Hot for a Hybrid? Bankrate back-pedals.

I was searching the EXCITE engine today hoping to help some relatives displaced by Katrina. Before making progress on my quest, I was distracted by this:

http://www.bankrate.com/exct/news/auto/fuel-efficient/20050902a1ee.asp

Everything you need to know? Not quite.
It is accurate on the points it covers, but like so many articles about hybrids, it leaves out several important plusses. The crux is at the top of the fourth page (as presented in HTML view, not the "printer friendly" version), the section "Are hybrids a good buy?", which reads

"Based solely on the price of a gallon of gasoline, it makes no economic sense to buy a hybrid in comparison to the same vehicle with a gasoline-only engine."

... which is exactly true. But hybrid owners and enthusiasts know this. As I've stated here and elsewhere, I didn't buy my hybrid solely for economics, and it's obvious that most hybrid buyers don't make their purchases based on one metric. Even on the one angle of money: I'd rather put an extra $4K into Japanese hardware than put an extra $2K into Saudi oil. Call it an investment. Call it voting with dollars. DON'T call it uneconomical.

I've been following electric drive in particular as long as Terry Jackson has been wring about cars in general. Tried to find that Pop. Sci. issue with the article about the hybrid Cutlass (1979?), but the closest I came was to the Harry Grepke car.

How does one get to be a syndicated journalist with a bazillion people reading you like you know something? C'mon, BankRate! Hire me and I'll write a nice article about how Toyota is lapping up the mark-up on their hybrids and you (BR) can arm customers with alternative financing.

-- R;