Quote:
|
Originally Posted by copyboy1
I know there are a ton of people here who love their hybrids - and thus think this article is unfair. But I can totally relate to it.
I believed the hype. I thought my Escape hybrid would be just like a regular Escape, only with much better gas mileage. I read review after review that GUSHED about how GREAT the hybrids were. The only drawback anyone ever talked about was how weird it was to have the engine shut off when you were at a stop light.
There was never a mention of having to radically alter your driving style.
There was never a mention of local topography and weather significantly hurting your MPG.
There was almost never a mention of the AC/defrost hurting your MPG.
The only quotes I've ever read were of people 100% happy with their purchase.
So if you want to read more articles about how great hybrids are, there are plenty of them out there. Personally, I LIKE the fact that someone actually wrote about the other side of the coin - about how hybrids don't always live up to their hype, and how some people are disappointed.
I think it's a good thing to print more realistic expectations.
|
I haven't yet read the article, but I'd just like to respond to your comment. All of those points you mention apply to any vehicle. It is ignorance that allows the public to expect stellar mileage while they floor the car, slam on the brakes, plow through snow and climb mountains. Hybrids may not reach their full mileage potential, correct, but neither do pure combustion cars. By mentioning these failures, we aren't just
finally examining the other side of the coin. We're pretending hybrids are the
only ones with another side to the coin.