Couple of questions to '06 Highlander Hybrid Owners..

[LifeTech]

Toyota states Hbrid H/L requires Premium fuel to get 'Close' to the EPA rating.

My friend drove his 07 H/L Hybrid Ltd.4WDi recently for 2100 miles in New Yrk area In 15 days. He was getting 19-20 MPG city and 31 max hiway. He says he clearly gets better MPG with the Premium fuel.

My 2006 non Hybrid H/L Ltd. 4WD with same odometer in miles gets 15-16 city and hiway gets me 28-30 max. Only regular fuel is the stated requirement. The difference is literally'Pennies',

How does one justify the the increased price for the Hybrid?
And the price of premium fuel?
Believe itor not, Electric hybrids in reality aren't 'Green' .

The LifeCycle of the hybrid from Poduction to Junkyard is Less Green Than an H3 Hummer. This has been documented. The NMH batts are toxic to the land. It's not Eco friendly!

The return on investment of a hybrid in general is very low. You must be a very high mileage driver and it must be city driven for those miles. And then you are saving so little on fuel over the lifespan of the vehicle to justify the average of $3-$4k extra to purchase.

The tax write off you get for a hybrid is a pitance. Dealers have put a glut on them and won't get creative on the pricing.

There'smore but I will end here. The concept is great though.