Some college staff writer bashing the Prius

[John]

I read somewhere that you wouldnt see any monetary benefits from buying a hybrid version of a car compared to the regular version of a car until like 4-5 years later due to the increased cost in the hybrid.

Yes, same for most diesel vehicles as well. You simply need to cover the differential of $4K-7K for an alternative fuel motor - so depending on how many miles you put on your car annually will yield your ROI threshold date.