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Let’s start with the most popular solution: the hybrid. We all know of the Toyota Prius (pronounced, Pree-us, not Pry-us) that was a sensation when it was introduced in Japan in 1997 as the first mass market hybrid ever built. Toyota has made a tidy sum by selling 1 million of them between May 2008 and September 2010 alone to reach the 2 million mark.
The Prius, and the other guys: the good and the bad
So, what makes the Prius the best selling hybrid and one of the most well known cars in the industry?
Well, first off, there’s the new-age “cool” factor to it.
Secondly, for the second generation released in 2003, Toyota made promises of a combined fuel economy rating of around 46 mpg, astronomical numbers for that time, and even now. Most reviewers got a combined fuel economy of about 41 mpg, which is great but nevertheless disappointing. The styling, while somewhat geeky, has also become an icon, with it’s quirky hatchback body.
Toyota released their all new Prius in 2010 with a promised combined fuel economy of about 50 mpg. This increase was due in part to a new body that is more aerodynamic than the previous generation, with a larger displacement gasoline engine (from 1.5 to 1.8) helps to reduce RPM to help highway fuel economy. But CarandDriver returned an average fuel economy of 42 mpg, which, again, is great but underwhelming considering the promises from Toyota. To hit the EPA estimates, you’d have to drive like Captain Slow.
So, while the fuel economy is below what was promised, it is still quite impressive. Another plus with the Prius, and hybrids in general, is the city MPG, which is higher than the highway fuel economy because the batteries are recharged when the car is idling.
Another plus for the Prius, and it’s biggest competitor, the Honda Insight, is that it is big on the inside due to the hatchback body.
While that all seems fine and dandy, there are many downsides to owning a hybrid.
They’re really expensive. The Prius is basically a glorified Corolla with a hatch and batteries (and some tech), but it’s base price of $23,580 is almost a $7k premium over the Corolla.
Most sedans that are given a hybrid engine command massive premiums over their gasoline engine siblings. Take the Lexus LS600h, which, while offering a lot of cool technology over the gas engine, comes in at a whopping $112,250, or $45,120 more than the gas-only LS460. The hybrid version offers fuel economy of 19/23 mpg (city/highway), compared to the gas version’s 16/24 mpg, a minuscule improvement. Also, if you have $112 g’s to drop on a car, why worry about fuel economy?
A more down-to-earth gas to hybrid sedan conversion is the Ford Fusion ($20,645) to Fusion hybrid ($29,795). Again, Ford throws in some more goodies for the $29k hybrid that the base $20k Fusion doesn’t have, but it’s not cheap.
Unfortunately, the Prius (and almost every other hybrid) drives like the Corolla too, but not to worry; the center dash has a wealth of cool gizmos and gadgets to keep you awake at the wheel just long enough to crash into a tree while you’re not looking at the road
There have been attempts at creating a “sporty” hybrid, a sure paradox, and the Honda CRZ is the most dedicated attempt. While it does offer a manual transmission, it’s neither fun enough for enthusiasts nor fuel efficient enough for environmentalists.
It gets worse. The batteries are lithium-ion, like the ones in your phone or laptop, so they will eventually need to be replaced, and that’s not cheap. The batteries also add some heft to the car, making handling worse. Power is also pretty low on hybrids, so San Francisco commuters shouldn’t really consider these if they plan on making it up a hill. Lastly, the batteries do not work very well in cold weather, so gas mileage is diminished. This has been confirmed in many tests with the Prius, the Ford Fusion hybrid, and other hybrids.
If you must get a hybrid, though, you may as well purchase it outright because the gas mileage will not make up for the higher initial or monthly cost of the car unless you keep it for at least 4 or 5 years.
Conclusion: Hybrids are perfect for city drivers who are looking to churn out big mpg numbers, as stopping the car lets the batteries recharge and lets the car be more efficient, unlike any of the other systems in this comparison.
Recommendations:
Small car/hatch: Toyota Prius
Small sedan: Honda Civic Hybrid
Family/midsize sedan: Ford Fusion hybrid (my highest recommended hybrid for its combination of MPGs, size, and semblance of sportiness)
SUV: If you want a fuel efficient car, don’t kid yourself with an SUV. The Chevy Tahoe hybrid is $13k more than the gas version, and offers gas mileage of 20/23, which isn’t bad, but other engines are more efficient for SUVs (we’ll get to that). Also, if you dont care too much about looks and ride height, why not a station wagon? Similar space, cheaper, more efficient, sportier…
But gun to my head, the Toyota Highlander Hybrid/Lexus 450h
Check back for a surprise Part 1.5
December 23, 2011
All, Cars