EPA MPG ratings recacluated..Prius big looser

[cjolley]

Because conventional hybrids run in electric mode at low speeds and conventional drive at highway speeds. ...

Not really. All the energy in a conventional hybrid comes from gasoline.
It's because city driving is at lower speed.
Hybrids recapture some of the energy used to accelerate between stops, making city mileage closer to a function of average speed alone.
And it takes a lot less energy to go 30 than it does 60.

NB. Plug in hybrids are a different calculation.

[Brian Ellis]

So much for it being a super MPG car

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/calcu...ta&model=Prius

OK, so they've revised the mpg figures, but they've done that on ALL cars, so relatively it is still a lot better than most.

In l/100 km, which represents linear consumption, not mileage, here are some figures
1998 Honda CR-V 4WD average increased from 10.32 to 11.88 this is my present car, which I'll use as a baseline: my real consumption averages ~10.2 (9.6-10.9) in winter to 11.0 (10.4-11.5) in summer (aircon). Emissions 7.3 tonnes/y
2007 Honda Civic Hybrid: 4.7 to 5.5 (% compared to CR-V: old figures 45.5, new figures 46.3) Emissions 3.4 tonnes/y This is the car I have on order.
2007 Toyota Prius: 4.3 to 5.4 (41.6%, 45.5%, 3.4 tonnes)

You can therefore see that the consumption reductions are similar and that the hybrids still win handsomely and represent the most economical solution for mid-sized cars. From my own very short test-drive experience of the two hybrids above, I would say the new figures look very close to reality in both urban and highway use. The Prius is better for urban and the Civic for highway, although the differences are small.

Oh, BTW, the BMW 3 series seems to vary from 11.2 to 12.4 l/100 km, so are certainly no better than my present car. The emissions hover around 7.5 t/y. They cannot be classified as low-pollution vehicles.

[GT98]

The biggest thing I see with the Pirus is that its overpriced for what you get and doesn't get much better MPG then what a typical B-sized car can get at half the price (B-size-subcompact)

[az]

Of course it's overpriced, because it's overengineered, because it's new technology. Early adopters always pay more - this used to be a video card forum, remember

[ZokesPro]

Bizarre, it says for my car that it's 24 city and 30 highway yet in reality it's more like 33 city and 39 highway, and that's with 241000km's on it.

I highly doubt the accuracy of that site.

[Brian Ellis]

The biggest thing I see with the Pirus is that its overpriced for what you get and doesn't get much better MPG then what a typical B-sized car can get at half the price (B-size-subcompact)

Do you think it fair to compare a subcompact with a mid-sized car? Apples and bananas. A bicycle has a much lower fuel consumption - so what? I wouldn't expect to compare a Hummer with a Prius, either.

Of course hybrids are more expensive; do you expect to get an extra large battery and large electric motor for free? OK, the Toyota/Lexus method is particularly expensive (one of the reasons I opted for the Civic Hybrid, which is over $5,000 cheaper here for an essentially better car of almost identical dimensions with more passenger room, less luggage room.)

Another point to consider is that consumption or MPG is not the only advantage. The CO2 is ~proportional to the consumption, but the other pollutants are even more reduced with the hybrids, particularly compared with traditional small-engined cars, because the engine runs at a better regime to top the battery charge up than the very variable regime of the traditional car.

[Brian Ellis]

Bizarre, it says for my car that it's 24 city and 30 highway yet in reality it's more like 33 city and 39 highway, and that's with 241000km's on it.

I highly doubt the accuracy of that site.

What does it say for user experience?

[VJ]

I wouldn't call it a big loser, it is still listed as best efficiency on that very same site:

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/bestworst.shtml

But I too have my doubts about the site.


Jörg

[Brian Ellis]

Can someone explain why the Prius is rated as mid-sized and the Civic Hybrid as compact?

Prius Civic
Length 175 176.7
Width 67.9 69.0
Height 58.7 56.3
Wheelbase 106.3 106.3
Head room 39.1/37.3 39.4/37.4
Leg room 41.9/38.6 42.2/34.6
Hip room 51.0/51.6 51.9/51.0
Shoulder room 55.0/52.9 53.6/52.3

The Civic, in fact, is larger in all dimensions except height and shoulder room. So why?

[Nowhere]

It looks smaller? (but I've seen Prius only once...)

[ZokesPro]

What does it say for user experience?

36.6 which is still below what I get for a car that has a TON of mileage.

[gt40]

36.6 which is still below what I get for a car that has a TON of mileage.

Don't forget those are US gallons, you are doing your calculations in imperial gallons.
(3.8 vs 4.5 litres)

[az]

You should really all convert to metric.

BTW, does Canada have 115 or 230 V?

[ZokesPro]

@gt40: D'oh!

@az: 120v (115v)

[Fluff]

A UK gallon is different to a US gallon. 1 UK ~= 1.2 US

My car does about 40MPG (UK) Which is 48MPG (US). It is a family sized car similar size to a Ford Taurus???

110Bhp 2.1 TD Peugeot 406.