In researching the Prius, I learned that it prevents cold starts by storing coolant in the equivalent of a thermos. Mechanics will tell you that when you start an engine cold, it is harder to crank and produces more engine wear than when you start one that’s already been warmed up. This is because the gasoline engine isn’t running and the electric engine is noiseless. When the car begins to move, it is so silent that you are confused into thinking it is rolling downhill by itself. Starting this car is about as much of an event as turning on a light switch. It is kind of like the snap you feel in your wrist when you operate a powerful electric hand tool. Electric engines produce all of their torque from 0 rpm (revolutions per minute), a feature that allows the Prius to really scoot through an intersection from a stop. Its small gasoline engine is complemented by a powerful electric engine. The Prius is no hot rod, but, unlike a Ferrari, it actually comes with two engines. It is in town where we see our mileage jump above 50 mpg.Īs a pilot with a sport pilot license, I appreciate the difference between a single engine airplane and the power of a multi-engine craft. Every time you stop, it generates more electricity which can then be used at lower speeds, or for accelerating quickly. Our Prius is perfectly suited to my wife’s daily commute in stop and go traffic. Hybrids are unique in that their EPA mileage ratings are actually higher in the city than they are on the highway. We credit efficient driving, aided by the Prius display, as the key to beating the EPA mileage estimates. While we would have been happy with 44 mpg, or even the EPA rating of 48 mpg in the city, we were astonished to regularly see our fuel efficiency in the mid 50s. Our goal was to double our observed fuel economy from the 22 mpg we had been getting with the Subaru. Normally I love to drive fast, but I’ve discovered myself unexpectedly enjoying the challenge of driving efficiently.Ģ. But with a hybrid, you can see it, especially when you accelerate gradually enough so that only the electric engine is used. It even tells us how much energy we recoup with the brakes.Īll cars get better mileage when you accelerate and brake gently. Our Toyota Prius, like most hybrids, has a display that shows our present mileage as well as average miles per gallon. Just like a Jeep is in its element when driven off-road, and a Ferrari likes to be driven like a race car, a hybrid desperately wants to be driven efficiently.
Hybrid Cars Show You How to Drive Efficiently You will be able to compare up to four different loan options within minutes.
Pro tip: If you’re planning to finance your car, check out. used car. We realized there weren’t any reasonably equipped new hybrids for less than $20,000, so we settled on a loaded 2007 Prius in pristine condition. We carefully weighed the arguments for buying a new vs. Being fascinated with hybrid technology, we finally decided to take the plunge and replace the old Outback with a newer hybrid. Nevertheless, our Outback was starting to get up there in miles and was generating repair bills that were uncharacteristic for a Subaru. Our “Subies” are fun to drive, hold lots of stuff, and usually see about 22 miles to the gallon. My wife and I thought we were doing well with our Subaru wagons since we had avoided the purchase of a gas guzzling SUV.