Does your dealership / service department understand hybrids?
How have you dealt with your hybrid problems?Most hybrid owners are pretty happy with their hybrid vehicles. 90-some percent of Toyota Prius owners, for instance, would buy another Prius.
Still, there are consumers that are unhappy with the performance, usually fuel economy, of their hybrids. Sometimes these hybrid problems are bugs. Sometimes these hybrid problems are based on a misunderstanding of hybrid technology.
For instance, many hybrid drivers will start a cold hybrid and baby it a on a few mile trip and wonder why the fuel economy isn't better. In such conditions, I use more aggressive acceleration followed by coasting until the engine warms. While such a tactic seems counter-intuitive, it does lead to better short trip fuel economy.
Yet, many dealers - from the complaints I've read - never seem to discuss such tactics.
Does your dealership and service department fully understand hybrid technology?
Labels: Hybrid Vehicles, toyota prius
posted by Dahcredyns at
9:19 AM
5 Comments:
It's my understanding that you don't have to change your driving habits to drive a hybrid. At least, that's what most advocates of hybrid car ownership say. This is indeed strange, and new, information for me.
You don't have to change your driving habits to see a significant improvement, but you'll probably want to.
If you drive a Lexus RX and then switch to the hybrid version, and drive exactly the same way, you'll increase your fuel economy between about 15 and 30 percent depending upon your driving conditions.
However, if you want to maximize your fuel economy, there are many techniques that can be utilized.
Those techniques vary by hybrid and by driving conditions. That doesn't mean you can forever achieve a 30 percent improvement, but maybe you'll average closer to a 30 percent improvement versus a 15 percent improvement.
Again, you don't have to use these techniques to increase your fuel economy, but if you want to maximize your fuel economy, there are techniques available.
you will be shocked to read the actual Toyota Prius II comments about real world mileage ! Wow many many are getting average on the older Prius of ONLY 30MPG on average(city/rural)!
wow I sure am glad I will wait till end of 2010 when I get one, as by then the technological advances will mean that advertised really WILL be 'real world' - one in the same and no mileage shock laters :)
has anyone looked at the "How much would you pay for a volt" poll. Why are all those idiots only going to consider a volt if its 20k? I fully expect the volt to be 40k+... and i would certainly buy one at that price. In fact, I would buy one that was a lot more expensive... I'd rather GM sale at a profit then a loss.
last anon-
most americans are driven by cost-effectiveness, that's why.
according to research, a $40,000 Volt minus a $7500 tax credit still isn't nearly cost-effective compared to a conventional vehicle even if it uses only electricity its entire life unless gas hits like $5.00 or %6.00.
compared to a prius the numbers are even worse.
that's reality.
and let's not forget, early on GM said the Volt would only cost abotu $30,000.
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