I am in the market for either the prius or the HCH2. I have driven the prius a number of times. The honda dealers doesn't have any HCH for road test. I currently drive a highlander hybrid and a 2006 sienna. I plan to give the HyHi to my wife to replace her old car. I would really appreciate if you would allow me to have a quick spin even if it is just around the block.

Please let me know. I can be available anytime as long as it is arranged in advance.

I am located in Yonkers, NY but I can go to as far as 45 minutes away from my place.

Thank you.

Mark

Hint, Mark, if you are THAT interested in buying a Hybrid then you are going to have to increase your mileage circles. I average about 150 miles/day and drove 240 miles away to look at/test drive/buy my HCH though was willing to drive 400 miles even. You should be looking to anyone in Philly, Boston, etc. =) You can drive an hour toward an owner and they can drive an hour toward you. I am willing but live in Pittsburgh so we aren't close enough.

Also, if you do find somewhere to drive it and it is not a dealer then drive it for 5 miles but then have the owner drive it on the same 5-mile trip and see what their fuel economy compares to you. This will probably show you that you can't buy a car on the first mpg shown but pick the one that matches your driving style, whether you need to lay down the back seat, whether you want a sunroof, Navigation, etc. Good luck though.

--> Averaged 685 miles/week and 49.0 mpg in first year (35.7k miles from Aug 7, 2006 to Aug 7, 2007)

Didn't I read somewhere that the NYPD are testing the HCHII? Why not stand outside Tiffanys and throw a brick through a plate glass window? That should get you a free ride. Nicht war?

I drove both the Honda Hybrid and regular Civic prior to purchasing mine. They both drive pretty much the same, so worst case, drive a regular Civic to get a general feel. If you order a car, you will get to test drive it before you pay for it. If you don't like it, you can always cancel the purchase.

I own a Prius and the HCHII - love them both so I can't really recommend one over the other. If it means anything, I drive the Honda and my wife drives the Prius. If you are making a lot of shorter rather than longer trips, the Honda will get better FE. I find it easier to get higher FE with the HCHII as well. They are both about the same FE on the highway.

Good luck!

Elliot - Are you sure that your HCH gets a better FE than your Prius? Isn't the Prius capable of running on batteries only up to about 30 mph or something? The HCH runs on the gas motor all the time except for a few instances when the car is coasting or on a downgrade and shuts the valves and can cruise along with battery-assist instead of on the gas motor. Wouldn't those shorter trips tip the scale to the Prius? I rarely make short trips as my job makes an average day between 75-150 miles.

And riding in a HCH is not the same as test-driving it so the brick-thru-the-window trick isn't the best idea. Now if one can carjack an NYPD car then you've got something. <smirk>

--> Averaged 685 miles/week and 49.0 mpg in first year (35.7k miles from Aug 7, 2006 to Aug 7, 2007)

To Elliot,

I am so jealoused. How does it feel to have the most fuel efficient brand new cars?

What are your observations about these cars for highway driving? In terms of responsiveness, drivability, noise, comfort, feeling of security on the road, etc...? What are the strength and weaknesses of these cars when compared against each other?

My drive to work is 75 miles round trip all major highway with regular traffic speeds between 60-80 mph.

I currently drive a highlander hybrid which averages 28 mpg. Someone said it has V8 power with fuel consumption of a compact car.

Thanks.

The HCHII and Prius get virtually equal fuel economy. If you look at the data on this site, the averages are only 1 mpg apart. The biggest factor in fuel economy is how you drive the car. Both cars are capable of getting around 60mpg if you take the time to learn how to drive them.

I find it much easier to get higher FE with the Honda that with the Prius in the city. On the highway, they get virtually the same FE.

The Prius is basically an electric car that uses the gas motor to generate additional power when the batteries can't handle the load. The Honda is the opposite - a fuel efficient gas car with electric assist. Both cars achieve their goal, high FE, through opposite approaches, but both work and work well.

In city driving, the Prius runs on the electric motor up to about 35 mph and normal acceleration but the gas engine does come on at about 5 mph (with the a/c on) to supply power, along with the battery to the electric motor unless you are really really really light with the throttle (granny style). The Prius takes about 3-4 miles to warm up. FE is poor until then. The Prius requires very careful positioning of the gas pedal in order to 'glide'.

The Honda gets high FE even when the engine is cold and is much easier to maintain high FE in the city (on level roads)

The Prius has more of a 'Cadillac' ride, the Honda more firm and 'sporty'. The Honda is definately more noisy (road noise).

If someone were to ask for a recommendation, I would have to say driver each one for about 1/2 to 1 hour and see which one handles better to them and which seat is more comfortable to them, and buy that one. I find I have more leg room with the Honda. Many Honda owners have complained about the Honda seat comfort. I think the Prius has a little better lumbar support. The Honda is also about $5k less expensive.

Hope this answers your questions.

Similar request... could anybody in the Twin Cities, MN area PM me? Have family members looking for an HCH2 drive, and they're not too keen on the Prius' 9mo waiting list in that area.

Someday I might even beat that wascally kenny!

No whammies... no whammies... no whammies...

Elliot,

If it is a weekend and you want to go from point A to point B (40 mile trip) at 100% highway and go with traffic speed about 70mph or higher and maybe pass some cars along the way, which car would be more fun to drive? Which car would you pick to drive? Prius2 or HCH2? Why?

Thanks.

Frankly it is difficult to recommend one car over the other. They each have strong points and they each have a couple of minor weak points. They both get great FE.

Driving comfort and fun will be different depending on who you ask.

The Prius has a softer, smoother ride. The Honda has a sportier ride, doesn't wander as much on the highway and handles a little better. The Prius is quieter. I drive with the windows down so little bit of extra noise doesn't bother me. The Honda has more front leg room and the seat adjusts up and down by several inches.

Both will get around the same FE.

I like the HCHII better but typically drive the Prius on the weekends as the 'family' car because my wife insists on using the a/c and I work hard at keeping my FE up. After about 2500 miles, my average is 58+mpg, 90% city driving. With the a/c running about 98% of the time, the Prius has averaged about 40mpg (mainly city driving).

One thing I can say - the Prius loses a lot of power with the a/c on (not noticable on the highway) - the power loss on the HCHII is not as noticable. Both cars loose about 10mpg when the a/c is turned on.

One thing really great about the HCHII is that if you roll down the passenger side windows, you get an awesome breeze at speeds above 25mph. If I was driving the Prius, I would need to use the a/c about 50% of the time.

Hope this helps!