Petrol Hybrid Car for Heavy User?

bigjl

In my own experince of an older model Prius and what Inam told by friends that use a Prius for work they are better on fuel round town.

Though if you look at the US Based Hyper Miling forums you can see that many Prius owners get very good MPG on motorway/highway.

They use certain techniques. I think one of called Pulse + Glide which seems to entail pressing the accelerator then easing off constantly to maintain speed.

The entry level Prius with the 15" wheels is the only one that qualifies for free London CC, co2 g/km of 70. The rest with 17" wheels are all above 75 g/km.

Not sure how a new Prius compares to an A4, my BiL likes his A4, he is on his 2nd and has owned them since 2002.

I doubt he would be overly happy in a Prius, but he doesn't have to consider his tax.

It's an interesting situation.

I would advise a good test drive in every car that fits the bill.

I would also consider reliability, hopefully the 330e is more reliable that the E300 hybrid.

forgotmyname

My car was designed 16 years ago and things have moved on since then, if my car can manage 60+mpg then a newer and smaller car should do that with ease.

The fact you get 60+ on the motorway still escapes the fact that some newer diesels will be doing 80+mpg. So if your journeys are mainly motorways why buy a hybrid that does 60mpg when a plain diesel will do 80+mpg?

benson1980

The official figures for the Prius are much higher no doubt but this is real world 60mpg. You obviously prefer diesels which is fine. If we were all the same and drove mondeos it would be bit boring. I'm just trying to provide a bit of balance having driven and owned both diesels and hybrids.

forgotmyname

I prefer petrol actually, but after towing my caravan with a diesel i made the switch. I would have bought an ST220 Mondeo but you cannot tow with one.

You prefer hybrids but can you honestly say there is no straight petrol or diesel car out there than would give better mpg than a hybrid?

gzoom

forgotmyname wrote: »

My car was designed 16 years ago and things have moved on since then, if my car can manage 60+mpg then a newer and smaller car should do that with ease.

The fact you get 60+ on the motorway still escapes the fact that some newer diesels will be doing 80+mpg. So if your journeys are mainly motorways why buy a hybrid that does 60mpg when a plain diesel will do 80+mpg?

This isn't really true, modern diesel engines have to confirm to much stricter emission standards than your 16 year old car. This isn't a bad thing, as less toxic chemicals are been emitted, but it does mean efficiency drops off, which is what the whole VW dieselgate saga was about.

I haven't seen any conventional cars that can do a real life 80mpg+. The latest Prius is probably as efficient as it gets interms of thermal energy turned into motion regardless of fuel type. The EPA rating for that car is 52mpg.

The American EPA rating is much more accurate than the European testing methods, but you have to take into account the American gallon is different from the UK measure.

https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/best-worst.shtml

bigjl

forgotmyname wrote: »

I prefer petrol actually, but after towing my caravan with a diesel i made the switch. I would have bought an ST220 Mondeo but you cannot tow with one.

You prefer hybrids but can you honestly say there is no straight petrol or diesel car out there than would give better mpg than a hybrid?

You need to consider that a Prius is Auto, all Hybrids I have seen have been Auto, not sure if you can get the Insight in manual though.

Anyway, Autos are usually slightly less economical unless they are a DSG or EGS automated manual.

So often the comparison of mpg is between an Auto Hybrid and a manual diesel. We used to struggle to crack 16/17mpg in the Auto diesel Zafiras for example, a manual in the same usage would likely get low 30's.

I like diesels but living in London means DPFs are a consideration, Hybrids don't have the issue (3008 excluded)

My little Picanto shows 47mpg at the moment, last reset it over a month ago, in almost identical use an old mk3 Clio DCi gave just over 60mpg.

I would expect a Prius to give around 60mpg aswell, maybe a little better in an Auris or Yaris Hybrid.

If I was living in Scotland, say Aberdeen area, then I would have a manual diesel car no questions.

Iceweasel

bigjl wrote: »

If I was living in Scotland, say Aberdeen area, then I would have a manual diesel car no questions.

Have you been to Aberdeen lately bigjl?

Rush hour traffic is the same as everywhere else in the UK which is why I have an auto diesel.

I haven't mush to contribute to this thread as I know nothing about company car tax and benefit in kind etc or whatever it's called.

The thread title confuses me as I don't consider 100 miles a day to be a 'heavy user' or have I further misinterpreted what this is all about?

forgotmyname

Young un wants a car and she liked the look of the Picanto, 2004 on on Autotrader or Ebay ? Only about 10 miles away. hopefully going to have a
look. but what are they like?

Dads got the Rio and parts seem to be a bit pricey and sometimes hard to get, dealer wanted money up front for the gear cables and said it could take 6 weeks or more.

The photos appear to be rather fuzzy though, what are they hiding

almillar

My car was designed 16 years ago and things have moved on since then, if my car can manage 60+mpg then a newer and smaller car should do that with ease.

Nah, a smaller, newer car will be both heavier (for safety) and less aerodynamic (because it'll be shorter). Plus the extra controls put on emissions (cats (yes your 16 yr old car should have one) and DPFs, for example, get in the way of exhausting, so remove efficiency for the reward of less pollution).

The fact you get 60+ on the motorway still escapes the fact that some newer diesels will be doing 80+mpg

Yep. This is what it's all about. A diesel will spank a hybrid on the motorway. A hybrid will spank a diesel around town, stop/start. What's your balance between those two uses? This is how you decide.