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Thread: Hybrid Cars/SUVs

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    Hybrid Cars/SUVs

    I really thought there was a thread on this topic, but I couldn't find it. Does anyone on the board own a Hybrid car or SUV? I'm about to graduate and a new vehicle is needed. Because most of my driving will be on city roads, I thought a hybrid would be a good investment. I found the Saturn VUE to be a great price.

    What I don't know is what problems are associated with and unique to hybrid cars? Electric motors have been powering golf carts for quite some time now, so those problems could be minimized, but maybe someone on the board could give me their personal experience with their hybrid.

    On a side note, the Saturn salesman did an outstanding job of knowing everything there is to know about his cars and being enthusiastic. Then, the Saturn website has a popup that asks if you would like to join a "help representative" in a live, one-on-one chatroom. Their customer service was top notch.

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    Re: Hybrid Cars/SUVs

    Quote Originally Posted by Abominable Gorilla View Post
    I really thought there was a thread on this topic, but I couldn't find it. Does anyone on the board own a Hybrid car or SUV? I'm about to graduate and a new vehicle is needed. Because most of my driving will be on city roads, I thought a hybrid would be a good investment. I found the Saturn VUE to be a great price.

    What I don't know is what problems are associated with and unique to hybrid cars? Electric motors have been powering golf carts for quite some time now, so those problems could be minimized, but maybe someone on the board could give me their personal experience with their hybrid.

    On a side note, the Saturn salesman did an outstanding job of knowing everything there is to know about his cars and being enthusiastic. Then, the Saturn website has a popup that asks if you would like to join a "help representative" in a live, one-on-one chatroom. Their customer service was top notch.
    I have had a Prius now for about 5 months. I travel a lot (day trips and overnight) and was worried about the comfort. I went from a higher end Volvo to this. However, I couldn't be happier. It is like driving a little computer. You need to drive one to see what I mean.

    I average around 47 mph, usually, but most of my travel is on highways. In the city, I get around 56 mph. It is opposite with a hybrid - you get better mph with stop and go traffic. I have absolutely no complaints. I drove the Honda hybrids and was not as impressed.

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    Re: Hybrid Cars/SUVs

    Quote Originally Posted by champion110 View Post
    I have had a Prius now for about 5 months. I travel a lot (day trips and overnight) and was worried about the comfort. I went from a higher end Volvo to this. However, I couldn't be happier. It is like driving a little computer. You need to drive one to see what I mean.

    I average around 47 mph, usually, but most of my travel is on highways. In the city, I get around 56 mph. It is opposite with a hybrid - you get better mph with stop and go traffic. I have absolutely no complaints. I drove the Honda hybrids and was not as impressed.
    You drive faster in stop and go traffic than you do on the highway? Isn't that dangerous? Either way, it doesn't sound like the car goes too fast.

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    Re: Hybrid Cars/SUVs

    I assume you meant mpg. The VUE claims to get 32mpg highway and 27mpg city. I'm curious as to why this hybrid gets better highway than city also. Maybe it doesn't collect braking power? I'll have to research that.

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    Re: Hybrid Cars/SUVs

    Quote Originally Posted by Dirtydawg View Post
    You drive faster in stop and go traffic than you do on the highway? Isn't that dangerous? Either way, it doesn't sound like the car goes too fast.
    The car has good pick-up and is very responsive. When stopped, it goes into pure electric. So, in stop and go, it uses less gas. On the highway, it gets 99.9mpg going down hills, but going up gets a higher mpg. It all averages out. It calculates everything for you on a touch screen monitor in the car.

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    Re: Hybrid Cars/SUVs

    Quote Originally Posted by Abominable Gorilla View Post
    I assume you meant mpg. The VUE claims to get 32mpg highway and 27mpg city. I'm curious as to why this hybrid gets better highway than city also. Maybe it doesn't collect braking power? I'll have to research that.
    No, it gets better city than hwy. Hope I said that right in the previous post. It has to do with charging the battery when you brake.

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    Re: Hybrid Cars/SUVs

    Quote Originally Posted by Abominable Gorilla View Post
    I assume you meant mpg. The VUE claims to get 32mpg highway and 27mpg city. I'm curious as to why this hybrid gets better highway than city also. Maybe it doesn't collect braking power? I'll have to research that.
    It's because the Vue is not a full hybrid -- the electric motor can't propel the car on it's own. It will run when the car is idling, but as soon as you hit the gas, the gas engine cranks up -- cranking up your city milage. It's a pretty noisy gas engine I thought, too.

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    Re: Hybrid Cars/SUVs

    I'd look into a diesel first. They can get much better mileage than hybrid, are a much more mature technology, and can be very clean (biodiesel). Diesels just don't die, unless you're like a friend of mine and haven't done any service to your car in 50,000 miles! You'll be seeing a lot of movement towards diesel in the next few years.

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    Re: Hybrid Cars/SUVs

    Quote Originally Posted by splicer View Post
    I'd look into a diesel first. They can get much better mileage than hybrid, are a much more mature technology, and can be very clean (biodiesel). Diesels just don't die, unless you're like a friend of mine and haven't done any service to your car in 50,000 miles! You'll be seeing a lot of movement towards diesel in the next few years.
    I certainly didn't realize that a diesel would get better mileage than a hybrid.

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    Re: Hybrid Cars/SUVs

    Quote Originally Posted by champion110 View Post
    I certainly didn't realize that a diesel would get better mileage than a hybrid.
    They generally don't get better milage than true hybrids when in the city, but they can on the highway. I drove a VW Jetta with a diesel for a while and got close to 48mpg in mixed driving, and when I rented a BMW 3-series in Europe with a diesel last year I was in the low 40's.

    I really wish we'd get some more diesel options in cars to drive the price down here (no pun intended). They're about all you can buy in Europe these days. Plus it's cool to be able to threaten to run your car on vegetable oil if (when) the price of gas skyrockets again.

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    Re: Hybrid Cars/SUVs

    I've have a Ford Escape hybrid for about a year and half now. Other than the engine shutting off when you come to a stop you would never know it was a hybrid. Drives fine. Gets about 30 mpg highway and 35 mpg city.

    BUT . . . don't expect to get the tax savings if you make much above minimum wage (which really ticked me off). The people that can afford to spend more for a hybrid don't get the tax breaks, but the people that can't afford to spend more money for the hybrid do get tax breaks.

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    Re: Hybrid Cars/SUVs

    Quote Originally Posted by RougeDawg View Post
    I've have a Ford Escape hybrid for about a year and half now. Other than the engine shutting off when you come to a stop you would never know it was a hybrid. Drives fine. Gets about 30 mpg highway and 35 mpg city...
    I looked at the Escape, but I'd have to order it and it would cost more. Do I see another Walker poster on BBB?

    I appreciate everyone's input. The decision is up.

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    Re: Hybrid Cars/SUVs

    Quote Originally Posted by RougeDawg View Post
    I've have a Ford Escape hybrid for about a year and half now. Other than the engine shutting off when you come to a stop you would never know it was a hybrid. Drives fine. Gets about 30 mpg highway and 35 mpg city.

    BUT . . . don't expect to get the tax savings if you make much above minimum wage (which really ticked me off). The people that can afford to spend more for a hybrid don't get the tax breaks, but the people that can't afford to spend more money for the hybrid do get tax breaks.
    It cuts off when you are at a red light? Mine switches to total electric and is completely silent, but the air and everything else works the same. The car is till on. I look around now that I have one and wonder why anyone would own anything else?

    With the Prius, I get 45 to 50mph, great pick up, comfort level good, super high tech with touch screen monitor, back up camera, satalite radio, blue tooth, and quiet as a mouse. I won't own another all gas car. Don't see the use. I just can't wait for even newer technology.

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    Re: Hybrid Cars/SUVs

    AG: Just moved to Walker (Three Lakes) this fall.

    C110: Right, the engine shuts off and the motor is running everything. It is kinda neat out in the country on a quiet evening.

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    Re: Hybrid Cars/SUVs

    Quote Originally Posted by champion110 View Post
    It cuts off when you are at a red light? Mine switches to total electric and is completely silent, but the air and everything else works the same. The car is till on. I look around now that I have one and wonder why anyone would own anything else?

    With the Prius, I get 45 to 50mph, great pick up, comfort level good, super high tech with touch screen monitor, back up camera, satalite radio, blue tooth, and quiet as a mouse. I won't own another all gas car. Don't see the use. I just can't wait for even newer technology.
    MPG Champ, MPG. :icon_wink: But we all got your point.

    I'm glad you like your Prius. I hope someday there are more Hybrid choices. I heard Chevy now has a Hybrid Silverado they sell in California. I have to have a 4 wheel drive truck so something like that would interest me. We've got to find a way to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and our natural resources in general.

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