Charting hybrid appeal

Twenty-eight percent of consumers in the market for a new vehicle are considering a hybrid, according to a telephone-based Auto Pulse survey conducted by Consumer Reports National Research Center. Fuel efficiency (87 percent) and environmental impact (86 percent) are a factor for most. Other motivations for choosing a hybrid include:

• 77% Reliability
• 65% Performance
• 58% Concern about dependence on foreign oil
• 58% Purchase price
• 40% Tax incentives
• 37% Resale value
• 24% Political beliefs

Of course, not everyone favors a hybrid. Our research shows that the leading reason for not considering a hybrid is the vehicle selection (50 percent), suggesting that if hybrid powertrains spread to other vehicles, there may be considerably more sales potential.

Other reasons consumers are not considering a hybrid:

• 47% Purchase price
• 45% Performance
• 43% Reliability
• 38% Service costs
• 37% Better alternatives
• 35% Limited availability
• 33% Exaggerated fuel-economy claims
• 29% Resale value

Learn about the impact gas prices on car-buying behavior, read findings from the Consumer Reports Auto Pulse survey on gas prices.

--Jeff Bartlett

Comments

[Charles Erwin]

Last month I bought a Honda civic hybrid for my daughter. I love it. I would gladly trade my 2003 acura tl for a plug-in hybrid, although the tl is a great car except for the millage.

[Said Shirazi]

I think the problem with your survey is that you didn't specify what is meant by "performance". 65% want a hybrid because of it, 45% don't want one because of it. Probably the 65% are thinking of performance as fuel efficiency and the 45% as horsepower.

[John Spielberger]

Hybrids can also be misleading.

They costs generally only pay-off if you do a lot of city/urban driving. The energy that is normally wasted in braking through heat is partially regenerated into electricity that is stored in a battery. The electic motor then uses this stored energy to partially help accelerate the car from a stop.

Driving a hybrid on the freeway will get LESS gas mileage compared to an identical car that had all of the hybrid components removed, and ran only on the small gasoline engine. This is because the electrical system is not used on the freeway; and the car has to carry the additional weight of the electrical batteries and electrical motor.

[S. Camp]

Be careful not to generalize! A Civic does not run on electric alone. My Civic Hybrid gets 38 mpg in city but 48 highway! Also, it actually has more pick-up then the comparable Civic. I've owned it for 3+ years and it's been great!

[Bobby O]

Many hybrids are coming out in SUV-like models, but what about sporty models?
I would like to buy a hybrid 4-seater convertible, like a convertible Prius, or better, Toyota could bring back the Celica convertible in a hybrid model.

[JThomas]

I really want to buy a more fuel efficient car the next time 'round. However, I'm of two minds: I want great fuel economy (to aid both my pocket and the Earth), but I want an elegant and/or sporty vehicle too. If Toyota could load up the Prius with luxury features (add it, under a new name, to the Lexus lineup), I'd be on board in a second. I don't want the existing Lexus hybrid - it doesn't get sufficiently good enough mileage to make it worth the bother. I'm 45 years old and I'm interested in being green, but I also would like to treat myself to a luxury car. A luxury car doesn't have to be large, after all.

[John Mellas]

I agree with an earlier comment regarding a sportier Hybrid. Fact is that a four door Toyota Camry and Honda Accord is not my idea of a sports car, faster (than the gas version) or not. And though I understand that these Automobile giants, among others, aren't far behind with sporty type offerings, it seems to be taking far too long. Imagine the Pontiac Solstice, Infiniti G35 coupe, Nissan 300ZX, Mustang and yes, even the Corvette, in hybrid form. I know, I know, not enough demand yet.
Still, I say the next five years will further change the way we view hybrids because of the models that will be offered. Let's get going then!

[David Reed]

I love my 2007 Camry HV hybrid. I usually get 36.5 mpg; the 2007 EPA estimates were 40 hwy/38 city (vs. 24/33 for gas-only 4 cyl.), but we knew those weren't accurate, and they promise to be more accurate for the 2008s. The electric motors boost the horsepower beyond the normal gas-only 4 cyl. Camry (187 vs. 158 hp), so it feels like a 5 cyl. and has plenty of acceleration. The emissions are less than half of the normal gas 4 & 6 cyl. engines. It costs about $1300 more than the XLE 4 cyl. but about $2000 less than the XLE 6 cyl., and they're similarly (tho' not quite identically) equipped, except the HV (hybrid) comes standard with stability control, which is an option with either XLE trim level, and with the XLE the sunroof is powered, but is optional with the hybrid and LE. The hyrid has a continuously variable transmission, which isn't available on any other Camry. The only big difference with the hybrid is that the trunk capacity is somewhat less because of space taken up by the system's battery.

[Brian]

Hybrids arent everything. Diesel cars get much better MPG than gas fueled autos. years ago, ill admit that diesel cars were noisy etc, but now with the new technology such as BlueTec from VW, Audi, BMW, and Mercedes, the diesel cars are getting better gas milage, much better performance, and less emmissions than regular gas-driven cars. Plus, diesel has stayed at $2.99 per gallon for about three months while gas prices have soared to over $3.50 on some days, and who knows what is going to happen when summer is going to get into high gear.

[Paige]

I just bought a 2007 Toyota Highlander Hybrid, I love it, I can run up to about 40 MPH from the electric motor alone, I get around 30 MPG in the city and 26 on the highway, much better from my previous 04" Chevrolet Tahoe's 14 MPG. And the Highlander is suprisingly fast, 0-60 time of 7.4 seconds. I would not own a diesel, diesel gas smells bad and is greasy.

[Robert L Edwards]

I purchased a Prius in September 2000. The car arrived at the dealer in March 2001. I believe that it makes all other vehicles as obsolete as the Ford Model A which began the technology on which conventional vehicles are based. The MSRP for a Prius is around $21,000 and that includes many of the items that are on other options vehicles such as power windows, stereo CD, ABS, side airbags, ect. The price is very competitive with many mid-size vehicles.

The performance of the 2001 Prius will match that of almost any 4 or 6 cylinder car on the market. There is a very steep grade about 10 miles long on west I-64 east of Beckley WV where most vehicles find it difficult to maintain 50 mph. My Prius will maintain 75 mph for the whole climb. Such acts drasticly diminish the fuel economy but it will still match the best that conventional cars can produce. For those of you who want sporty cars, Toyota has two models of the Lexus and a Highlander that are hybrids. They are configured more for performance than economy although they will still beat any other car in their class. Honda took the same approach with the Accord Hybrid that they have already discontinued. Toyota also has the Camry Hybrid.

During interstate driving at 70 mph it will range from 45 to 52 mpg depending on the temperature. At 65 mph the fuel economy will exceed 52 mpg. As a rule I can drive 450 miles on 10 gallons of gasoline. City driving at Lexington KY results in 40 - 43 mpg.

My Prius has just turned 90,000 miles. I have had it serviced at 5,000 mile intervals. Service includes an oil change and tire rotation with a new cabin filter (a/c filter) at 15,000 mile intervals. The 90,000 mile service added change of the cooling system coolant and change of the power inverter cooling system. The "Hybrid Senergy System" used in the current Toyota Hybrid vehicles is warranted for 8 years or 100,000 miles.

Many people worry about battery replacement. The battery pack consists of a collection of "D" cell size batteries, so if one fails the whole pack does not need to be replaced. I have not heard of anyone having any battery problems. There are Priuses in use that have exceeded 240,000 miles and no battery problems.

The only reliability problem that I have experienced was intermittent power loss. Finally we traced it to a faulty component in the accelerator pedal. There is no mechanical connection between the accelerator pedal and the power source (engine/motor) After that was replaced I have had no trouble.

The only imperfection that I have found with my 2001 Prius is tire wear. It is essential that the proper air pressure and tire alignment be maintained. The air pressure for the Prius is much higher that for other cars. Many dealer service people don't recognize this and leave the tires underinflated after service.

Please note that my remarks are about a 2001 Prius that is a second generation product. The 2004 - 2007 Prius is a third generation product that is a bigger car with better fuel economy and performance that the 2001 - 2003. I am looking forward to the fourth generation.

I am convinced that hybrid vehicles are the future of automobiles for at least the first half of the 21st century.

[Laurie]

I want to buy a hybrid/E85 type vehicle, but I refuse to buy an electric/gas vehicle as I remember the cost of electricity during the summer months in CA. The new tech. will have to exclude hyrdo usage as water is too precious these days. I am hoping we go the E85 route or using some form of renewable source with better fuel economy and availablity. The US is way behind and I think if we consumers push for it, we will see better vehicles on the road. I am just glad we don't pay Europe prices for gas.

[Jim Franz]

Purchased a new Toyota Prius 3 weeks ago. I do 65 miles a day to work and back, 70% highway, and avg 54 mpg which I think is great. There is a lot of mis-information out there. Talk to the people who drive one, not the so called experts. Mine is perfectly comfortable (I'm 6'3"). It accelerates like any other 4 cylinder automatic. At $3.05 gallon I'm doing well not having the 20 mpg car I used to own.

[John]

I'm confused. Less gasoline usage/better mileage in town makes sense because of battery propulsion. Even better mileage on the highway also makes sense, again, because of battery propulsion. Why do some hybrids do better, comparatively, in highway mileage and others better in city driving? Do such variances indicate varying technology which translates to better highway or city mileage, but not both?
Another puzzlement about hybrids. The mechanic who services my car tells me that hybrid batteries will last five years, maybe a little more. Cost of replacement will be $5,000, he estimates. Is this information correct? I can find no reference to such information. Are we being hoodwinked into believing that savings from operating a hybrid are great, only to find the rug pulled away just as the extra cost is paid off? Is the cost of battery production, replacement and environmentally sound burial of the salvage factored into the economics of hybrid economics?

[Loulou]

The biggest reason for me is to decrease dependency on foreign oil. Too many people are dying over it. If I have to pay extra in the future for a new battery, I'll feel good about it.

[J Mar]

We bought a Saturn Aura Green Line about two weeks ago to replace a trouble-free Dodge Stratus R/T coupe. We needed 4 doors because we got tired of standing in the rain while our two growing sons curled pitifully into the back seat, and my wife refused to drive a manual transmission. I averaged about 19 mpg and I really enjoyed driving it.
I drove a new Prius about a year ago and it induced yawns in me the likes of which made a base Corolla seem like an exciting sports car to drive. Nah! That was my impression of a Hybrid since that is THE Hybrid of Hybrids, right? I was not interested in making so many trade-offs in looks, cost, performance, room, feel, and driving enjoyment for a few mpg more, (a neighbor has averaged an "honest" 36.8 mpg total over the last 2 years he has owned one, driving in the same traffic I do) not to mention the right to be fleeced by the dealership for the "privledge" of owning one (He paid $33K). We didn't know there was a Aura Hybrid and we certainly weren't looking for one to buy, but I was suprised when I drove the Saturn Aura hybrid ($24K out the door) as there was little other than the "Hybrid" badges to tell me it was a hybrid, and there wasn't that purchase price premium (see: Toyota Prius) that offsets and destroys any fuel cost savings. The Aura "felt" a lot like my 2002 VW Jetta 1.8T (but without the spirited acceleration) while driving the back roads during my test drive. I was suprised; first, that it was a Hybrid because it felt good; and secondly, I was suprised it was a car made by GM as it didn't feel like the cheap fleet rental appliance I have become accustomed to GM foisting on the public. My wife liked it too.

I am not interested in being the first in my neighborhood with a new science project car. I am not interested in the image of "environmentally aware". I am NOT guided by images of global warming catastrophe (please... get outta my way and save the planet behind me Mrs. Toyota driver!). I don't subscribe to the "sky is falling" philosophy of car buying, but of simple economics with a little hedonism on the side, I like to enjoy the vehicle I drive.

I am guided first, by enjoyment of the driving experience, so the car MUST "feel" good, or no go.

Second, it needs to fulfill all transport duties reasonably asked of it by my family of four.

Third, it has to be a fair price for what you get. I have no stupid money. I'm not rich, and my family needs to shave driving costs so we have money for more important things. No price premiums or additional dealer mark-ups. Such a waste of money.

Now comes the initial milage results. The first 2 fillups has it averaging 27.7 mpg, and most (at least 2/3) of my driving is morning/evening, red-light infested, stop and go, rush hour driving. The trip computer says my average speed so far is 12 mph. The only thing I am learning to deal with that is different, is NOT taking my foot completely off the gas pedal but feathering it when I want to coast, to avoid the hybrid motor kicking in, feeling a lot like compression braking. That "braking" characteristic is probably going to spare many thousands of miles of brake wear as I am learning to use the hybrid motor to do much of the decelerating before ever applying the brakes.

So by simple calculation, if all factors remain static; using the $9,000 cost difference between the Aura hybrid and his Prius; and with gas cost costing $3.00 a gallon; I can buy the Aura Green Line PLUS 3,000 gallons of gas (about 83,000 miles worth based on the milage I have gotten so far) before I reach just the purchase price of his smaller, slightly slower and less enjoyable to drive "King of the Hybrids" that; so far, averages 9.1 miles more per gallon than the Aura. I get to drive a whole lotta miles (about 375,000 miles) for a very very long time (almost 21 years) before the 9.1 mpg fuel milage advantage of the Prius overtakes the initial purchase price and mileage advantage difference. Neither car will last that long since I drive a vehicle about 18,000 miles per year.

If hybrids are more environmentally friendly... good for the environment! (see the environmental damage in Canada (hybrid car owners don't want to see) required to mine the greatly increased demand of nickel for the batteries, and the much higher than average kWhr of electricity (energy used) necessary to manufacture the hybrid system before it ever drives mile one; that few people ever seems to factor in the "Environmentally friendly" title) What will the resale value be just prior to battery replacement, or the resale cost of the vehicle to a consumer after the batteries replacement investment has been made? What will the replacement batteries cost hybrid car owners, and what will be the cost of disposal to tax payers and consumers of so many caustic batteries? There is no free lunch here as the energy to make, move, and then dispose of these things needs to come from somewhere. There will be plenty of pollution generated from the disposal as well, so we should start looking behind the curtain at the total birth to death picture of the vehicle and not just from gas pump visit to gas pump visit before applying the "Environmentally Friendly" moniker.

If the vehicle makes economic sense, performs all the duties for a family of four (like mine) and one can enjoy driving it, while actually spending less than you normally would (sorry but you aren't saving, you are merely spending less), when you factor actual purchase price and cost to operate for a total cost over the duration of ownership, then I am all for hybrids! I just hope a disposal fee for hybrids doesn't become enacted like there is for tires.

Personally, I was looking for a diesel I could afford.

[twohybrids]

Toyota's warranty on the hybrid system including the batteries is 8ys/100,000 miles and Toyota's internal testing indicates a negligble failure rate before 120K miles. So whoever said 5 years is either driving a ton of miles or more likely being fed FUD by a mechanic who can't/doesn't want to have to update his/her knowledge to include hybrids.

We have the Prius and the Camry hybrid. Both are used about 40% suburban, 30% Hwy, 30% city. The Prius averages 52mpg during the summer and 45-46 during the winter. The Camry averages 37 during the summer and 33 during the winter. Both seem to get a couple (2-3) MPG less than the average on long (ie 40+ miles one way) highway trips. But in our case the suburban driving getting to and from the highway levels that out. If you are driving 20 miles or less each way I would say the highway MPG decrease is negligble.

[J Mar]

Truth about fuel efficient vehicles Update... Ver 1.1 (see earlier post)

In my first post (07/03/07) about our Saturn Aura Green Line hybrid, I gave initial mpg and average speed results from the first two fillups as 27.7 mpg with an average speed of 12 mph. Nearly three weeks later with 1253 miles on the odometer the trip computer is showing that my average is now 29.1 mpg and my average speed has increased to 19 mph. For clarification both settings were reset when the vehicle had 35 miles on the odometer and has not been reset since as I have an interest in its' long term compiled results, and not just a single long distance highway trip or optimized mileage runs, but a real daily grind, rush hour stop and go infested mixup, meaning real world mileage. I am also doing a little private survey/research of my own regarding other "fuel effiecient" vehicles.
My reason for doing so is the great disparity between claimed mileage for "certain" vehicles and real world results from interested parties who own those same exact vehicles. Some of these people were very interested in results and kept records as I do, and others give no data, just a claimed result. This is by no means scientific but I found it to be interesting none-the-less.

Those who own Priuses and kept records (which they can present when asked) show very different results than those Prius owners and other Hybrid owners who don't have records or can't show you records.
VW Diesel owners claim very similar results regardless of whether they keep records or not.

First are my own results thus far:
Saturn Aura Green Line (has record) 1253 miles, Avg: 29.1mpg, Avg: 19 mph, Guess 33%city/ 33% suburban/ 33% Hywy

#2 2005 Toyota Prius (has record) 43,500 miles Avg: 36.8 mpg, ???mph, guesses 40% city, 40% suburban, 20% hywy

#3 2002 Toyota Prius (has record) 84,000 miles Avg: 39.1 mpg, ???mph, guesses 50% city, 50% suburban, 0% hywy.

#4,5,6,7 2004-6 Toyota Prius (no record) no total milage info (now comes the interesting part) Claimed average MPG: 52, 55, 50, 57 respectively.

#8 2007? Toyota Camry Hybrid(3 weeks old, 1 long distance trip) 750 miles , Claimed Avg MPG: 35-36 spending a lot of time at 70 mph with 2 people and luggage.

#9 2004 VW Jetta SW TDI (has record) 93,000 miles Avg: 42 mpg (Highest 47, lowest 34 mpg), guesses 20% city, 20% sububan, 60% hywy.

#10 2003 VW Jetta TDI (has record) 127,000 miles, Avg: 41 mpg , guesses 10% city, 20% suburban, 70% hywy

#11, 12, 13 VW Jetta TDI 2002?-2004 (no record) Claimed MPG 40, 40-ish, 40.

I noticed 2 simple things: first, VW Diesel owners all claim about the same mileage (40 something) whether they have records or not. Secondly, Prius owners who keep records (because their mileage is reimbursed by their jobs) average high 30's mpg, while owners who provide no proof claim milage in the 50's. Are those claiming in excess of 50 mpg simply hyping the car to pursuade others? Are people who provide no proof of claim simply averaging 30% better fuel efficiency than those who track milage as part of their living? I heard the very same thing from the 2 Prius owners who track their mileage, that their winter mileage and summer mileage are awful (high 20's- low 30's) and their spring and fall mileages (high 30's- mid 40's) bring the average up, but total cumulative mileage is high 30's, not the mid 50 claimed by those with no proof.

My little survey is by no means scientific but as a result of talking to people with these vehicles I have come to a simple conclusion: claims of averaging 50 mpg or better by Prius owners in my area are unsubstantiated rumor, hype, and exaggeration by those who want everyone to do what they do for reasons of ego or self important moral superiority, and not because their vehicles are capable of averaging as one person claimed, 57mpg since they bought it. I don't believe it, show me the long term milage data.
VW Diesel owners seem more pragmatic and reserved in their claims, and all claim about the same thing: about 40 mpg. I can believe that.

I can foresee my Saturn Aura Green Line as averaging between 27.5-29 mpg over the long haul driving the way we drive, but I will post again in the future. I like driving it, but not as much as my 2004 Dodge Stratus R/T coupe 5sp man. In comparison with my Stratus R\T, the interior feels cost-cutted and acceleration is weak by comparison (it is not a sport coupe afterall and cost $6000 less), but its' mission in my family is to get us decent gas mileage in stop and go commuting, grocery getting, and running kids to swim meets and baseball games keeping as dry while the kids climb into the back seats.

To conclude this passage, I am doubting the mileage claimed by many Prius owners as in excess of 50 mpg. I will be open to pursuasion but pursuasion requires fact and vapid real data, not impassioned pleas to simply believe what you say because your a good person and feel strongly about the subject.
I will be listening with open mind and great interest. Until next time...

[John Abraham]

Clean Diesel is still a tough competitor of Gasoline Electric Hybrids and is gaining popularity in the US.

[Phil]

I bought a Camry Hybrid a couple of months ago, and I simply love it. With all due respect to what others are reporting, I have gotten 43 MPG on my last 3 tankfuls of gas with a mix of suburban/highway driving. My two cents worth on improving hybrid mileage is do all those things we've heard about for years: keep your tires inflated properly, don't do jackrabbit starts and stops, and keep a light foot on the accelerator.

[Prius Owner.]

We have owned a Prius for 9 months (14,500 miles). The bulk of the travel is Boston Suburb commuting. I have kept detailed records of gas consumption. The dashboard has reported an average of 49.9 MPG. From gas slips and trip odometer, I get 48.3 MPG.

Short trips have the lowest gas mileage(cold car). Longer trips get better gas mileage(warm car).

[walker]

I think diesel electric cars (hybrids) are the next step in the evolution of the car. Are there any in production or even prototypes out there?

[Gerardr]

In my recent car shopping, in which I wound up getting a new 2008 Subaru Impreza 2.5i, I seriously considered the Prius. I liked the hatchback flexibility and the predicted reliability. Plus the CR performance figures were not that far off those of the earlier Impreza. BUT, for the lack of a height adjustable driver seat, I had to discontinue my testing. There was no way for me to sit comfortably in that vehicle without my hair touching the ceiling. If the seat could be lowered 2" (fairly easy given the clearance I could see underneath it), I would be driving one. Oh, well, I now do have AWD, and am getting 5mpg highway better than my old Subaru Forester.