts are so used that it fails constantly.

Of course the best for the environment is to buy a bike(you only need to manufacture 10 kilograms instead of +1000), or just walk, if you are going to buy a car anyway buying a Prius helps to develop electric cars, witch is better at least for cities environment(less diesel particles in the air, asthma, cancer and allergies).

It is way easier to control energy plant combustion particles than in individual cars, and on some places in the world you could use local wind solar , geothermal, biomass(wood, stubble) or nuclear energy along with gas or coal.

That logic is unsustainable. New vehicles will (have to) be purchased.

Going out and buying a Prius for the sake of being environmentally friendly would be dumb. But choosing a Prius instead of a Charger for your new car purchase makes plenty of sense IMO.

Yes, but driving your current car a few more years is better yet.

(Unless it's REALLY old and therefore likely a heavy polluter.)

> Going out and buying a Prius for the sake of being environmentally friendly would be dumb.

I understand and acknowledge that.