The official hybrid vehicle owners thread.

[sdmuleman]

On my Avalon it is worth 10-12 mpg hybrid vs non. I bought it used and it was not any more expensive than the gas model. If I drive it for 100k that 10mpg at $3+ a gallon is going to really add up.

Is that just based on official ratings or an actual real life comparison of identical vehicles driven identically? Benefits are pretty heavily dependent on the details of use and driving, and highly likely that the actual gain over the life of the vehicle isn't as high as claimed. Conversely, there's more stuff to break, some of which is quite expensive.

Doing the math, 100k miles at 45 mpg is 278 gal more than 100k miles at 40 mpg. Even at $4/gal, that still only about $1000. Doesn't take much added maintenance, repair, or heck, just added registration fees to eat that up.

Admittedly, my wife's car hasn't needed anything an IC car wouldn't.... but sooner or later it will. Case in point, the ac compressor is about 4x the cost of a standard one because it's electric. WA is also charging a $75/yr extra fee for electric vehicles and includes hybrid in that, so there's another added cost.

Do the Priuses actually come with a framed certification that makes the owner better than everyone else in society?
just curious

No, it's rolled up on a nice scroll. Japanese don't really go in for framing ya know.

Wife has all sorts of stories from doing farm chores with her prius. Good way to blow people's minds.

One of the other sheep she bought apparently the entire neighborhood showed up at the farm - all the local rednecks wanted to see how she was actually going to put a sheep in the car....

 

[MattS]

Is that just based on official ratings or an actual real life comparison of identical vehicles driven identically? Benefits are pretty heavily dependent on the details of use and driving, and highly likely that the actual gain over the life of the vehicle isn't as high as claimed. Conversely, there's more stuff to break, some of which is quite expensive.

Doing the math, 100k miles at 45 mpg is 278 gal more than 100k miles at 40 mpg. Even at $4/gal, that still only about $1000. Doesn't take much added maintenance, repair, or heck, just added registration fees to eat that up.

My data is my data hand calculated. My actual car mileage posted here. The other MPG data for non hybrid is from fuelly. This is real world numbers from the same place I report my numbers the largest source of real world data I know of. Those are lots and lots of miles 1.5million. The only thing that is not easy to separate is the city vs highway. But as stated it's AVG. I am super close to 50/50 in my commute. This isn't a kia, it's a toyota. I plan to put 150k-200k on it and get another. I put 18k on it just in the last 12 months. You doing math at 45 vs 40 is not even close. See below numbers. If we go middle of the road its easily 41 vs 23-24. Now do your math. I did the math vs my old Lexus LS460 and the car is free from the fuel savings from that v8 gas guzzler that got 17 avg.

Hybrid

Gas:

 

[RusM]

My data is my data hand calculated. My actual car mileage posted here. The other MPG data for non hybrid is from fuelly. This is real world numbers from the same place I report my numbers the largest source of real world data I know of. Those are lots and lots of miles 1.5million. The only thing that is not easy to separate is the city vs highway. But as stated it's AVG. I am super close to 50/50 in my commute. This isn't a kia, it's a toyota. I plan to put 150k-200k on it and get another. I put 18k on it just in the last 12 months. You doing math at 45 vs 40 is not even close. See below numbers. If we go middle of the road its easily 41 vs 23-24. Now do your math. I did the math vs my old Lexus LS460 and the car is free from the fuel savings from that v8 gas guzzler that got 17 avg.

Hybrid

Gas:

My LS430 was more like 20/26 and about 22 usually on commutes.
Avalon was generally 27. Wasn't as fun to raw dog the Avalon so it got better mpg overall.

 

[MattS]

My LS430 was more like 20/26 and about 22 usually on commutes.
Avalon was generally 27. Wasn't as fun to raw dog the Avalon so it got better mpg overall.

I loved my 460 it had the 8 speed but 50 % city and AWD was a killer. I sold it to my BIL so it's still close. I went from a CTS-V to a 460 to the avalon. Choices were made. I do like the avalon. I don't care about it as much as either of the other 2 and somehow that is nice. Plus premium gas vs shit gas.

 

[Add]

2022 toyota rav4

Love it

 

[DR. SMASHER]

Unless I am incorrect, in my understanding of hybrid vehicles best efficiencies is in city driving due to regenerative braking. Not as efficient in highway driving. I have long country drives or highway driving so I am not sure if a hybrid would be best for that type of driving. Anyone with them have insight on that?

 

[Provience]

Unless I am incorrect, in my understanding of hybrid vehicles best efficiencies is in city driving due to regenerative braking. Not as efficient in highway driving. I have long country drives or highway driving so I am not sure if a hybrid would be best for that type of driving. Anyone with them have insight on that?

Regenerative braking along with the ability to use the electric motor for extra power and take some of the load off the IC engine. The planetary bidirectional CVT, or whatever you want to call it, allows for the batteries to draw off the IC when it has extra capacity. I.e. low load, high rpm. Storing the easy extra energy to be used for the burst energy helps smooth stuff out and gets additional mpg gains on the highway.

Because it is a single speed cvt that doesn't try to put fake shifts in, and because it isn't based on belts, it's a pretty robust design. The wife's escape, granted 1st gen hybrid, will run 75 mph at 2100rpm or 4500rpm or anything in between depending on what it feels like, even if the pedal doesn't move. Headwind? Hill? I dunno, but it is certainly move disconnected rom swing than any other modern city I've ever driven.

For something with the vast majority (90%+) of you commute to be highway at 70+mph with the A/C on constantly, it narrows down the advantage gap.

But if just looking for a value commuter toaster, initial purchase price is the biggest factor. Whatever you can get for sub $5k is probably reliable enough. buy a 25 year old Saturn and drive it for another 15 years before it is dust?

 

[Stingray]

So far,








I'm laughing at the Hybrid thread, My brother is driving a manual trans diesel cruz that pulls 45 MPG min. and consistently gets over 50 mixed.

 

[Provience]

So far,








I'm laughing at the Hybrid thread, My brother is driving a manual trans diesel cruz that pulls 45 MPG min. and consistently gets over 50 mixed.

Yeah, cuz diesels are cheap and easy to work on

Diesel is the same thing as hybrid, with thr fun upcharge at the pump. Cost per mile, 50mpg diesel = 28mpg 87 octane pump gas

 

[Stingray]

Yeah, cuz diesels are cheap and easy to work on

Diesel is the same thing as hybrid, with thr fun upcharge at the pump. Cost per mile, 50mpg diesel = 28mpg 87 octane pump gas

Well for starters he's in for less that half the cost of any hybrid listed, and unless you know anything about repairing a complicated gas/electric hybrid system YOU ARE NOT DOING SHIT to fix it.

So in the next 3 to 5 years driving less that 10K a year a simple one fuel system will be cheaper than a new hybrid in the long run.

 

[Provience]

Well for starters he's in for less that half the cost of any hybrid listed, and unless you know anything about repairing a complicated gas/electric hybrid system YOU ARE NOT DOING SHIT to fix it.

So in the next 3 to 5 years driving less that 10K a year a simple one fuel system will be cheaper than a new hybrid in the long run.

Gas electric hybrid isn't complicated. There's more parts in his diesel econobox

And yeah, if you don't drive much then whatever you buy cheap up front will win the price wars.

 

[Provience]

Autotrader has 4 diesel cruze for sale nationwide. 15-18k

And 3,000 hybrids and plug in hybrids under $12k

 

[Stingray]

Autotrader has 4 diesel cruze for sale nationwide. 15-18k

And 3,000 hybrids and plug in hybrids under $12k

You do know that ford was sued, and ended up having to pay owners residual checks for mileage on the C-max that they over estimated right??

I know this because my dad bought one .

Ford to pay $19.2 million settlement over fuel economy claims

Ford will pay $19.2 million to settle charges that it falsely advertised the real-world fuel economy of its C-Max hybrids and the payload capacity of certa

www.consumeraffairs.com

 

[Stingray]

Autotrader has 4 diesel cruze for sale nationwide. 15-18k

And 3,000 hybrids and plug in hybrids under $12k

Also diesel, manual trans.

And having driven both, the CMax was truly a shitbox.

 

[Kriptonite]

My company has supplied Prius to it's officers since the first generation came out. I didn't much like the first gen but the 06 and my current 16 Prius V have been fine vehicles.
Low 40s mpg and 0 maintenance other than tires and oil changes. My V is just turning 100.000 miles. No problems other than having to replace the rear glass due to driver error 😕.
I wish they still made a V, I'd buy another tomorrow

 

[Jscwerve]

21 Toyota Venza here. The wife's vehicle. We decided to get on the hybrid train for road trips and longer in state travel when we moved to Fl.

We went to purchase a RAV4. At the time they did not have any on the lot with the options the wife wanted and the trim levels of the Venza are better. So, to get what she wanted in a RAV4 we'd have had to buy a top trim package and in the Venza a lot of the features are standard. The RAV was also louder on the road noise and I could really tell when the engine/motor switching happened. Not on the Venza.

Gets around 50mpg in the city driving and 40s on road trips with her driving, probably 25% less when I'm driving.

No issues other than a recall for some lights or something like that. No issues whatsoever.

We went with Toyota as they have the longest track record of successful hybrid vehicles.

 

[DMG]

So far,








I'm laughing at the Hybrid thread, My brother is driving a manual trans diesel cruz that pulls 45 MPG min. and consistently gets over 50 mixed.

Don’t laugh too hard. Those cars are steaming piles of shit. And diesel is 40% more expensive in many places.

 

[arse_sidewards]

Yeah, cuz diesels are cheap and easy to work on

Diesel is the same thing as hybrid, with thr fun upcharge at the pump. Cost per mile, 50mpg diesel = 28mpg 87 octane pump gas

The only thing that keeps me from shitting all over diesel people with their stretching the truth to the point of lies, selective inclusions and omissions and motivated reasoning is that the Toyota people do it worse.

And yeah, if you don't drive much then whatever you buy cheap up front will win the price wars.

This. 10k a year and a 70s caddy you pulled out of someone's yard for $500 and fixed with $80 and garbage you had laying around wins the price war even if it only gets 10mpg.

 

[Wheelerfreak]

Unless I am incorrect, in my understanding of hybrid vehicles best efficiencies is in city driving due to regenerative braking. Not as efficient in highway driving. I have long country drives or highway driving so I am not sure if a hybrid would be best for that type of driving. Anyone with them have insight on that?

Read my post earlier
26ish on the highway and 40mpg in the city on my wife’s hybrid

 

[KDXSR5]

2023 F-150 Hybrid. It has about 5000 miles on it now. Had one no start condition when it had less than 200 miles on it and spent a month at the dealer while Ford brought in the corporate diagnostic people. It's been fine since then. I like it so far.

 

[MattS]

Unless I am incorrect, in my understanding of hybrid vehicles best efficiencies is in city driving due to regenerative braking. Not as efficient in highway driving. I have long country drives or highway driving so I am not sure if a hybrid would be best for that type of driving. Anyone with them have insight on that?

I have taken mine on several long trips. The ones marked in green were all highway. The below ones at 40 or over were 50/50. I rarely get to drive it all city but I have one that was 43+. I have to drive the car the whole tank tho. My wife will wreck the shit out of a mpg test. That 36 at the top was her driving the whole tank I drove the truck that week. 50/50 is her commute also.

 

[FleshEater]

I haven’t read the three pages, but I’m convinced in Toyota’s hybrid technology. I have talked to and seen more beat to piss Toyota hybrids running forever, problem free than most ICE cars. Their batteries seem to last 12-15 years, and usually only one goes bad. Last guy I talked to bought a Prius for $500 with something like 279,000 miles on it amd the battery light on. He used it to drive to houses to fell trees. Said mpgs were great.

 

[Provience]

You do know that ford was sued, and ended up having to pay owners residual checks for mileage on the C-max that they over estimated right??

I know this because my dad bought one .

Ford to pay $19.2 million settlement over fuel economy claims

Ford will pay $19.2 million to settle charges that it falsely advertised the real-world fuel economy of its C-Max hybrids and the payload capacity of certa

www.consumeraffairs.com

I don't care, it was just representative and a screenshot showing 2 prices. You said a cruze manual trans was cheaper than all the hybrids being discussed here. That isn't the case. I could replace the ICE, electric motor, battery pack and entire interior in my wife's car and stay under $17k cost of ownership.

4 diesel cruz vs 3k hybrids uner 12k means they aren't all ford cmax. I believe the government would sue ford over trying to meet the BS Cafe standards. The ford ecosport is also a screaming piece of shit. Not sporty or eco compared to a crown Victoria even.

 

[Roc Doc]

2023 F-150 Hybrid. It has about 5000 miles on it now. Had one no start condition when it had less than 200 miles on it and spent a month at the dealer while Ford brought in the corporate diagnostic people. It's been fine since then. I like it so far.

Are you tracking MGP's?

 

[RusM]

2023 F-150 Hybrid. It has about 5000 miles on it now. Had one no start condition when it had less than 200 miles on it and spent a month at the dealer while Ford brought in the corporate diagnostic people. It's been fine since then. I like it so far.

 

[[486]]

I haven’t read the three pages, but I’m convinced in Toyota’s hybrid technology. I have talked to and seen more beat to piss Toyota hybrids running forever, problem free than most ICE cars. Their batteries seem to last 12-15 years, and usually only one goes bad. Last guy I talked to bought a Prius for $500 with something like 279,000 miles on it amd the battery light on. He used it to drive to houses to fell trees. Said mpgs were great.

but then you gotta deal the the moldy-prius stink
because every one of them just reeks of fishy mold and rot inside

 

[Roc Doc]

but then you gotta deal the the moldy-prius stink
because every one of them just reeks of fishy mold and rot inside

?

Water intrusion, or battery rot?

 

[Bacho]

I haven’t read the three pages, but I’m convinced in Toyota’s hybrid technology. I have talked to and seen more beat to piss Toyota hybrids running forever, problem free than most ICE cars. Their batteries seem to last 12-15 years, and usually only one goes bad. Last guy I talked to bought a Prius for $500 with something like 279,000 miles on it amd the battery light on. He used it to drive to houses to fell trees. Said mpgs were great.

As I noted earlier, the battery is starting to give me trouble on my 2010. Every so often it’ll trigger a battery replacement code. As far as I can tell the electric side of the hybrid system gets turned off. It doesn’t really do anything to affect my mpg’s, it’s mostly all highway anyways. But it does take away about a third of the power which is noticeable when trying dart a cross an intersection.

I’ve been using it as a work vehicle. The interior space is very surprising. I have to say the cloth interior is very durable.

 

[Ebs]

I haven’t read the three pages, but I’m convinced in Toyota’s hybrid technology. I have talked to and seen more beat to piss Toyota hybrids running forever, problem free than most ICE cars. Their batteries seem to last 12-15 years, and usually only one goes bad. Last guy I talked to bought a Prius for $500 with something like 279,000 miles on it amd the battery light on. He used it to drive to houses to fell trees. Said mpgs were great.

For a budget beater I bet you can do alright on the older ones. The Ford hybrid (Toyota) taxi fleets turned out to be like 300k-500k mile vehicles. We all got in programmed in our head that anything with 200k+ miles is used up and should be scrap priced.

 

[Roc Doc]

21 Toyota Venza here. The wife's vehicle. We decided to get on the hybrid train for road trips and longer in state travel when we moved to Fl.

We went to purchase a RAV4. At the time they did not have any on the lot with the options the wife wanted and the trim levels of the Venza are better. So, to get what she wanted in a RAV4 we'd have had to buy a top trim package and in the Venza a lot of the features are standard. The RAV was also louder on the road noise and I could really tell when the engine/motor switching happened. Not on the Venza.

Gets around 50mpg in the city driving and 40s on road trips with her driving, probably 25% less when I'm driving.

No issues other than a recall for some lights or something like that. No issues whatsoever.

We went with Toyota as they have the longest track record of successful hybrid vehicles.

Good to know, I hate a loud car over long distances. My truck is stone quiet, and I doubt I could go back, so maybe a Venza or Highlander.