Ok, just one for now..

I'm looking to get a more fuel-efficient vehicle. My current is a 2000 Toyota Tacoma that gets about 19mpg highway. I'm looking at the Civic and Prius currently.

I live in Colorado, and will have to deal with the cold weather soon. I've already found some threads on snow driving and tires, but one thing that's important to me is warmth!

Vehicles get their heat from the engine. These have small engines, and from what I've read, they get shut off when you're driving slow, or stopped at a light.

How well does the heating system in most keep you warm?

I'm certain I'll have other questions, but that's it for now.


Eric the Grey

The Prius has a supplemental electric heat element that augments the amount of cabin heat it can produce any time the engine is too cold to produce adequate heat, so they did think about that. I know in our Prius I it likes to keep the engine running at stops during the winter if you have the fan on, it's funny because you can reliably turn the engine off and on by turning the fan off and on. Heat is not really a problem as long as you realize that it will affect your mileage because the EPA tests do not use any accessory, including heat and air conditioning.

2001 Prius Photos       2005 Prius Photos
'97 Prius Simulation Prius inner workings

During the past winter in NJ we had a run of VERY cold temperatures in February. The HCH's heater performed admirably.

The only thing that you will have to be careful about, with an HCH, and to a certain degree the Prius, is the ground clearance. You just can't run the car as well in six to eight inches of powdery snow! It pushes up in front of the vehicle!

Good luck on your search.

-Charlie...

The "auto stop" feature on the HCH is disabled whenever the windshield defroster is on. And if you'e worried about getting cold at a long stop you can always push the "ECON" button to disable it as well.

And IIRC, the heater simply taps some of the engine's heat and directs it into the passenger compartment, so it really doesn't use any additional energy (other than the fan).

Thank you all for your answers.


Eric the Grey

In my 03 HCH, the autostop feature is also disabled below 41 degrees. It doesn't get Colorado cold here, but I've never had a problem staying warm in 20-30 degree temps. In the Honda the gas engine runs all the time (unless autostopped), so engine heat is readily available.

*** Retired after 65,000 outstanding miles ***

The Prius likes to be warm. Part of the startup procedure for the Prius is for it to get the catalytic converters up to temperature. It does this in the summer, but it takes longer in the winter. So, during your first 10 minutes of driving the ICE isn’t going to turn off anyway because it is warming up the converters so they are at prime operating temperature. You benefit from that because its effort to warm up the converters leads to a lot of heat from engine coolant it can use in the cabin.

The engine will take advantage of autostop when the cabin is at the setpoint and only minimal maintenance is needed to keep it at the setpoint and the catalytics are up to temp.

It has been said:
Hybrid drivers come in 3 flavors, greenie, techie and cheapie. Pick any 2.
2005 Prius, Melinium Silver over gray, package 5 (AI)