Discussion
Friend has one as a company car, I saw it when he got it in December and was quitre impressed, looks very space age, and quite funky. But he came over last night and I had a mooch around it. He's getting only 37mpg out of it on average, driving pretty much a roads and motorways. He is not an animal in a car, but admits to being disappointed as he was getting 47mpg average in his last Focus TDCI.
So bearing in mind it is pretty mucha 2 seater, so has limited practicality, goes OK, but is hardly a sporty drive, has this car sort of missed the mark a little? I want to like it, but for 20k, 130hp all in, and only getting 37mpg, seems a little pointless to me.
So bearing in mind it is pretty mucha 2 seater, so has limited practicality, goes OK, but is hardly a sporty drive, has this car sort of missed the mark a little? I want to like it, but for 20k, 130hp all in, and only getting 37mpg, seems a little pointless to me.
New technology I suppose.... Initial outlay aside I'd have a hybrid over a diesel any day though. Quiter, cleaner and I like the novelty. That and I'm not convinced by the economy of modern diesels once you factor in fueling problems and dual mass flywheel failures etc.
If you're socially conscious there's also the environmental impact to consider. Diesel particulate is pretty nasty stuff once you start breathing it in. New particulate filters obviously help but don't alleviate the problem entirely. In built up areas it can be a real problem. There is pretty compelling evidence that links it to childhood asthma as well.
If you're socially conscious there's also the environmental impact to consider. Diesel particulate is pretty nasty stuff once you start breathing it in. New particulate filters obviously help but don't alleviate the problem entirely. In built up areas it can be a real problem. There is pretty compelling evidence that links it to childhood asthma as well.
I can imagine he canes it to only get 37 mpg from it. I drove one for the day and managed to get early 50's from it without being too restrained.
For me personally the diesel arguement is a poor one. I don't know many people that buy diesels for a fun driving experience. In this respect the CR-Z thrashes every other diesel hatch I've driven as it's a great handling/fun car.
Of course some people do buy diesels for fun (Fabia VRs etc) but my point is that hybrids give diesel like fuel economy without going down the smoky/noisy/heavy/over torquey/lack of rev range route.
For me personally the diesel arguement is a poor one. I don't know many people that buy diesels for a fun driving experience. In this respect the CR-Z thrashes every other diesel hatch I've driven as it's a great handling/fun car.
Of course some people do buy diesels for fun (Fabia VRs etc) but my point is that hybrids give diesel like fuel economy without going down the smoky/noisy/heavy/over torquey/lack of rev range route.
Horses for courses of course. Already said, but a diesel is likely to do better as a hybrid really comes into its own around town.
I can see that there are often widely differing MPG numbers that are thrown around by manufacturers though, and experience says that I often see widely different numbers per car too! I just wish there was a more effective measure we could use, one that we could be a bit more sure of what we might actually get out of the damn thing.
Of course, driver, conditions, circumstances, traffic, road surface etc - all have an impact and its going to be different for everyone I suppose - maybe asking too much.
I can see that there are often widely differing MPG numbers that are thrown around by manufacturers though, and experience says that I often see widely different numbers per car too! I just wish there was a more effective measure we could use, one that we could be a bit more sure of what we might actually get out of the damn thing.
Of course, driver, conditions, circumstances, traffic, road surface etc - all have an impact and its going to be different for everyone I suppose - maybe asking too much.
Was looking at the one in the showroom when I dropped my civic off this morning. Rear seats are useless but I barely use them anyway.
Thinking of trying one out if I can get a few hours to see how it compares on my typical journeys, which can have a fair chunk of heavy traffic. There are some good value nearly-new ones sat in dealers which would be pretty tempting for a Civic replacement.
Thinking of trying one out if I can get a few hours to see how it compares on my typical journeys, which can have a fair chunk of heavy traffic. There are some good value nearly-new ones sat in dealers which would be pretty tempting for a Civic replacement.
Amateurish said:
Thes hybrids are much better arond town, in start-stop traffic. For your mate, a modern diesel will give much better results.
They lose most of their advantage if you're not regularly using the brakes and/or driving very slowly. Honda's system isn't as good from an economy standpoint as Toyota's, either.
t955daytona said:
I get 39mpg out of a 2010 Cooper S with 184bhp and can see north of 48mpg if I drive like an angel!
Yes, IMO hybrids are for idiots UNLESS the specific use cycle plays to their strengths. Buying one instead of an ordinary car is plain daft, especially when you factor in the impact of eventual battery replacnment. 
Ozzie Osmond said:
Yes, IMO hybrids are for idiots UNLESS the specific use cycle plays to their strengths. Buying one instead of an ordinary car is plain daft, especially when you factor in the impact of eventual battery replacnment.
Easy enough to get real data from sites like www.spritmonitor.de:13 x Mini Cooper S (manual), 2010 on gave an average mpg (UK) of 36.3
19 x Honda CRZ gave an average mpg (UK) of 46.1
t955daytona said:
I get 39mpg out of a 2010 Cooper S with 184bhp and can see north of 48mpg if I drive like an angel!
Actual recorded or is that just what your wee dashboard display is telling you?The mini I had was shockingly optimistic while the Honda I had was only 1 or 2 mpg off the actual
PKLD said:
Actual recorded or is that just what your wee dashboard display is telling you?
The mini I had was shockingly optimistic while the Honda I had was only 1 or 2 mpg off the actual
Even your "actual" figure was probably optimistic unless you're measuring distance using a GPS. In my experience odometers tend to over-read by the same amount that speedometers do. The mini I had was shockingly optimistic while the Honda I had was only 1 or 2 mpg off the actual
Ozzie Osmond said:
...especially when you factor in the impact of eventual battery replacnment.
Rumour has it there are still plenty of mk1 Honda Insights rolling around on their original batteries. This type of hybrid uses such a narrow charge window it's almost not worth worrying about. It's like factoring in the impact of eventual engine replacement on a normal car
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