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Today I was poking along around 20 mph in rush-hour traffic,
and slowing for the usual we-dont-know-how-to-merge at another
on-ramp. Nice day, windows cracked open fairly wide. Off to
my right I hear a characteristic high-pitched whining, and glance
over at the nose of some fairly new grey sedan coming down the
ramp next to me, but slightly behind so I couldn't really look
at it. I had already jigged over to the right about a foot in
the lane-squeeze, the "car body english" that often helps tells
the others "sorry, no more room, go BEHIND me" and make for a
smoother merge overall. It worked, and this car dropped in
behind me and fell back a bit without any reminders.
.
As it did, I saw the "wall-o-chrome" grille in the rearview
and thought "hey, that must be a Fusion hybrid..." not really
knowing exactly what they look like but immediately thinking
"Ford" from that look.
.
The guy eventually moved over a lane behind me and started to
come up, but hung back a bit in my left blind-spot, *totally*
checking out my car. Now I thought "hmm, new owner, still has
the word 'hybrid' in the forefront of his mind and there it is
plastered all over my rear" ... so after a little while of this
and my speed not changing at all, he finally started to pull
ahead and pass. Now I could get a good look at his car.
.
Except that it was an HS250h, not a Fusion. Harrumph. Well, at
least my well-developed spidey sense about hearing the whine from
regen braking was intact, but whhyyyyyy do all these cars have to
look so similar these days?? Why did they all jump on the "nosejob
by Ford" bandwagon so easily? *Feh*, so to speak. It's fugly.
.
_H*

Hi Al:

___Its aerodynamics actually. The 3-bar grille at slower speeds allows air to flow straight between the slats. At higher speeds, a laminar flow boundary is formed across the slats allowing less air in and more pushed up onto the hood. A lower Cd at speed is the result. At least that was what I was told by the Ford engineers from Dearborn last year.

___Stop and crawls are great when you are driving a Prius ;)

___Good Luck

___Wayne

I thought more air going through the engine compartment = higher CD.

Look at it another way: the slats only allow a certain volume of air through. At low speed, that's most of the air encountered. As speeds increase, the same small amount goes in, and ever increasing amounts go around. Poor aerodynamics at low speed where it doesn't matter, good aero at high speed when it does matter.

Of course, nothing is forcing them to make it all shiny and in-your-face. I'm with Hobbit on that point - not attractive.

I agree with the responses! The Prius is one of the best vehicles to drive when that traffic is bumper to bumper and you are going 20 MPH or even less. Everyday I have to drive into the city and out of the city with traffic and sometimes I wish I did not have a manual because it is so difficult to go and stop with you have three peddles over two to operate.

I am with you on that point as well along with Pale Melanesian- not attractive in the slightest!