News Reports on Highlander Hybrid - GreenHybrid

Larryb · #1 (**permalink**) 07-12-2008, 07:59 AM

Has anyone else noticed the negative TV News reporting on the Highlander Hybrid recently? Yesterday ABC News reported the Highlander Hybrid got only 2 mi per gallon better than the non-hybrid. How are they computing that? The new car sticker ratings don't reflect that. Several weeks ago the NBC Today show reported that if you bought the the Highlander Hybrid it would take a very long time to recoup the price difference compared to a non-hybrid because the price difference was $8000. When we bought our Highlander Hybrid (a basic model, not the Limited) the price difference was around $4000. Why are they reporting falsely? Does it make better news to report this way?

Mr. Kite · #2 (**permalink**) 07-12-2008, 08:40 AM

I looked up the report:
http://abcnews.go.com/WN/story?id=5358365&page=1

Quote:

Originally Posted by ABC News

The Highlander Hybrid only gets 2 more miles to the gallon on the highway than a regular Highlander, and it can cost up to $10,000 more.

The mpg statement is correct. According to the new EPA numbers, the non-hybrid version has a highway EPA rating of 23 mpg and the hybrid has a highway rating of 25 mpg.

wwest · #3 (**permalink**) 07-12-2008, 09:27 AM

Everyone should know by now that Toyota and Lexus' new goal, target, for HSD vehicles is PERFORMANCE, as in a surplus of HP/Torque (GS450h, LS600h...give me a BREAK..!!), marketing now more slanted to deep pocketed immature boy-racer types rather than "greenies".

With the addition of a third row seat in the HL they seem be going after a share of the BMW, Big Mormon Wagon, market.

So if you have little or no interest in 0-60 times this "BUD" is NOT for you...!!

Larryb · #4 (**permalink**) 07-12-2008, 01:52 PM

Thanks for your reply. The in town mileage is 19 mpg vs 27 mpg. Since most our our driving is in town that's more relevant to us. I am still puzzled as to why they used the highway mileage. The average might be 21 vs 26.

KA7EII · #5 (**permalink**) 07-12-2008, 05:54 PM

Makes me wonder how they drive these vehicles when they do their so called "tests". Guess I have always been a conservative driver - even before I owned a HiHy and before gasoline was over $4/gallon.
I the three years since we got our HiHy, I have never been unhappy with the performance or mileage.

Larryb · #6 (**permalink**) 07-12-2008, 09:39 PM

I wonder too how they do these tests. They claim we should get 25 mpg on the highway yet we get 32 and they claim 27 in town and we get 23 or 24. We live quite a ways up a steep hill and that explains the lower mileage in town.

Mr. Kite · #7 (**permalink**) 07-13-2008, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larryb

I wonder too how they do these tests.

It's no secret.
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/how_tested.shtml

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larryb

They claim we should get 25 mpg on the highway yet we get 32 and they claim 27 in town and we get 23 or 24.

They do not claim you should get anything. The EPA determines what they believe are "typical" results. They have recently modified how they calculate these numbers, however Your Mileage Will Still Vary.

doasc · #8 (**permalink**) 07-14-2008, 07:57 AM

This is yet another example of selective journalism. Let's cherry pick the worse case scenario: EPA hwy FE and base MSRP Non-Hy 2wd vs. Base THH (4wd). Half way through the article Ann stated the point of her article:

Quote:

"Hybrid fever" is not entirely rational...

MMooney · #9 (**permalink**) 07-14-2008, 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wwest

Everyone should know by now that Toyota and Lexus' new goal, target, for HSD vehicles is PERFORMANCE, as in a surplus of HP/Torque (GS450h, LS600h...give me a BREAK..!!), marketing now more slanted to deep pocketed immature boy-racer types rather than "greenies".

With the addition of a third row seat in the HL they seem be going after a share of the BMW, Big Mormon Wagon, market.

So if you have little or no interest in 0-60 times this "BUD" is NOT for you...!!

So, unless a vechicle is BOG SLOW, you don't feel that it is a proper hybrid?

Do you put on your hair shirt, take off your shoes, roll up the windows and turn off the air when you drive, just to be sure you are suffering enough to get some fuel economy when you drive the wild wild west mobile?

How many seats do you feel that a proper highbrid SUV should have?
Should I keep my surburban, or plan to take the volleyball team in two hybrids? I have a family of 5, should I just tell my kids that they can't bring a friend on a trip to the ice cream store?

My wife's tank average is 27, in our Highlander Hybrid. I average about 29 when I drive it, because I'm more of a coaster than she is. Tank milage on a non-hybrid highlander is about 17.

The major benefit of more ev power is NOT acceleration, but the ability to stay in ev on slight rises and to BE in ev above 40 mph.

It is A LOT easier to get the Highlander to drop into EV and stay there than it is on my 2006 Ford Escape.

I average about 32, tank milage on the Escape. I figure that the 29/32 ratio in milage nearly equals the weight differential between the two cars.

On any road trip of more than a couple hundred miles, the comfort, quiet and room of the highlander make it the suv of choice when we travel.

wwest · #10 (**permalink**) 07-14-2008, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MMooney

So, unless a vechicle is BOG SLOW, you don't feel that it is a proper hybrid?

Given the absolutely STELLAR level of low end torque provided by the permanent magnet synchronous AC electric motors it is not very likely ANY hybrid vehicle will be "BOG SLOW". And certainly not one equipped with a Toyota HSD type eCVT. (E-cvt...??)

Do you put on your hair shirt, take off your shoes, roll up the windows and turn off the air when you drive, just to be sure you are suffering enough to get some fuel economy when you drive the wild wild west mobile?

No, but in the wintertime the A/C compressor is disabled and during the summer months the engine coolant flow to the heater core is manually turned off.

How many seats do you feel that a proper highbrid SUV should have?

It isn't the number of seats I have "trouble" with as much as it is the propulsion system.

Should I keep my surburban, or plan to take the volleyball team in two hybrids? I have a family of 5, should I just tell my kids that they can't bring a friend on a trip to the ice cream store?

What would you think about an 8 passenger Toyota Sienna AWD hybrid minivan with a Atkinson/Miller/West cycle engine, 2L SuperCharged DFI I4, w/75HP rear traction motor..??

My wife's tank average is 27, in our Highlander Hybrid. I average about 29 when I drive it, because I'm more of a coaster than she is. Tank milage on a non-hybrid highlander is about 17.

The major benefit of more ev power is NOT acceleration, but the ability to stay in ev on slight rises and to BE in ev above 40 miles per hour.

You're confusion POWER, as in HP/torque, with DURATION, sustainability of EV mode. Are at best "mixing" the two, muddling the issue.

It is A LOT easier to get the Highlander to drop into EV and stay there than it is on my 2006 Ford Escape.

I average about 32, tank milage on the Escape. I figure that the 29/32 ratio in milage nearly equals the weight differential between the two cars.

On any road trip of more than a couple hundred miles, the comfort, quiet and room of the highlander make it the suv of choice when we travel.

Did you know that on those "couple hundred miles" road trips if you could disable the electrics then FE would improve substantially...?? On most road trips the ICE becomes the primary source for keeping the hybrid battery charged and that results in a NET loss of FE.