Hybrid Question

[akira117]

Since the Prius does not have that much hp. What car has the best MPG in a mountainous region (ex. WV). Thinking about getting a new car in the next 2-3 years, wondering what people think.

Here's a picture to get some idea:
http://lava.nationalgeographic.com/pod/pictures/sm_wallpaper/NGM_6_99p128-9.jpg

[tokenuser]

The Prius is a city car. A commuter car. I know people take them on long trips, but thats wasn't what they were designed for because the key to their success is regenerative breaking (ie batteries charge when you hit the brakes). HP isn't a great measure for hybrids either. I have heard that the Prius actually has better overall acceleration in city traffic because of its electric motors (and it is silent), but these things DO die when climbing large hills.

However, there are a number of hybrids from companies (notably Toyota - and Lexus) that take what is normally a vehicle that sucks down the gas mileage and give a V6 the fuel consumption of a 4 banger. They are still reliant on regen braking, but have an engine larger than a sewing machine.

The Ford Escape is one vehicle (actually Ford are entering into partnersip deals with Tpyota for its Hybrid tech - so expect more mainstream Ford hybrid models in a couple of years time), the Toyota Highlander is another.

An alternate route might be a Diesel - or better yet, a BioDiesel - fuelled vehicle like a VW. Not sure if WV has BioDiesel available - it is a regional thing ... but you could always "brew your own" if you have the space.

[acidburn]

An alternate route might be a Diesel - or better yet, a BioDiesel - fuelled vehicle like a VW. Not sure if WV has BioDiesel available - it is a regional thing ... but you could always "brew your own" if you have the space.

I own a VW diesel and can offer some input on this. My car is a 2001 Jetta TDI. Great car. Lots of power great fuel milage. I routinely get around 35 mpg.

Any diesel car can run on biodiesel. It is just another type of fuel. However on new cars VW's official policy is that they will only warranty up to B5, which is a concentration of 5% bio to 95% petro diesel. However concentrations of up to B100 can be bought commercially in some places or made.

If you run biodiesel you will see slightly lower mpg because it isn't as efficient as petro diesel. But the upside is that bio is better for the environment.

You should be able to find a used VW diesel fairly easily. New ones will be harder to find right now. There will be no new ones until 2008 because of the transition to the new Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel. However some dealerships will still have 2006's on the lot as well as 2007 models that are actually 2006's that were held over to make up for no 2007 production. So your time frame of 2-3 years would be good timing for as new 2008 model. The new models are going to be much more environmentally friendly because of the ultra low sulfur fuel and the new emissions technology. Because of the new technology other car makers will probably have diesel models of their own.


If you are interesed in diesels, head over to tdiclub.com. It is a great forum I belong to and comprehensive resource for diesel cars.

Sorry for the long post, once I got started......