Anyone Own A Hybrid Car?

B

Bruise Lee

Joined
Aug 4, 2002
Messages
363
I presently own a 1972 Ford Mustang. With it's huge V-8, 4-bbl carb, and 3 speed automatic transmission I can only manage 10 mpg in the city, and 14 mpg on the highway. If I really put my foot on the pedal, I can honestly get less than 2 mpg, and we are talking about premium gas only! Needless to say with gas prices the way they are now, I'm spending a good $100 dollars a week on gas now, which is intolerable.

I've been seriously concidering buying a hybrid car. I know Honda makes two, and Toyota makes one. With these babies getting over 60 mpg, wow, what a difference that would make in my gas bill! I spoke with one woman at work who owns one, and she said she got a $5,000 rebate from the government for buying one, which should bring the price down to about $15,000.

Do any of you guys own a hybrid car? Any thoughts on reliablity? Performance (I do over 80 mph regularly zipping around the freeways at night)? I tend to keep equipment forever, so cost of parts and ease of maintenance are important to me.

Are they really a viable transportation option, or am I better off just gettin a Japanese or German 4 banger?

Bruise
 
Not yet, but I'm planning to buy a Ford Escape hybrid when they become available, in early 2004. I know someone who has one of the two-door hybrids, don't remember if it's Toyota or Honda, and they're happy with it. I'd get the new Civic, but I'd rather have the ground clearance of the Escape.
 
Hey Bruise, I'm with Ewok. I'm also waiting for the Ford SUV hybrid to come out. Reason being - none of the current batch of hybrids (Toyota Prius, Honda Insight or Civic Hybrid) are rated to tow *anything*. I need to have (light) towing capacity occasionally and I am hoping this upcoming offering from Ford will permit that.

--gordon
 
I have some good friends that have the 4-door Toyota Piruis. It is a bit weird to ride in at first because it's so quiet. It fits 4 adults fine and they sure like it. Pretty cool I think.

They aren't driving around zipping on the freeways at 80 as you describe, but they use it as a commuter(35 mi. each way) and love it.

I know some one that had the Honda and it had maintenance problems quite often and she dumped it after a year.

WHat is your commute like?
 
If all that counts is good performance and high mpg, go for a good diesel engine. A BMW 3 liter diesel engine will allow you to do 30-50 mpg depending on how you step on it. It has 193hp and lots of torque plus it can take you at over 130mph. I don't know if BMW sells diesel engines in USA though.
 
Angus, my commute consists of a 40 mile round trip through Los Angeles. I live in the San Fernando Valley and work in Beverly Hills, so it is a mix of freeway driving (the 80 mph part on a good day), to hill climbing (going over Laurel Canyon in the Hollywood Hills), to street driving (Beverly Hills, there are no freeways near Beverly Hills by design).

I don't need the hybrid to tow crap 'cause I've got a 351 c.i.d. Ford V-8 to do that!;)

You can get 30-50 mpg on a 3.0 litre diesel BMW engine? Really? Wow, if this is true, I will have to look into it.

Oh, two other factor I should mention that weigh heavily into my purchase decision:

1) The L.A. car theft factor. No way will I buy a Toyota Camry, or Honda Civic because these cars get ripped off ALL THE TIME here in L.A. What good is a dependable car with good milage if some punk is driving it to a chop shop? Did I ever tell you guys some pricks stole MY FENDER AND HOOD in broad daylight while I was parked at an attended parking lot downtown? Can you say inside job?

2) The moron driver factor. To me, a nice car is a total waste in Los Angeles unless you are filthy rich. I see so many accidents it's pointless to own a nice car. My co-worker bought a brand new Saab convertible a few years back. He had it 2 1/2 weeks before an uninsured, unlicensed, non-English speaking driver totaled it for him.
This car is just going to be transportation for me. I want to spend as little on it as possible. But, I don't want to get something too small, because when the uninsured moron does eventually crash into me, I don't want to die in like a Mini-Cooper or a Miata!

Bruise
 
Originally posted by Bruise Lee

You can get 30-50 mpg on a 3.0 litre diesel BMW engine? Really? Wow, if this is true, I will have to look into it.
Click to expand...

The exact figures are (for BMW 330D):
mpg on highway (at 80mph) 35 mpg
mpg town+ highway 31 mpg
I suspect at a constant 50mph you can make over 40 mpg
I underestimated the top speed, it is 143 mph ;-)

Originally posted by Bruise Lee

2) The moron driver factor. To me, a nice car is a total waste in Los Angeles unless you are filthy rich. I see so many accidents it's pointless to own a nice car. My co-worker bought a brand new Saab convertible a few years back. He had it 2 1/2 weeks before an uninsured, unlicensed, non-English speaking driver totaled it for him.
This car is just going to be transportation for me. I want to spend as little on it as possible. But, I don't want to get something too small, because when the uninsured moron does eventually crash into me, I don't want to die in like a Mini-Cooper or a Miata!
Click to expand...

In that case forget BMW. I heard good things about Toyota diesel engines. Not as peformant as the BMW ones but not bad at all, plus they are way cheaper. Again, I suspect what we find here in Europe and what you find in USA are different models, so I'm not sure I really help.
 
I was staions at MCAS El Toro fromm 88-93 and know the areas you are talking about. You really should look into a hybrid.
 
Check out the VW TDI (Turbo Direct Injection), yes, it is a diesel.

50+mpg on the highway, I get about 44 around town. It is a real car, 4 doors, cargo space, 15" wheels, handles very well. Not the fastest off the line, but midrange acceleration is phenomenal, 155 ft-lbs of torque will put a smile on your face.

All this in stock form.

I used to commute across the blue ridge, I wanna say about 1000 ft in elevation difference in about 3 miles (not that much to those of you out west). On this mountain, at 70 - 80 mph the car could easily accelerate around other cars.

Modify it (about $350 for the a chip upgrade) and you will experience perma-grin.

Hybrids don't generate enough torque to loosen a lug nut.

What ever you do, keep that mustang! Or you will regret it, cars of that vintage get no cheaper, I really miss my '71 Cougar, convertible, 351 clevland, never droped below about 10 mpg regardless.
 
I meant to comment on this a while ago... I have run VW diesals for over 15 years.... my latest is a 86 golf diesal I got in 95... It gets almost 50 mpg on the road and the 40 plus mark around town with the air conditioner running.... I love it and hate to see it go. Dad needs a car so I had a decision to make. It is going to go live with my dad! He is starting to travel alot and it will bless him since he can't afford to buy a car and his are needing replaced. My VW's have never been the TDI versions and were never too peppy but always quite servicable... There is almost a cult of the VW diesal out there and I hope to get another someday. My golf has made numerous trips from ohio to NYC and Atlanta over the years I've had it and never had trouble with it on the road. It just keeps going and going and Going..... Now if I could get that performance out of a full size 4wd suburban.... :)
 
We have had Prius for 6 months. It is my wife's primary vehicle and is used in a daily 30 mile commute that mixes highway and 2 lane road that climbs up and down the East Tennessee hills. It has also been used to travel from Knoxville to New Orleans and back and has made a couple of trips back and forth to Atlanta.

We have had no mechanical problems with the car. None, zero, zip.

It gets onto the interstate climbing on-ramps having to go from 20 to 70 mph up hill every day. The typical ramp is 60-100 feet long with the elevation change being ~ 15 feet.

It makes 80 mph for hours with no problem.

It seats 2 adults comfortably in the front and 2 adults slightly less comfortably in the back.

It has a real trunk that stores a weekend's worth of stuff for Gwen, me and our 5 year old daughter (and you know how much stuff a kid can need).

The handling and accerleration are surprising for what should be a small family car.

Tax breaks make the car even cheaper.

If you have your own business, the breaks almost pay for the car in 4 years.
 
Frank... yup... the 50cc.. It REALLY IS a very groovy bike! IT improves the "usual" drive by 1000000000%! Top speed of 45mph, but what more do you need for in town travel?
 
On the mustang... Whens the last time it had a carb rebuild, plug change, wires cap etc?

It shouldn't be hard to get it to 15/20

Does it smell rich? Kinda like unburt gas or leave black soot on the inside of the pipes? Might just be a jetting problem on the carb.

If your really hell bent on getting the gas mileage out of it... slap a fuel injected manifold on her, or find a used 302 with the computer!

There is no reason for a big V8 to make sub 10mpg anytime... unless you have 4.11 gears out back... a lead foot and a leaking gas tank :D

If you enjoy working on em, track down a rebuild kit for the carb. Get some new plugs... Wires cap... maybe even a rotor too.

Know how to read plugs? Black is rich, white is lean... cocoa brown is perfect.

Does you car have cowl induction? Sometimes just pulling in the hot-air will drop the gasmilage... dirty air filter does the same.

Tried bumping the air pressure up in the tires? 5psi above is about the limit you wanna run around town... keep an eye on em. Can you say "rolling friction"

Same goes for wheel bearings, scored burnt bearings hurt the mileage. You wanna be able to hold the clutch in and coast for what seems like forever only dropping a few mph.

On the highway an over drive tranny would help, lowers the rpm that the motor has to turn, the lower the better... within reason... 2k at 65 is about right.

Is the choke always on? That'll kill your milage.

And... save some cash and run 87, unless the compression is above 9.5... which it probably isn't, she'll be just fine. Octane rating only means the slower the flame burns... so it doesn't detonate... detonation sounds like a bunch of bolts rattling in a steel can.

If you have a tach, try keeping her below 3.5k or so anytime your drivin and not going for smiles per mile.

Good luck
Zach
 
Oh... and the less back preasure you have... the better gasmilage you get... so grab some flow masters and set off some car alarms

Zach
 
hso, can you explain how the tax breaks make your Prius even cheaper? Is this something you get credit for on your federal tax return or something?
 
My wife drives a 97 Civic hatchback-approx. 45mpg which includes her commute (40mi) and around town. I would also consider the VW TDI diesels.

Also, you might consider a bicycle. Check out bikeforums.com, a lot fo people make long commutes on bikes. I hate to drive to work now, but it's unavoidable in winter.

An important point on the size of your car. More steel does not mean you are safer. I work as a firefighter/paramedic, and newer cars and safety systems are the way to go. I've seen new cars totaled, that looked like someone should be dead, with the driver out walking around. Whereas some older cars didn't look that bad, but the occupants sustained major injuries.
 
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