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A Frankenmostercar that is over complicated, does not deliver the type of MPG savings that would be expected, cost, waste of resources via duplicate-systems.
Buy a subcompact, be easy on the gas-pedal and get nearly the same mileage as
a Frankenmonstercar.
In the real world, hybrids get significantly better gas milaege. I had a Ford C-Max and got 35mpg mixed. I now have a VW Golf Alltrack and get in the low 20s.
The issue that most people are ignorant and look at the highway number "Because I drive on the highway", not understanding that sitting in traffic counts as "city"
A Frankenmostercar that is over complicated, does not deliver the type of MPG savings that would be expected, cost, waste of resources via duplicate-systems.
Buy a subcompact, be easy on the gas-pedal and get nearly the same mileage as
a Frankenmonstercar.
Check out this from my commute today (engine ran for a couple minutes due to low temps outside). Can your subcompact get nearly this mileage (both today's MPG and the lifetime fuel mileage...)? Not even close. I love my frankenmonster car for commuting and errand running.
On the highway, weight has relatively little impact on fuel economy. Subaru just doesn't make very efficient engines or particularly aerodynamic cars. Around town, the added weight of batteries is completely worthwhile due to the gains of regenerative braking - pure electric cars have greater range in stop and go traffic than they do cruising on the highway.
Jeez. I get 24 or 25 mpg out of my 3,800 pound 6-cylinder Outback. I don't see Subaru as particularly better or worse than anything else. To do better, you shed weight and internal resistance with a 4 cylinder turbo. That's what Subaru will be doing in the next generation in 2020 when the 6-cylinder goes away.
Check out this from my commute today (engine ran for a couple minutes due to low temps outside). Can your subcompact get nearly this mileage (both today's MPG and the lifetime fuel mileage...)? Not even close. I love my frankenmonster car for commuting and errand running.
Yeah, that is not your averaged MPG, but a snapshot that will not be maintained.
I had a Chevy Metro and I would get 50MPG.
There is a ton of technology that could be applied to any non-hybrid vehicle, giving it
just as good of mileage as the Frankenmonstercar.
A lot will depend on your mode of driving. If it is a lot of stop and go city driving hybrids are the way to go! Btw I get 41.5 on my C-max. It goes down to 38.5 on the interstate. But it is a tiny bit better using cruise control because the CC will brake going down a hill while my foot would be inclined to let it coast.
I've had my '15 Prius for 4 years and 100K+ miles. So far my repairs are ZERO, only routine maintenance/expenses (fuel, oil, filters, tires, wiper blades and car washes). I bought it for cheap miles and am very happy with it for that. Most of my miles are open highway at 72-82 mph, but I also do a fair amount of "city" driving. Overall average is 44-45 mpg, lower in the winter, higher in the summer. The newer models get better fuel mileage, especially the Prius Prime.
If you live in a state with lower speed limits you should do better. I like to keep up with the flow of traffic, mostly for everyone's safety. I can increase my mpg by 5 or so if I keep the speed under 65, but that doesn't happen often. I live next to I-90 where the speed limit is 80. State highways have 70 mph speed limit.
If you want a slightly roomier car for not much more money, the Camry Hybrid might be a good pick. I'll be considering it for my next purchase, along with another Prius and a few others.
My previous "car" was a Ford F250 PSD 4x4 that I drove for 14 years. It was fine when I didn't drive much, but then I started a job that required lots of driving (30K miles/year), and the pickup just cost too much per mile (fuel, maintenance and repairs). My wife loved the truck for x-country trips for all the cabin room, which is why she's not crazy about the Prius. It's not "cramped", but there's not much room for moving around. You get in your seat and stay put until you stop and get out. That's fine for me, as I seldom drive for more than 100 miles without stopping, but when we take off x-country it's a bit of a problem. We try to stop every 200 miles or so to stretch our legs. I imagine a Camry would be better in that regard -- providing a little more wiggle room.
I do like the hybrid, especially with the eCVT. Anything else I've driven lately just seems kind of clunky and unrefined. (Not that the Prius is "refined", but its power/drive train is. It did take some getting used to. I wasn't crazy about it for the first several months I owned it, but it grew on me.)
Something must be wrong with your car. There is no way it should be getting 20mpg. The weight of the hybrid system is like having one large passenger.
Subaru doesn't make the Crosstrek hybrid any more. They only got a few MPG more than a gas-powered Crosstrek, which meant that the premium price wasn't justified.
That said, I still am happy with the car. Mileage isn't that big a deal as I live in the city and don't drive very much, and the car suits my needs better than any of the other hybrids I looked at.
Subaru doesn't make the Crosstrek hybrid any more. They only got a few MPG more than a gas-powered Crosstrek, which meant that the premium price wasn't justified.
That said, I still am happy with the car. Mileage isn't that big a deal as I live in the city and don't drive very much, and the car suits my needs better than any of the other hybrids I looked at.
Subaru started making a hybrid Crosstrek again for the 2019 model year. It’s a $35,000 car. That’s pretty big money for a lifted 5 door Impreza with some body cladding. This version is a plug-in hybrid so it’s all electric in short drives. For someone with a mostly around town driving pattern, you’d likely make it back on fuel savings.
As a guy who drives cars into the ground I am on the fence about hybrids. Sure that one poster got big miles out of the original battery but 300,000 is by far the exception, most go by 150,000. With the cost of thousands to replace, and with the higher purchase price even used, I'm not sure all that does not offset the gas savings.
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