CAMRY HYBRID BAD WINTER MPG

[regfootball]

http://www.canadiandriver.com/testdrives/08camryhy.htm

Well, the most frequent criticism has been that its real-world fuel consumption figures are often higher than the official Energuide numbers of 5.7 L/100 km City/5.7 L/100 km Hwy. Moreover, its fuel consumption varies widely with the weather and road conditions. In a recent long-term test of the 2008 Camry Hybrid during a period of particularly bad Ottawa winter weather, CanadianDriver Managing Editor, Grant Yoxon, recorded average fuel economy readings between 6.2 L/100 km and 10.7 L/100 km, the latter during minus 20C temperatures and snow-clogged roads.

My week-long test drive of the Camry Hybrid in the Vancouver area, conducted during a typical cold, wet, overcast January week, confirmed the conclusion of CanadianDriver's Managing Editor Grant Yoxon: "The most significant factor affecting fuel consumption is weather."

In my neighbourhood, there was no snow and the temperature was 3C, but I could only manage 10.4 L/100 km in slow, city driving during the first few days. During this time period, I drove only short trips where the engine didn't have a chance to warm up. As a result, the Camry Hybrid wouldn't run on battery power alone, and the idle-stop feature didn't operate. I sat in traffic a lot of the time with the gas engine running. With the headlights on, the wipers going, the rear defroster on, the heated seats on, and the automatic climate control and air conditioning operating, power seemed to drain from the battery causing the 2.4-litre engine to do most of the work.

A few days later, the weather cleared, the temperature rose to 5C and I got out onto the freeway, and the fuel consumption dropped to 8.4 L/100 km. The next day the temperature rose to 7C, and the instant fuel economy readout showed 6.3 L/100 km. Like Yoxon, I was surprised at the difference in fuel economy readings and concluded that external factors such as outside temperature, wind, sunlight or lack of it, rain and snow, and poor road surfaces have a noticeable effect on the Hybrid powertrain's efficiency.

Edited January 25, 2008 by regfootball

[VenSeattle]

Toyota wrote a response to CanadianDriver.... It's driver error.

J/K

[the_yellow_dart]

How ironic. Canadians more often pick up efficient cars in general, which I expect extends to hybrids. The cold weather performance here is unacceptible - worse than I ever see in my Cobalt!

I'd be pretty pissed with Toyota if I shelled out that kind of money for 10.6 L/100km.

[Drew Dowdell]

Eh, I wouldn't go around cheering this. The same thing would happen in a Tahoe 2-mode.

[Intrepidation]

Buy a Jeep or a Subaru.

[pow]

Just don't buy any hybrid if you live in an area that always below or near freezing. It's not that the fuel economy will be worse, but rather you'll see minimal improvement.

[regfootball]

another reason why CAFE is discrminatory and why adopting CA's bullying agenda on their emissions BS makes no sense. If i cannot buy a hybrid in a cold climate area and get the same mileage somebody gets in the southern states.......I should not be forced to have my only choices be smaller vehicles that are around only to satisfy CAFE if my vehicle is in a climate where i have no chance of getting advertised mpg. Likewise, I should not be forced to drive something designed to meet unreasonable CA regs if because of weather i have no chance of meeting them anyways. If that forces me from my Malibu into an Aveo because of it, than that is bull$h!.

[Cory Wolfe]

Diesel FTW.

[pow]

another reason why CAFE is discrminatory and why adopting CA's bullying agenda on their emissions BS makes no sense. If i cannot buy a hybrid in a cold climate area and get the same mileage somebody gets in the southern states.......I should not be forced to have my only choices be smaller vehicles that are around only to satisfy CAFE if my vehicle is in a climate where i have no chance of getting advertised mpg. Likewise, I should not be forced to drive something designed to meet unreasonable CA regs if because of weather i have no chance of meeting them anyways. If that forces me from my Malibu into an Aveo because of it, than that is bull$h!.

If you don't live in CA, you're not affected, because you can still buy 45-state TDIs and CDIs.

Then of course, Bin 5 pollution standards are hardly unreasonable - BMW, Honda, VW, Audi, and Mercedes already make diesels that meet Bin 5 standards. Subaru just announced theirs.

[haypops]

another reason why CAFE is discrminatory and why adopting CA's bullying agenda on their emissions BS makes no sense.

The number of states adobting interest in CA like agenda is now 18 and probably represents a majority of the U.S. population.

[regfootball]

secede then start your own country and drive your 40 teslas.

Edited January 26, 2008 by regfootball

[Drew Dowdell]

Diesel FTW.

not in cold weather climates you don't

[haypops]

secede then start your own country and drive your 40 teslas.

http://www.physorg.com/news120216714.html

[Cremazie]

not in cold weather climates you don't

Up here in the north a lot of people drive their diesel trucks, just leave them to idle when they go into the store or do their daily business. if they park for a few hours they have to plug them in. Diesels are not going to reduce energy consumption or greenhouse gases in the north.

[K.C.]

Up here in the north a lot of people drive their diesel trucks, just leave them to idle when they go into the store or do their daily business. if they park for a few hours they have to plug them in. Diesels are not going to reduce energy consumption or greenhouse gases in the north.

You see that alot up here. The engine block heaters are very useful, and a worthwhile option, especially for diesel engined vehicles. Hell, I used to keep my trucks and cars running to keep the inside warm, and they were gas engined.

[haypops]

Up here in the north a lot of people drive their diesel trucks, just leave them to idle when they go into the store or do their daily business. if they park for a few hours they have to plug them in. Diesels are not going to reduce energy consumption or greenhouse gases in the north.

I have read that diesel engines are unusualy frugal at idle unlike their gas counterparts.

[vonVeezelsnider]

not in cold weather climates you don't

As true as that is, it doesn't change teh number of Jetta TDIs that run the streets of Calgary like Lemmings.

[Duncan]

As true as that is, it doesn't change teh number of Jetta TDIs that run the streets of Calgary like Lemmings.

40mpg is hard to fault, regardless of climate. And I've never heard of VW TDIs having any cold-start issues...