Consumer Reports says now's not the time to buy a hybrid vehicle

Despite the fact that the national average price of gasoline hit $4 a gallon last week, Jeff Bartlett, Consumer Reports deputy online automotive editor, says that now's the worst time to buy a hybrid vehicle. Why's that? Well, as Bartlett explains, many owners of gas-guzzling SUVs are ditching their rides in favor of more fuel-efficient vehicles. Therefore, the values of behemoth SUVs are declining, while prices for hybrids and other fuel-sipping vehicles are on the rise due to soaring demand.

In an interview with Hybrid Cars, Bartlett stated:

The best advice for a fair portion of people is to think through the long-term picture and hold [on] to a gas-guzzler for next few months. Buying a hybrid can quickly pay itself off. But those economic benefits are undermined when buying your hybrid at the exact moment when hybrids are in greatest demand, and when trading in your less-efficient vehicle is the least desirable.

That makes sense, right? While Bartlett is not saying that hybrids aren't worth the additional upfront investment, he is implying that now's not the ideal time to trade in a gas-guzzler for a fuel-sipping automobile. Of course, filling up at $4 a gallon doesn't mean it's the worst time, either.

[Source: Hybrid Cars]