Petrol Hybrid Car for Heavy User?

aj9648

Hi


I have been looking at getting a new car this year as my lease is up on my company car and looking at getting a petrol hybrid potentially due to tax impacts etc.


However I do a lot of motorway miles - roughly 100miles per day and 90 of those are on the motorway.


I am not a car expert, and wondered if any hybrid owners had experience of using on a motorway / long journeys etc


Currently looking at getting a BMW 330e.....if it does not work out then its back to the Audi A4

Strider590

By tax you mean VED? That shouldn't even factor in, it's so small compared to other costs of having a financed new car that it's virtually free.

weeowens

Strider590 wrote: »

By tax you mean VED? That shouldn't even factor in, it's so small compared to other costs of having a financed new car that it's virtually free.

I'm guessing the OP means company car tax & not VED.
CO2 emissions have a bearing on what Company Car tax is paid so a hybrid may be cheaper re comapny car tax.

re the question I guess that a Hybrid may lower company car tax but will not save much fuel if at all compared to a diesel.

A bit here: http://www.parkers.co.uk/cars/advice/finding/2015/september/diesel-vs-hybrid/

Plus:

http://www.nextgreencar.com/hybrid-cars/buying-guide/
Quote:
The only type of driving not particularly suited to hybrid cars is regular long-distance driving typical of company cars. During motorway use, at high constant power, the hybrid power-train adds little to the efficiency of the engine. In this situation, a clean diesel would probably be a better option from a fuel efficient and CO2 perspective (although NOx and particulates will still be lower for a petrol hybrid).

aj9648

Thanks - yes meant company car tax not VED

sillygoose

aj9648 wrote: »

Hi


I have been looking at getting a new car this year as my lease is up on my company car and looking at getting a petrol hybrid potentially due to tax impacts etc.


However I do a lot of motorway miles - roughly 100miles per day and 90 of those are on the motorway.


I am not a car expert, and wondered if any hybrid owners had experience of using on a motorway / long journeys etc


Currently looking at getting a BMW 330e.....if it does not work out then its back to the Audi A4

Far too complex to answer easily (I do a lot of miles a day in a hybrid) but it comes down to one issue in my advice..

Hybrids need to run on battery at least part the journey to bring the AVERAGE mpg within reason.

Its a rapidly diminishing return, that bit faster you go, then you use the battery a LOT quicker, less miles on battery = more miles on petrol =lower MPG.

If you can relax, ease off and adopt a low stress slower style and are happy to arrive a few minutes later than usual then yes it can work for you.
If your a foot down hustle in the fast lane type, stay away, it will drink petrol like a Jumbo Jet.

I can get 40mpg even over really long trips but I know plenty of people with the same car struggling for 30mpg. To me its worthwhile for the £250 a month company car tax saving!

bob_a_builder

Currently looking at getting a BMW 330e.

Good luck with that !

Tried to get one of those myself as replacement company car,
BMW say they don't have any more quota ( or whatever it is ) for 2016

Went with Mitsubishi Outlander ( sub 50 co2 - not all hybrids get that low) which halved my CC tax bills, even with company paying petrol

This site very good for a quick check on CC tax
http://comcar.co.uk/dir1in.cfm

DKLS

There is a thread on pistonheads all about the 330e might be worth a look for real world feedback.

benson1980

I own a gen 3 Prius and drive 80 miles a day on the motorway. Bearing in mind its a smooth quiet automatic, I get anywhere between 55-65mpg (actual rather than displayed).

If you search hybrid owners opinions rather than the same regurgitated dross on some websites (as quoted above) you'll find most owners report the highest mpg on motorway runs

http://www.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/topic/151265-motorway-driving/?page=1

forgotmyname

highest mpg for that car, but there are non hybrid cars that will outperform the hybrid. I can get 60+mpg from a 2L Mondeo diesel thats almost 9 years old.

Not bad for a 1.5 ton car with roof bars that hinder the consumption, take a hatchback and you should hit 70 on a steady cruise at the legal limit.

bigadaj

benson1980 wrote: »

I own a gen 3 Prius and drive 80 miles a day on the motorway. Bearing in mind its a smooth quiet automatic, I get anywhere between 55-65mpg (actual rather than displayed).

If you search hybrid owners opinions rather than the same regurgitated dross on some websites (as quoted above) you'll find most owners report the highest mpg on motorway runs

http://www.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/topic/151265-motorway-driving/?page=1

That's conflating issues though.

It's entirely possible to get higher fuel consumption on a motorway as opposed to town or mixed driving, but for that vehicle to perform relatively worse in comparison to other engine types.

You'll get better figures on a motorway in a hybrid, but actual consumption for motorway driving will still probably be worse than a decent new diesel. Around town your consumption would probably be far better than that diesel.

benson1980

I'm sure you can get a modern diesel that does 60+mpg on a motorway. But so does a decent hybrid. At the end of the day you pay your money and make your choice- if the OP prefers diesels then buy a diesel- personally I don't like them. Just saying that a hybrid isn't suited for motorway journeys is quite frankly a load of tosh. I pay no tax, low insurance, and it's automatic which was a massive plus for me.