Hybrid Or Just High MPG? Which Car Is Right For You?
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As cars throughout the automotive spectrum get more efficient, it's an increasing dilemma for buyers looking to improve their gas mileage.
Just what should I buy? One of those fancy hybrids, or a regular, fuel-efficient car?
Different fuel efficient vehicles excel at different types of driving--and as we know, driving styles and conditions have quite an effect on gas mileage.
City driving
Driving in the city presents its own set of unique challenges, and driving conditions also vary from city to city.
Usually though, city driving means a few things: Slow traffic, plenty of time spent at a standstill with your engine wasting fuel, lots of punishment on your brakes, and plenty of stress.
Regular gasoline and diesel engines aren't perfect in city driving. Few feature stop-start systems to save fuel when caught in traffic, and every time you stop you're wasting energy--few regular cars have regenerative braking.
Hybrids are much more suited to this environment, though. Not only will all hybrids kill the engine when standing still, but full hybrids--like all Toyota and Ford hybrids, as well as some others--will allow you to travel on electricity alone at low speeds, while the battery lasts.
And the battery should last a decent distance in stop-start traffic, as each time you slow down, energy is put back into the pack.
Above all, driving a hybrid is relaxing in traffic--not just because virtually all hybrids are automatic, but because you'll be saving on gas bills--hybrids typically do their most economical work in city driving.
Highway driving
While some hybrids are known for their aerodynamic bodies, helping them achieve good gas mileage at constant higher speeds, highways have recently become the domain of another gas-sipping category--diesels.
Punchy, low-revving and efficient engines in modern diesels do their best work for long periods at constant throttle loads.
A long journey also helps a diesel engine get to its most efficient operating temperature, which takes a little longer than it does on gasoline vehicles.
Once you're sitting on the freeway, a modern diesel--from Volkswagen or BMW, for example--will happily chug away at low engine speeds, sipping gas but offering enough torque in reserve should you need an extra burst of speed. Not only that, but low revs also means low noise--you're much more likely to hear wind and tire roar than you are any sounds from the engine. It's not a bad way to travel, and you'll be using very little fuel too.
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This is also why I bought a Volt (since I can't afford a Tesla S). To get the best combination of performance and efficiency...
Volt is slower than C-Max hybrid. Volt's emission (tailpipe and upstream) is worse (260 vs. 236 g/mi)as well. And you need to plug it in, to avoid 37 MPG on premium gas operation. The size and price difference is huge.
Volt uses less gas than the C-Max Hybrid. You can work out the MPG by using the 37mpg and divide it by the (1-% of EV miles). So, for me and most people who commute less than 40 miles. Volt uses less gas than a C-Max Hybrid. Its performances is very close to C-Max Hybrid. It might NOT beat C-Max hybrid in 0-60mph. But its handling and braking are certainly equal if NOT better. Now.
As far as your repeated stuff about emission. I keep telling you that your individual emission vary depending on your EV miles and source of your EV charging. EPA has NO models for that. It is only an estimate that ONLY works for traditional ICE or hybrid cars.
Stop using your "old method" to judge the future.
YOu also failed to understand the fundamental part of Electric power train is far more efficient than any ICE. So, staying in EV mode as long as possible, as much as possible is by FAR the most efficient way.
So, if another automaker can come out with something with more EV range than the Volt and with extender range capabilities, I will be more than willing to support that model.
For now, Volt is the KING in the realm of EV range among all EREV/Plugins hybrids.
Also, Volt allow you to charge in sources other than your house to use even less gas...
You also said: "And you need to plug it in, to avoid 37 MPG on premium gas operation"
WE BUY IT B/C IT HAS A PLUG! EV FIRST, GAS SECOND!
Get it?
But name me another car that can do what my Volt did in the last 5 months with 6800 miles and only 42 gallon of gas used. And it has to perform the same as the Volt and are 5-stars rated in safety.
http://www.thestreet.com/story/11381094/2/10-worst-cars-of-all-time.html
America's distaste for diesels could be traced back to this car. Electric cars fill the void that might be filled with diesels if it weren't for this car.
In lieu of that, I will settle for the 2014 mazda6 Sky-D sportwagon with a six speed manual transmission.
No, it does not: at 1,950 RPM, extra fuel is injected into the emission system to burn off excess deposits. The system cleans itself automatically.
In general, the high MPG diesels are MORE FUN to drive than the high MPG hybrids by FAR.
Prius might beat Jetta TDI in emission and MPG, but it is NO WHERE close in terms of performance such as handling, braking.
Sometimes, people are willing to sacrifice a little in MPG for a lot more fun...
I would not have bought the Prius if it were the only vehicle available which was fuel efficient.
Prius stands for everything I stand against:
- gasoline engine
- expensive batteries
- complexity in the system (much more complex than diesel emission control systems)
- automatic only
- no torque
- no performance
- ugly.
Did I mention that the Prius is incredibly ugly? I would not be caught dead in it. I would sooner walk or ride a bicycle than drive a Prius. And I'm a car guy. I think that speaks volumes about what kind of a car (failure) the TOYOTA Prius is.
We try to provide context here when it's missing, to let readers make their own judgments.
We try to provide context here when it's missing, to let readers make their own judgments."
Uh huh. So, assuming your claim of three million Priuses is correct, which I highly doubt, in the interest of context, you might want to point out that at a population of roughly 300 million, 3 million is 1%.
Or, if you really, really wanted to put in the context, again assuming your claim is correct, it means that there are three million TOYOTA Prius owners out there who do not know enough about automechanics to not buy a clean diesel car instead of a gasoline electric hybrid.
Toyota built its 3-millionth Prius in March 2011:
http://www.fastcompany.com/1736964/evs-gain-traction-toyota-prius-sales-hit-3-million
Not sure what your 300 million figure is: U.S. vehicle population, perhaps? (The figure is actually closer to 250 million.)
Or perhaps global vehicle population? That's now at 1 billion and rising:
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1065070_its-official-we-now-have-one-billion-vehicles-on-the-planet
As we note frequently, hybrids make up about 3 percent a year of *new* car sales in the U.S. & about 1 percent of global sales.
anybody who knows anything about car engines and automechanics would never buy a TOYOTA Prius in its current incarnation. Even if you are correct (quoting a random site does not magically make it so), 3% just means that there is 3% of the population who do not know enough about automechanics and are willing to make compromises.
As for my research capabilites: anybody (that includes me and you) can post anything on this thing called "the Internet". I will also have you know that I have used and helped build out Internet since 1993, long before it was popular and long before anyone even knew what it was, so I do not appreciate being given a "talking-to" about Internet search.
Do the research YOURSELF. You will find hundreds of sites that show the same data, which is widely distributed, covered, and reported.
I am utterly baffled by your seeming unwillingness to acknowledge accepted data used throughout the industry.
What is there to be baffled about? Companies lie all the time. As the saying goes:
"there are lies, damn lies, and statistics."
I try to correct blatantly wrong and false statements, as I did with Annatar above. And I remind commenters to be polite, not to make rude comments about OTHER commenters, and to stick to facts, preferably supported by links.
Beyond that, we encourage robust discussion. If you don't think Annatar is on the right track, feel free to respond yourself ...
Have an opinion?Join the conversation!