Them Hybrid Cars

[Stumpy 284]

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Now my big problem with todays cars is WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO THE FUEL MILAGE?!?! I know that oxgenating gasoline seem to cause a drop in MPG, but I was able to get 35 MPG back then, now its a big deal to get to 30 MPG. go figure.

Buy a european car

Never try to eat more than you can lift

[mdrejhon 8]

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the days of you fixing your car are over. It has three computers a high voltage battery bank and a synergy drive transmission.

exactly why i will never own one.

Actually, Toyota's hybrid is reportedly more reliable than most non-hybrids. It intelligently "pampers" the gasoline engine by using the battery power to augument the engine especially during acceleration; reducing engine wear and tear. You can SLAM THE GAS on a Prius; it doesn't hurt the engine in the Prius as much as on a 100% gasoline car. Consumer Reports now has enough data (Prius has been around since 1997), that shows the Prius have both excellent predicted AND actual reliability.

Also, all modern cars always have computers built into them -- even the cheap Toyota Echo, Ford Escort, Dodge Neon -- hidden computer chips to control airbags, computer chips to control fuel injection, etc. The Prius computers are just a little more advanced, but they are very well-tested and stable systems (again, Prius being around for 10 model years now)

So it's entirely possible you may never need to fix anything fairly complex in the Prius other than the simple fluid changes and tires, etc which you can still do on a Prius. (Unless you have an accident and screw something complex up)

Something to keep in mind!

[squirrel 0]

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the days of you fixing your car are over. It has three computers a high voltage battery bank and a synergy drive transmission.

exactly why i will never own one.

Actually, Toyota's hybrid is reportedly more reliable than most non-hybrids. It intelligently "pampers" the gasoline engine by using the battery power to augument the engine especially during acceleration; reducing engine wear and tear. You can SLAM THE GAS on a Prius; it doesn't hurt the engine in the Prius as much as on a 100% gasoline car. Consumer Reports now has enough data (Prius has been around since 1997), that shows the Prius have both excellent predicted AND actual reliability.

Also, all modern cars always have computers built into them -- even the cheap Toyota Echo, Ford Escort, Dodge Neon -- hidden computer chips to control airbags, computer chips to control fuel injection, etc. The Prius computers are just a little more advanced, but they are very well-tested and stable systems (again, Prius being around for 10 model years now)


Something to keep in mind!

I know modern cars have computers, OBD-1, OBD-2, blah, blah...

I buy older cars,...cars that have been thrown away, put a few parts in them from a junk yard, and I have extended, doubled, or even trippled the life of a hunk of metal. I dont need or want a 30 to 40 thousand dollar car to impress my neighbor...I want a car to get me from point a to point b.

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Where is Darwin when you need him?

[mdrejhon 8]

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I buy older cars,...cars that have been thrown away, put a few parts in them from a junk yard, and I have extended, doubled, or even trippled the life of a hunk of metal. I dont need or want a 30 to 40 thousand dollar car to impress my neighbor...I want a car to get me from point a to point b.

Okay, then 40 years from now, when mandated minimum MPG's and stuff like this, force carmakers to go mostly hybrids, you can go fishing for replacement computers and replacement battery packs (actually some hybrid's use rechrageable NiMH AA batteries -- hundreds of them in box-type packs). Just like how some smart computer geeks open up two identical laptop bad battery packs, and swap good "cells", to make a fully proper-working lithium-ion battery pack. (Each cell inside them are approximately the size of a AA or 9 volt battery, and are multiple-sealed, so a careful hobbyist can safely open up a Lithium-Ion battery pack for repair, once gaining the coveted instructions for opening the outer plastic shell). So us laptop-experienced technicians will just work on these hybrids. Or swapping a cracked screen from one laptop with a good screen from another laptop (With a damaged motherboard), to make one good laptop. So the home-repair industry for hybrids will be a lot more mature then, 30 years from now, probably.

You swap parts in cars. I swap parts in laptops, computers, battery packs. Turn three bad laptops into two good laptops by musical-chairs part swapping. It's not that different.

You'll see. 30 years from now - people will still be working on cars at home. Even the complex hybrids.

[squirrel 0]

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I buy older cars,...cars that have been thrown away, put a few parts in them from a junk yard, and I have extended, doubled, or even trippled the life of a hunk of metal. I dont need or want a 30 to 40 thousand dollar car to impress my neighbor...I want a car to get me from point a to point b.

Okay, then 40 years from now, when mandated minimum MPG's and stuff like this, force carmakers to go mostly hybrids, you can go fishing for replacement computers and replacement battery packs (actually some hybrid's use rechrageable NiMH AA batteries -- hundreds of them in box-type packs). Just like how some smart computer geeks open up two identical laptop bad battery packs, and swap good "cells", to make a fully proper-working lithium-ion battery pack. (Each cell inside them are approximately the size of a AA or 9 volt battery, and are multiple-sealed, so a careful hobbyist can safely open up a Lithium-Ion battery pack for repair, once gaining the coveted instructions for opening the outer plastic shell). So us laptop-experienced technicians will just work on these hybrids. Or swapping a cracked screen from one laptop with a good screen from another laptop (With a damaged motherboard), to make one good laptop. So the home-repair industry for hybrids will be a lot more mature then, 30 years from now, probably.

You swap parts in cars. I swap parts in laptops, computers, battery packs. Turn three bad laptops into two good laptops by musical-chairs part swapping. It's not that different.

You'll see. 30 years from now - people will still be working on cars at home. Even the complex hybrids.

I hope so. It really amazes me how people go out and buy or lease a new car every 2 to 3 years. When I was younger, you bought a car, and fixed it when it broke, you actually knew what was under the hood, and how to take care of it. Hell, I got non a non running car for free, and got it running with a few hours of work, and it lasted years.

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Where is Darwin when you need him?

[Gawain 0]

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How about power on the hill climb? She does 2 uphill runs a week, one being up the grapevine on I-5, lots a big ass trucks to run her over

Her mind is pretty much set, she's gettin one, just gotta find sumpin safe and dependable.

Again thanks guys

dropdeded

If you're worried about power, and want decent mileage, the Honda Accord Hybrid is your ticket. It'll get high 30s/low 40s with careful highway driving and it has more power than the standard V6 Accord. It definitely gets out of its own way.

So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh
Just to prove I'm alive, and it's alright
'Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light of my treacherous life
Make light!

[bloody_trauma 2]

I am for sure buying a honda civic hybrid,

Q: What is a hybrid vehicle?

A: A hybrid vehicle combines a gasoline-powered engine with an electric motor to provide increased gas mileage and help lower emissions. Specifically, the Civic Hybrid utilizes Honda's Integrated Motor Assist IMA® technology, which uses a 1.3-liter i-VTEC® engine for primary power, then an ultra-thin electric motor provides added power.


Q: Will I ever have to plug in the Civic Hybrid?

A: No, never. The battery pack is self-sufficient and recharges itself automatically when decelerating through regenerative braking, as well as when cruising.

i'm gettin one and from the looks of it im going to buy it new custom ordered

oh happy day, and im buying it out right with frickin cash! hells yeah

Fly it like you stole it

[Calvin19 0]

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Buy a european car

Agreed. get over your penis envy ladies, and men, get over your need to compensate for these MASSIVE cars that do you NO good.

PS- US cars really suck ass.

[Gawain 0]

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Now my big problem with todays cars is WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO THE FUEL MILAGE?!?! I know that oxgenating gasoline seem to cause a drop in MPG, but I was able to get 35 MPG back then, now its a big deal to get to 30 MPG. go figure.

It's not the gas. It's the smog regulations. The new rules (especially passed over the past dozen years) give up mileage in exchange for cleaner cars.

The fuel system and engine technology are starting to catch up with that, especially with the new Mercedes diesel line-up (as an example).

So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh
Just to prove I'm alive, and it's alright
'Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light of my treacherous life
Make light!

[billvon 2,989]

>The new rules (especially passed over the past dozen years) give
>up mileage in exchange for cleaner cars.

Actually the opposite is often true. The SULEV cars (the cleanest of the clean) get good emissions scores partly because they just plain burn less gas. Less gas = less emissions, even if everything else is equal.

[billvon 2,989]

>Wanna share any thoughts on them??

I have two - a honda civic hybrid and a toyota prius. I get about 55mpg on the civic and 45mpg on the prius at 'normal' speeds (65 or so.) It drops to about 38mpg when I use ethanol instead of straight gas. No problems yet.

[Gawain 0]

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>The new rules (especially passed over the past dozen years) give
>up mileage in exchange for cleaner cars.

Actually the opposite is often true. The SULEV cars (the cleanest of the clean) get good emissions scores partly because they just plain burn less gas. Less gas = less emissions, even if everything else is equal.

Oh absolutely, but as these stanards were being phased in, it was widely observed that as cars were initially getting cleaner (the most recent couple of generations), there was a plateau in their efficiency.

So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh
Just to prove I'm alive, and it's alright
'Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light of my treacherous life
Make light!

[bloody_trauma 2]

there is also the i think what is called the NGV which is a car that runs on natural gas, but i htink you have to live in california for that to be practical

Fly it like you stole it

[Gawain 0]

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there is also the i think what is called the NGV which is a car that runs on natural gas, but i htink you have to live in california for that to be practical

MPG with the Civic GX (NGV) is also a much larger variable. Lower fuel capacity also cuts range to under 300 miles highway (typically).

So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh
Just to prove I'm alive, and it's alright
'Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light of my treacherous life
Make light!

[bps 0]

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...Wanna share any thoughts on them??

Thanks

dropdeded

I own a 2006 Toyota Prius and have been driving it for 6 months now. It's the best car purchase I have ever made.

The gas mileage is great. My average over 3,300 miles is 51.2mpg. What I'm doing for the environment is even better. The car is very well designed, and has a lot more room than I ever realized. So far there has been zero sacrifices owning and driving a Prius.

Bryan