when my mariner hybrid switches from electric to gas engine theres a little surge....almost like a hesitation....around 1500-2000 rpm....is this normal ?

 

Not mine, in fact mine is smoother in transition than my wifes lexus 400h

 

I feel a slight shudder when the ICE kicks in, but as I understand that is normal. It doesn't feel abnormal, just noticeable.

 

Very smooth on my '09. If I was deaf I wouldn't know it even happened, but engine is too noisy for this caliber of vehicle so easy to hear it start.

 

Only a tad at the initial engine start at 1000 RPM... Nothing after that.
Mine is a 2005.

 

Consider what's going on inside the transaxle: the motor is driving the wheels, the ICE is off and not moving, the generator is rotating but not contributing to propelling the car.

When the computer kicks in the ICE it does so by spinning up the generator to cause the ICE to rotate. The generator has to do this while not affecting the motor which is driving the wheels. All three of these are interconnected through the planetary gearset. So there will be a little "shudder" perhaps when it does this.

Don't over react to my use of the word shudder... its noticeable but I think very minimal given what is going on.

 

Does it run smoothly when first started? When not in EV mode, does it give you any indication it's not running properly?