Posted on 10/13/2005 12:38:08 PM PDT by .cnI redruM
NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - The Honda Insight, a gas-electric hybrid car, edged out the Toyota Prius as the most fuel-efficient vehicle in the U.S., according to new mileage ratings from the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy.
Both get an estimated 60 miles per gallon in city driving.
**********Snip****************
Top 10 vehicles overall:
(City/Highway)
1. Honda Insight (hybrid) -- 60/66
2. Toyota Prius (hybrid) -- 60/51
3.Volkswagen New Beetle and Golf (diesel, manual) -- 37/44
4. Volkswagen Jetta (diesel) -- 36/41
5. Ford Escape Hybrid FWD -- 36/31
6. Volkswagen New Beetle and Jetta(diesel, automatic) -- 35/42
7. Volkswagen Golf (diesel, automatic) -- 33/44
8. Ford Escape Hybrid 4WD (Also Mazda Tribute and Mercury Mariner 4WD hybrids) -- 33/29
9. Lexus RX 400h 2WD and Toyota Highlander Hybrid 2WD -- 33/28
10. Toyota Corolla (manual) -- 32/41
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
The reality is the average person with any car will not get the official mileage, not just hybrids, because the testing process really doesn't replicate real driving that well. People are more likely to notice this and complain about it with a hybrid, thouhg.
There's real world mileage, and testing mileage.
The testing practice for the MPG rating is way out of date. It doesn't reflect the way that most people drive today, but it does match up well with the way hybrids operate. So they get good ratings in the official tests, but often considerably less in real world conditions.
The Honda insight is a 2 seater, very light and aerodynamic and is probably not a car you would want to own. It is the only car in 60 mpg range and would probably get 45 mpg with a gasoline only engine anyway.
What I don't get is why the corrolla at 32/41 is less fuel efficient than number 8 and 9 at 33/29 and 33/28. I'll take 32/41 any day.
That's what I heard as well. I was told to expect about 40 or a little over.
It would depend on how many miles you drove at 32 mpg and how many you drove at 41. I can see where they didn't clearly explain their statistical rationale.
You have to drive 12 gallons at 32 and 1 gallon at 41 for the gas mileage to be equal to 12 gallons at 33 and 1 gallon at 29.
I think the Corolla should be number 8.
It could be that they are only looking at the city number. Hybrids can get better mileage in city driving because the electric motor handles the load most of the time.
I had a gas engined VW Jetta that was getting close to 33 highway and 29 city.
The official MPG ratings were close to what I was getting.
*shrugs*
Depends upon the driving conditions, tire inflation, suspension condition, tire type, and how much of someones driving is highway and how much is city.
Dunno much about the hybrids myself, the ones I've run across have had a hard time getting out of their own way let alone mine.
They're arranged in order of city driving mileage with highway mileage being the tiebreaker.
And then, there is Reality!
Driving one of these putt-putts is O K in Left Armpit, Arkansas, but how about most commute paths?
I'm talking any freeway in a metro area in California, Colorado,Washington State, or Virginia/DC.
You need visibilty to apprehend obstacles and stopped traffic (Won't get that in your "ass close to the ground" Hybrid)
You need mass to counter some ignorant Road Warrior's attempt at intimidation. (You can't counter a terrorist driving a Coor's can.)
I'll stick with BMW's.
Seems like might be a semi driver. When I was a college kid, I drove MGs, Triumphs, Lotus Europa; all sports cars.
For what it's worth, I've got a 2000 Corolla, and my "real world" driving milage, with about 85% highway, and 15% city driving works out to between 34 and 37 mpg (depends on how windy it is, and if I'm using the AC). I've heard that they've improved the aerodynamics and get a bit more efficiency from the engine, so I wouldn't be surprised if (given the same sort of driving I do) I would get nearly 40MPG with a new Corolla. Still, I figure I've got another 5 years to go before I buy another car. My last car was a 1990 Corolla, and I traded it in on the 2000, with 197,000 miles on it.
Mark
My husband and I were just discussing this.
Everything we've read says that although the hybrid cars list their mpg in the 60 range that is under optimum conditions and they are not getting that in ordinary city driving. (of course isn't that true of most mpg claims)
If we happen to be in the market for a more fuel efficient car (which we've talked about), we're sticking with Toyota, but the Corolla, not the Prius. Corolla is a proven product and you can pretty much bet you're going to get 150,000 miles without any significant problems.
Are these stats wrong some how?
LOL!
If they can figure out how to improve fuel economy AND give good accelration and performance, then maybe I'd consider one.
(And give me easily four times the range of anything else on the road!)
But we know they aren't going ot do that for awhile yet.
The numbers probably aren't wrong, just not real world.
In reality the drivers are zipping around, flogging the car, thinking "I wish I had a V-8".
I have an 05 Corolla S w/ 5spd manual. It's my third Corolla, great cars all.
In 80/20 highway/city driving and I get about the same as you, typically between 34 and 37. I have gotten nearly 40 on all highway roadtrips.
A friend drives a Prius. I like some things about it but it cost a LOT more ($10k) and he gets low 40's. I wouldn't trade him straight up even though they are both just a year old. It has driveability issues, IMO.
Yes they're 'wrong' in that personal anecdotes from Toy-oater Penus and Hondoutasight owners aren't anything like the MSM wants us to believe.
My VW TDI regularly does 55 mpg.
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