hybrid vehicles

[livincountry]

I am in the market for a new family vehicle and the Toyota Prius looks like a potential. Does anyone have experience with the Toyota hybrid? Not sure of the exact size but it is supposed to seat 5 and it's considered a mid-size sedan. Looks like a great car and the 55mpg combined mileage is a real pleaser!

 

[jinman]

A fellow I work with bought a Prius about a year ago...named it Sparky. He is very pleased with the car's performance. It is very, very quiet since the engine only runs to charge the batteries. All power to the wheels comes from electric motors. This guy traded in a 1966 Ford he bought new on the Prius, so he kinda plans on keeping his cars around for awhile. So far, he thinks the car might outlast him. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[livincountry]

Thank you for the input. The car is supposed to last 200k miles based on some of the resaerch I have done. I need to test drive one but I hear they are spoken for before they hit the lot - it might be a trick to find a demo. I also hear there is a ~ $2500 tax break for buying one. not bad for a $20 - $25k vehicle. Give me a reason not to buy one /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[avorancher]

Been driving one for nearly a year now. Really like it and would do it again in a heartbeat. The new ones are redesigned and even better.

It was nice to only put in 10 gallons when the price of gas out here on the west coast was $2.25 this summer. I have averaged around 47mph... sometimes more, sometimes less. I drive it pretty hard and have about 25k on it.

Be glad to answer specifics if you have any.

(re: the engine does run most of the time, but is quiet nevertheless. I ran out of gas once going 80 and it slowed to 65 immediately and warned me... then the battery gave out in about 5 miles. It was pretty embarrassing to call AAA for gas with an electric car.)

 

[Richard]

Are they better suited for in city driving?

We're considering a new vehicle and I told my wife about it. We live roughly 25 miles 1 way from work and the bulk of it is highway with maybe 10 miles being country road.

Meaning, more of a sustained speed verses stop/go, roughly 50/60 mph on country road and 70/80 highway.

Not knowing anything about them, my brain says long distance driving like ours (verses driving 5 miles "in town" to work) would rely more on the engine and less on batteries, causing milage to go down..

Proper thinking?

Richard

 

[livincountry]

FYI, I found a thread on countrybynet under the vehicles heading that covers this vehicle and gives out a great link.

Thank you for the input. I may go shopping this weekend!

 

[gsganzer]

I'll give you a good reason. Buy a Volkswagen Jetta diesel instead. They get about 43+ mpg on the highway, comparable to the hybrids. It's an engine that people understand and you have better resale. I don't know how anyone will get rid of a hybrid, come replacement time. The Jetta TDI sells for approximately $20,000.

 

[livincountry]

Interesting, I've heard that twice now. I'll add the TDI to my list of possibilities.

thanks for the input

 

[Currmudgeon]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I ran out of gas once going 80 and it slowed to 65 immediately and warned me... then the battery gave out in about 5 miles.)</font>

THAT's why the engine is so big. What is it 1500 cc? It apparently just uses the battery for brief spurts of power. I figured about a 1000 cc engine would be plenty, but the car would need a bigger battery pack, and might never make it to 80, except for downhill.

I'm concerned about battery pack life. I think I'll wait until they're more thouroughly proven in the field.

I can buy a lot of petrol for the payments on that car.

 

[avorancher]

I drive a mix of city and highway. I can get 46 to 47mpg on strict highway driving (70mph+), and have averaged 58mpg in strictly city (stop and creep) driving for hours.

I think it would be unfortunate to only get the vehicle do to its high mileage however. The CVT transmission, its ultra tight turning radius, roomy interior, impressive torque, ultra low emissions, and general quality should also be considered. My last 3 cars were Lexus's so my standards were not low, and I'm continually impressed with this little beast.

If you only consider the mileage, you'll find it hard to justify the extra cost unless you drive an excessive amount of miles. I leased it because I too was concerned about the battery technology, but with their recent upsurge in popularity, I'll probably end up purchasing it at the end of the 3 year lease. I hear you cannot find one on the lot anymore and waiting lists are beginning to appear here in southern CA.

 

[avorancher]

Not sure about gas engine size... and the new ones are larger. I know it has 70hp and the electric has about 44hp. Most of the time, the gas engine runs the car and the electric provides boost whenever needed.

It drives nice due to its extra torque. Pulling out to pass a car at 55mph is no problem, as the electric gives you a kick in the butt to get you around. It is easy to be the first one away from a light and the CVT transmission has no shift points so you just keep getting faster until you raise you foot. Only when you mash the pedal to the floor do you feel the need for a few more horses. Hey... it's not a V6 under there.

After it warms up and the battery is fully charged, it will use more battery, especially at speeds less than 22mph. Sometimes driving through parking lots, I need to be careful because people will step in front of me as I glide around in "stealth" mode. It is also weird at traffic lights when the engine stops and you can hear neighboring car engines and conversations.

It is fun to park it and get out while it is running. It shuts down, then starts and stops as need to keep the air conditioning running... sort of a ghost car. I guess it would be great if you had a dog and needed to run in a store for a short time (not recommended for children because they could drive off).

The net has lots of articles on it if you do a search. It's not for everyone, but was a good fit for us at this time in life.

 

[RobertN]

They look like a nice car, and the low emissions are a plus, especially here in Calif. A couple years ago, there was grumbling about Dodge making a diesel electric hybrid for the military, with additional applications for civilians. One was the ability to use it as a generator, for construction, ect...

My only beef with hybrids, and even plain combustion cars/trucks, is 50mpg the best they can do? My wife used to have a Suzuki Sprint that got 50mpg.

With all the technology we have now, for electronic fuel injection, valve control, ect, they should be able to do better. The only reason I can think that they do not is big business with oil and auto manufacturers. And, there has not been enough public pressure to do better.

 

[livincountry]

That reminds me of the Simpsons episode where Homer was at an energy convention and a nerdy guy was exibiting a cheap, renewable alternative to oil... suddenly these guys in dark suits and dark glasses pull him behind the curtain, dispose of his exibit and stand then pose as if nothing had ever happened /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I will seriously look at a hybrid just because they need support to move forward.

 

[TractorLuvr]

The Houston city inspectors drive prius's and i asked him and he said he loves the car. So buy one of those.

 

[NoTrespassing]

How do these cars do in COLD climates?

I sure wish diesel was more popular here. It is my understanding that our diesel isn't up to the clean standards of Europe yet and it will probably be more expensive when we make the change. When rating the Volkswagen diesels they get a "dirty" rating even though they get 47mpg. Some owners claim they've gotten 55mpg.

What I'd really like to see is a 1/2 ton pickup with a diesel engine.

New 2004 numbers: http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/best/bestworstNF.shtml

Kevin