http://www.caranddriver.com/article....ticle_id=10260
Really a good read. Plus, he reports on a test drive of an rx400h in MY NECK OF THE WOODS, Flagstaff to Phoenix, and how the engine cut off at 80 miles per hour on the downhill run.
Quote:
Interstate 17 pitches up and down, but mostly down, over the 140-mile run from Flagstaff to Phoenix, Arizona, descending from 7000 feet to about 1000. I was watching the Lexus's "power" screen out of one eye; it shows the flow of power through the hybrid system. With the cruise set at 70 miles per hour, I noticed the engine shut off when the downgrade got steep enough. So I kept inching up the cruise. How fast would it go without the engine? I ran out of hills before finding the upper limit. But I can tell you that the RX400h will dead-stick down at 80 with the A/C and power steering alive. If you weren't watching the screen, you'd never know the engine was off. Would a car that clever be a pleasure to you? It is for me.
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