Hybrid car ads, like my hybrid Toyota Prius, all vehicle fuel economy and almost nothing else, it seems.
So what? After all, that’s the big issue behind designing this type of car in the first place, right?
It’s how a hybrid car works that allows it to be so fuel efficient, and that’s the selling point in this era of higher gas prices, and in the face of such looming specters as global warming. With all of that as the basis for creating hybrid cars in the first place, and with all the emphasis on fuel economy, you’d think that would be the first thing people would ask.
Wellll. Sometimes.
Most of the time, one of the first questions will be about performance. Sometimes it’s the first question, but even when the first question is about fuel economy (I hear you get 60 MPG on this stuff. Is that true?) very often the next one is about performance. They are particularly interested in this with my Prius than with a known model that has been brought out with a hybrid motor. They tend to assume that if the sedan, truck or SUV can do something as a standard model, they will still do it as a hybrid.
However, the Toyota Prius was designed as a hybrid and nothing more, and has no other performance record to fall back on. Since it first appears as a small car (more on that later), and since people are somewhat ignorant about hybrid engines, they tend to assume they’re looking at something similar to the modern day equivalent of the old Volkswagen Beetle.
People want to know if a hybrid, particularly the Prius, can run at highway speeds, keep up with other traffic, run fast when heavily loaded (they’re also surprised by the storage space), and hold speed in the hills.
Yes Yes Yes Yes.
I just got back from a trip to Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. I put in over 4,500 miles in my Prius during this time and drove in just about every type of terrain and traffic situation you can imagine. From the interstate to the back roads, I’ve climbed mountains (Donner Pass, for example), driven at highway speeds, passed slower-moving vehicles, and…yeah…sat in traffic jams.
My little Toyota Prius had absolutely no problem keeping up with the big boys. The ride was comfortable and didn’t feel like a small car at all. Actually, by the way, the Prius has a lot of interior space to appear so small from the outside. In fact, that is one of the things that most surprises people when they get on one.
So, did I find any drawbacks in the performance of my Prius?
Well, while it can accelerate and run at high speeds, it doesn’t go as fast as a bigger, more muscular car, so you have to be a little more careful when choosing your seats than in my old Dodge Intrepid, for example.
You should also remember that the design intentions with the Prius were for fuel economy. As with any car, if you choose to push the high speeds found on western interstates, your fuel economy will take a bit of a hit. In fact, I saw a drop of about 5 MPG or more when running 70 MPH or more. By the way, for those of you unfamiliar with driving in the states I mentioned, there ARE some 80 MPH speed limits, and most interstate highways in the west are set to 70 MPH or higher.
If you want fuel economy to be advertised while driving down the highway, you’ll need to slow down a bit. Also, looking at other fuel savings such as paying attention to traffic and making decisions early, keeping your tires properly inflated, and changing your oil regularly will help keep your gas mileage low.
Some people like to use synthetic motor oils in their cars. Although the Toyota dealers I deal with typically have their own petroleum-based motor oils that they recommend and use, the use of synthetic motor oils such as those available commercially or through an AMSOIL dealer will not void your warranty. However, you may need to provide your own oil if you want to use a specific synthetic lubricant.
Oh by the way. I averaged about 47.5 MPG on that trip (my wife likes to go 70 and 75…and 80), and gas averaged about $3.00 a gallon. When I spent the night in Abilene, I started talking to a guy who had just started a similar tour of most of the states that he had just passed through. His truck got 16 MPG. I bought about 100 gallons for a total of about $300.00. He was looking at a gas bill of around $900.00.
I saw his family and his luggage. They and luggage would have fit comfortably in my Toyota Prius.
Need I say more?
