xcel
10-22-2009, 07:07 PM
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/2/AmericanFlag.jpg "I want a hybrid." (detnews.com/article/20091022/OPINION03/910220406/1149/Green-off--Hybrid-models-put-to-the-test)
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/2010_Prius.jpgScott Burgess - Detroit News (Detroitnews.com) - Oct. 22, 2009
2010 Prius-III - $22,400 to start and 50 mpgUS combined.
Prius still on top although not in everything... -- Ed.
I've heard that from more than one reader, and I have come to realize that most people don't really know a thing about hybrids. Not all hybrids are created equal and not every hybrid will fit into every garage the same.
First, let's define "hybrid." These are cars that run on gas and electric drivetrains. Some carmakers don't like the idea of hybrids because they have to create two powertrains for a single vehicle. Consumers, however, don't seem to mind.
These cars are not the final answer in mankind's quest for high-mileage, environmentally friendly machines, but they are part of the solution. A hundred years from now, when all of the vehicles are fueled by carbon neutral dilithium crystals and historians look back to trace the powertrain's lineage, hybrids will be a distant relative; the cars and trucks that started the world down a different road...
So what's the best of the best when it comes to a hybrid car? Depends on the driver.
Of the eight in our comparison, three models, the 2010 Toyota Prius, the 2010 Honda Insight and the 2010 Lexus are hybrid-only models, meaning there are no gas-only versions of these cars. The remainder comes in hybrid versions of regular models: 2010 Ford Fusion, 2010 Honda Civic, 2009 Nissan Altima (which is only sold in the nine most pretentious states in the U.S.), 2010 Toyota Camry and the 2010 Mercury Milan.
Daily performance
Gas mileage is not the only thing to measure when weighing a car's performance, and never, I mean never, take hybrid owners' mileage figures too seriously. Yes, it is possible to get 90 miles per gallon in a Prius, but you can also get 100 mpg in a semi truck if the 100 miles are downhill. Exuberant hybrid owners' mileage figures tend to fudge to the high side. For people not posting to CleanMPG.com, I have found EPA estimates to be pretty accurate... http://detnews.com/article/20091022/OPINION03/910220406/1149/Green-off--Hybrid-models-put-to-the-test
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/2010_Prius.jpgScott Burgess - Detroit News (Detroitnews.com) - Oct. 22, 2009
2010 Prius-III - $22,400 to start and 50 mpgUS combined.
Prius still on top although not in everything... -- Ed.
I've heard that from more than one reader, and I have come to realize that most people don't really know a thing about hybrids. Not all hybrids are created equal and not every hybrid will fit into every garage the same.
First, let's define "hybrid." These are cars that run on gas and electric drivetrains. Some carmakers don't like the idea of hybrids because they have to create two powertrains for a single vehicle. Consumers, however, don't seem to mind.
These cars are not the final answer in mankind's quest for high-mileage, environmentally friendly machines, but they are part of the solution. A hundred years from now, when all of the vehicles are fueled by carbon neutral dilithium crystals and historians look back to trace the powertrain's lineage, hybrids will be a distant relative; the cars and trucks that started the world down a different road...
So what's the best of the best when it comes to a hybrid car? Depends on the driver.
Of the eight in our comparison, three models, the 2010 Toyota Prius, the 2010 Honda Insight and the 2010 Lexus are hybrid-only models, meaning there are no gas-only versions of these cars. The remainder comes in hybrid versions of regular models: 2010 Ford Fusion, 2010 Honda Civic, 2009 Nissan Altima (which is only sold in the nine most pretentious states in the U.S.), 2010 Toyota Camry and the 2010 Mercury Milan.
Daily performance
Gas mileage is not the only thing to measure when weighing a car's performance, and never, I mean never, take hybrid owners' mileage figures too seriously. Yes, it is possible to get 90 miles per gallon in a Prius, but you can also get 100 mpg in a semi truck if the 100 miles are downhill. Exuberant hybrid owners' mileage figures tend to fudge to the high side. For people not posting to CleanMPG.com, I have found EPA estimates to be pretty accurate... http://detnews.com/article/20091022/OPINION03/910220406/1149/Green-off--Hybrid-models-put-to-the-test