xcel
01-26-2009, 10:10 PM
Toyota comments on the Ford Fusion Hybrid vs._TCH vs. Prius-III. (blog.toyota.com/2009/01/mpg-race-is-good-for-everyone.html#more)
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/2010_Ford_Fusion_Hybrid.jpgJon F. Thompson – Open Road Blog – Jan. 26, 2009
2010 FFH -- 39 mpgUS combined. 99.8 and 11.8 cu. ft. passenger/cargo volume respectively.
2009 TCH -- 34 mpgUS combined. 101.4 and 10.6 cu. ft. passenger/cargo volume respectively.
2010 Prius-III -- 50 mpgUS combined. 97 and 18 cu. ft. passenger/cargo volume respectively.
"Ford, Toyota squabble about 'midsize' hybrids," reads the headline in a recent issue of USA Today.
Well, fine, but it’s not exactly a squabble. What’s going on here is that we respectfully and cordially disagree on the definition of a midsize car. This is important when we’re discussing the EPA fuel-economy ratings of vehicles like the Camry Hybrid, the Prius and the Ford Fusion.
The folks at Ford are pleased that their Fusion hybrid, rated at 41 mpg/city, has better EPA fuel economy estimates than our Camry Hybrid, which is EPA-rated at 33 mpg/city. We point out that while that’s true, the Camry is bigger than the Fusion. Meanwhile, the 2010 Prius, also classified as a midsize car with almost exactly the same internal capacity as the Fusion hybrid, and thus we think a more appropriate comparison, is rated at 50 mpg/city. Ford demurs.
But look, here’s the deal: There’s a larger piece of business going on here, and it’s one in which we all can rejoice because no matter your brand preference, it points toward a national and societal good. It is that automotive fuel economy is on the rise. Not everywhere, and not as quickly as some might like. Technology, after all, rarely makes quantum leaps. More likely, it takes incremental steps.
But those steps are being made by almost every manufacturer, and unless those steps get diverted from their current path, they promise to lead, eventually, toward this logical destination: reduced dependence on petroleum-based energy.
An additional piece of business is that with fuel economy on the rise, manufacturers are using their fuel-economy to compete for customers. This is happening, now, in the face of fuel prices that are roughly half what they were in the summer of 2008. But it’s also happening with the full recognition of nearly everyone that today’s low gas prices probably won’t last, that they’ll again, sooner or later, revert back to those nosebleed prices – and maybe beyond. When that happens, the competition will become intense - and much more meaningful... http://blog.toyota.com/2009/01/mpg-race-is-good-for-everyone.html#more
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/2010_Ford_Fusion_Hybrid.jpgJon F. Thompson – Open Road Blog – Jan. 26, 2009
2010 FFH -- 39 mpgUS combined. 99.8 and 11.8 cu. ft. passenger/cargo volume respectively.
2009 TCH -- 34 mpgUS combined. 101.4 and 10.6 cu. ft. passenger/cargo volume respectively.
2010 Prius-III -- 50 mpgUS combined. 97 and 18 cu. ft. passenger/cargo volume respectively.
"Ford, Toyota squabble about 'midsize' hybrids," reads the headline in a recent issue of USA Today.
Well, fine, but it’s not exactly a squabble. What’s going on here is that we respectfully and cordially disagree on the definition of a midsize car. This is important when we’re discussing the EPA fuel-economy ratings of vehicles like the Camry Hybrid, the Prius and the Ford Fusion.
The folks at Ford are pleased that their Fusion hybrid, rated at 41 mpg/city, has better EPA fuel economy estimates than our Camry Hybrid, which is EPA-rated at 33 mpg/city. We point out that while that’s true, the Camry is bigger than the Fusion. Meanwhile, the 2010 Prius, also classified as a midsize car with almost exactly the same internal capacity as the Fusion hybrid, and thus we think a more appropriate comparison, is rated at 50 mpg/city. Ford demurs.
But look, here’s the deal: There’s a larger piece of business going on here, and it’s one in which we all can rejoice because no matter your brand preference, it points toward a national and societal good. It is that automotive fuel economy is on the rise. Not everywhere, and not as quickly as some might like. Technology, after all, rarely makes quantum leaps. More likely, it takes incremental steps.
But those steps are being made by almost every manufacturer, and unless those steps get diverted from their current path, they promise to lead, eventually, toward this logical destination: reduced dependence on petroleum-based energy.
An additional piece of business is that with fuel economy on the rise, manufacturers are using their fuel-economy to compete for customers. This is happening, now, in the face of fuel prices that are roughly half what they were in the summer of 2008. But it’s also happening with the full recognition of nearly everyone that today’s low gas prices probably won’t last, that they’ll again, sooner or later, revert back to those nosebleed prices – and maybe beyond. When that happens, the competition will become intense - and much more meaningful... http://blog.toyota.com/2009/01/mpg-race-is-good-for-everyone.html#more