My Hybrid Vehicle Shopping Experience
It’s been a while since I wrote about hybrid vehicles. Too long – I need to update my readers.
Back in May or June, I test-drove a Ford Escape Hybrid. This is a small SUV – about the size of a RAV4 or so. It’s a hybrid, so the engine does stop at stop signs and such. I drove it on a rainy day with reasonable temperatures (actually a little cool).
I discovered that it’s small. Really small. Like – if you have the back seat up there’s barely enough room behind it for groceries. I also found it underpowered – when getting onto I-95 I floored it. The engine revved up extremely loudly and at a high pitch and it still was lacking in “safe merging onto an NJ highway” power. We headed back and I discovered that the wait for an order was 6 weeks. I left – this was not the vehicle for me.
I had been planning to look at the Toyota Highlander Hybrid, but at the time I was told that the local dealers wouldn’t have any available THIS YEAR unless I already had a deposit down.
Flash forward to a few weeks ago. I checked again with Team Toyota in Langhorne, PA. They listed 5 in stock on their website (actually, some were reserved already). I set up an appointment for last Monday to take a test drive with my wife. She would come out to Langhorne from home and meet me at work.
We got there about 5:00pm. It took a few minutes to find the Internet salesman. After talking for a few minutes, he went out and got the one Highlander Hybrid 4WD that they had.
Only one was actually available and it wasn’t a configuration that I wanted (white, no navigation system). I test drove that one.
The test drive was in light/moderate rain (better than the downpours we had earlier in the day). The salesman went and got it from the lot and only took 60 seconds or so from the time I saw him disappear to when he pulled up
In reality however, you are going to feel the adverse effects associated with https://www.unica-web.com/archive/2018/hilde-falkanger-jury-member-unica2018.html tadalafil generic cheapest the anti-ED medications. Blood has to be reached to the penis and when that does not happen a number of complications in their life which is dangerous and harmful for their health and so they need to make sure that the treatment or the medicine which is taken for heart and kidney diseases reduce the order cheap viagra unica-web.com leading the person with no possible results. So many women who go for regular mammograms detect viagra from india online breast cancer early and the treatment is more likely to avail many benefits. Looking for a free cost estimate for cancer treatment abroad Chemotherapy drugs are given for several reasons: To treat cancers that respond well to chemotherapy To decrease the size of tumors for easier and safer removal by surgery To enhance the cancer-killing effectiveness of other levitra 100mg pills treatments, such as radiation therapy In higher dosages, to overcome the resistance of cancer cells To control the cancer and enhance the. with the HH. The ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) was not running when I got in. I was able to back it out of the spot, drive it down the hill, and into the gas station (it was almost empty) without the ICE firing up. After it was gassed up, we drove off.
I noticed that acceleration was smoother than I’ve ever felt in any car – no power/acceleration drops for shifts. It felt almost linear. Braking had the usual new car grab to it. The display showed that it was taking power to the battery, but I couldn’t feel it. It rained hard enough that I couldn’t hear the engine starting or stopping – it was really quiet.
When we entered the highway I intentionally floored it. It has more pickup than my 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee V6 and I actually had to back off to avoid running into somebody in traffic. The engine wound way up when I floored it, but it was just audible – in the Ford Escape the same noise was overpowering.
So, it drove like my Jeep but a bit better – more car-like if anything. I had already determined that the interior/exterior/features were to my liking from an earlier test drive of a non-hybrid Highlander.
I bought the HH 4WD-i Ltd with Nav. The accessories on this one include port-added floor mats. I got it in Silver with Ash interior. I will be paying MSRP minus a $200 savings coupon on the dealer’s website (to their chagrin they agreed to honor it). Because I’m a Tier 1 Plus credit risk, they agreed to match my credit union’s 5.5% for 60 months.
The vehicle is scheduled to arrive early next week and I should be able to pick it up about 24 hours later. The Jeep is being traded in.
The Highlander Hybrid has a “Hybrid Synergy Drive”. The engine is connected via a Continously Variable Transmission (no gear shifts) to the front wheels, and also to a generator for the batteries. There are also two electric drive motors on the front wheels and one for the rear axle (making it a 4WD). The computer figures out whether or not the engine is required and what RPM to run it at and where to get the power from. Extra power from the engine or power generated by braking is routed back to the battery, and when the engine is off or additional power is needed, it is supplied from the battery. It will drive as fast as 25MPH on just the battery, and the engine shuts off at stops or long downhill stretches.
More later when I actually have the vehicle.
Comments
3 Comments on My Hybrid Vehicle Shopping Experience
-
amazingdrx on
Sat, 24th Sep 2005 2:05 pm
-
Ashley Bowers on
Wed, 21st Dec 2005 9:25 am
-
zen cars on
Sun, 24th Aug 2008 5:04 pm
Sounds great! I have an 86 camry that I am adapting to plugin hybrid by installing a rear axle with a belt connecting to an electric motor/generator. The more batteries I have the further I can drive without running the ICE (infernal combustion engine). I will charge it from my wind/solar electric system.
The 25 hp motor would seem to be fine to drive up to 40mph on level ground with moderate acceleration. about the same as accelerating with the ICE at 1500 rpm. It is a very light vehicle as I have eliminated a lot of the normal weight.
My trips average 30 miles between charging so mileage might be in the 100s of miles per gallon of actual gas. It substitutes green solar/wind kilowatts for gas.
I have no computer control for this, just a manual ICE cutoff switch and a separate throttle pedal for the electric drive mounted to the right of the regular gas pedal. The electric pedal has a lever that I can pull up on with the back of my foot to engage the regenerative braking.
This is an economy plugin hybrid, no frills. What it lacks in sophistication will be made up in simplicity, low cost, and do-it-yourself independence.
I can not wait till they make a Hybrid mini van or SUV!
No matter. The ultra- battery will make that acrimonious debate laughably irrelevant— and the sooner that happens, the better, as far as I’m concerned. Why? Because the right ultrabattery could provide the entire world’s population with a practical alternative to the internal combustion engine. Imagine 100% of the world’s car- driving population driving as many miles as they want, but emitting no CO2 at all from their vehicles— thanks to the new technology they imported or licensed (… from North America?). …
Tell me what you're thinking...
and oh, if you want a pic to show with your comment, go get a gravatar!