Hybrid vehicle thread

Naks said:
Reading great things about the new Toyota Cross Hybrid, which is cheaper than the petrol versions

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Yes, I've also heard and read good things. Haven't seen many of the hybrids on the road just yet, though.
 
The underwhelming performance is still the elephant in the room though, not that I was expecting fireworks, plus the fact that Toyota seems to be confused on what the electric part actually contributes to the whole thing.

It being a Toyota you a tell that the journalists are going out of their way not to sound too critical of it, I have a feeling it could work well to save fuel but end up being a very frustrating car to live with, especially as a family car.
 
TheChamp said:
The underwhelming performance is still the elephant in the room though, not that I was expecting fireworks, plus the fact that Toyota seems to be confused on what the electric part actually contributes to the whole thing.
It being a Toyota you a tell that the journalists are going out of their way not to sound too critical of it, I have a feeling it could work well to save fuel but end up being a very frustrating car to live with, especially as a family car.
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Errr.... they're meant to be commuter vehicles, NOT performance vehicles. Commuting is when most of your consumption/pollution/emissions come from, so reducing these is a good thing.

Having driven a 2019 Prius for about 2 weeks in Mauritius, I can tell you that it's totally seamless: most of the time you don't even know which motor is doing the work, you have to look at the display to see what's going on.

Not frustrating at all, not sure how you reach that conclusion?
 
Naks said:
Errr.... they're meant to be commuter vehicles, NOT performance vehicles. Commuting is when most of your consumption/pollution/emissions come from, so reducing these is a good thing.

Having driven a 2019 Prius for about 2 weeks in Mauritius, I can tell you that it's totally seamless: most of the time you don't even know which motor is doing the work, you have to look at the display to see what's going on.

Not frustrating at all, not sure how you reach that conclusion?
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That's why I said "not that I was expecting fireworks", performance does not necessarily imply a sports car, or "performance vehicle".

I guess I am expecting a little more from a big family SUV, it just does not sound right to me.
 
The problem is these things will not perform well at the Highveld. Sure, when on the electric motor it will be fine, but a 1.5 litre NA petrol engine is going to suffer.
 
AntennaMan said:
The problem is these things will not perform well at the Highveld. Sure, when on the electric motor it will be fine, but a 1.5 litre NA petrol engine is going to suffer.
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Actually Honda has very decent power figures for their 1.5l hybrids and it matches the size of the car. What Toyota has done is to detune the car to the point where having a hybrid system means very little.

Sure the consumption figure look awesome but I just feel there is too much compromise, for such a big car, maybe using the same hybrid system for all cars in the stable isn't such a great idea.
 
TheChamp said:
Actually Honda has very decent power figures for their 1.5l hybrids and it matches the size of the car. What Toyota has done is to detune the car to the point where having a hybrid system means very little.

Sure the consumption figure look awesome but I just feel there is too much compromise, for such a big car, maybe using the same hybrid system for all cars in the stable isn't such a great idea.
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I sometimes wonder if it's not more efficient to run a petrol engine that powers a generator to provide power to the motors instead of driving it directly via the drivetrain.

But I guess the losses associated with converting AC to DC and stepping up to the voltage that the motors require would make it a moot point. But I have always wondered if this has been done and how efficient it would be.
 
Anyone with a RAV-4 Hybrid that can provide some real world experience?

The stats do suggest it might be sluggish, though the review above said it was powerful enough, even for a larger car.
 
PhireSide said:
I sometimes wonder if it's not more efficient to run a petrol engine that powers a generator to provide power to the motors instead of driving it directly via the drivetrain.

But I guess the losses associated with converting AC to DC and stepping up to the voltage that the motors require would make it a moot point. But I have always wondered if this has been done and how efficient it would be.
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Don't forget the motors. Hybrids generally have much smaller motors than EVs because you can always just couple the engine to the wheels at higher speeds. Would add more cost and weight to beef up the motors to be able to do highway speeds which the petrol engine can comfortably do, seeing as you're already bringing it along for the ride.
 
TheChamp said:
Actually Honda has very decent power figures for their 1.5l hybrids and it matches the size of the car. What Toyota has done is to detune the car to the point where having a hybrid system means very little.

Sure the consumption figure look awesome but I just feel there is too much compromise, for such a big car, maybe using the same hybrid system for all cars in the stable isn't such a great idea.
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NA engines lose about 18-20% of their power in Joburg. There is little that can be done about that. If they want hybrids to go mainstream in SA, they will have to plan for this.

Even the Cross Hybrid review video posted earlier, the reviewer mentions he think it will not perform as well here.
 
hj2k_x said:
Anyone with a RAV-4 Hybrid that can provide some real world experience?

The stats do suggest it might be sluggish, though the review above said it was powerful enough, even for a larger car.
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I don't have one but I have driven one and I found it to be adequate. What are you currently driving?

Only thing that would make me not buy one is the expense over the non-hybrid or even its competitors. Otherwise I didn't find too many negatives. If it was plug-in I'd definitely want one because then I could commute on battery power alone and only use the petrol engine for longer trips and to reduce range anxiety.
 
GMAN03 said:
I don't have one but I have driven one and I found it to be adequate. What are you currently driving?

Only thing that would make me not buy one is the expense over the non-hybrid or even its competitors. Otherwise I didn't find too many negatives. If it was plug-in I'd definitely want one because then I could commute on battery power alone and only use the petrol engine for longer trips and to reduce range anxiety.
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Under R70k between it and the non hybrid GX model, it has more power and more torque due to the bigger engine and the hybrid, it doesn't look excessively overpriced for what it offers?

It also doesn't look overpriced compared to its competitors, what were you comparing it to?
 
GMAN03 said:
I don't have one but I have driven one and I found it to be adequate. What are you currently driving?

Only thing that would make me not buy one is the expense over the non-hybrid or even its competitors. Otherwise I didn't find too many negatives. If it was plug-in I'd definitely want one because then I could commute on battery power alone and only use the petrol engine for longer trips and to reduce range anxiety.
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I'd also be keen for a plug in one.

Currently in a 2020 Haval H6C. Great little SUV.
 
TheChamp said:
Under R70k between it and the non hybrid GX model, it has more power and more torque due to the bigger engine and the hybrid, it doesn't look excessively overpriced for what it offers?

It also doesn't look overpriced compared to its competitors, what were you comparing it to?
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Comparing mainly to the Forester, but I don't have a big need for speed so when I rarely look at power in my buying decisions unless it's clearly underpowered when I test drive. I don't begrudge anyone who does look at power though and in that game the hybrid RAV4 wins out, just don't know if spec for spec it's worth it if you ignore power.
 
hj2k_x said:
I'd also be keen for a plug in one.

Currently in a 2020 Haval H6C. Great little SUV.
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You can't be wanting to sell the Haval then. So what's the reason for shopping for the RAV?
 
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