Will Hybrids Make Us Better Drivers?

Wow! 9 topics in one fell swoop ... I wouldn't be able to find time to drink, reading all those topics.



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From the linked article:

"Then, a few weeks ago, I had a Lexus CT 200h. "

"Had," an interesting choice of word that.
I'm having difficulty getting my mind around how a driver, female or
male. could have "had" a car. Well, maybe once you got in, you could...

nm

Anyhoo, on the whole, a guarded +1/2 on the article.
After all, the author did come to understand the fundamental paradigm
shift needed when switching from ICE-only to hybrid power:

"Never before have I wanted to change my driving habits for a car,
let alone a hybrid."

 

I think the author would appreciate with the metrics displaying the fuel economy of a hybrid, just as she might get on a scale to monitor her weight, body fat, etc? Same with tracking her checkbook.

 

The answer is "Maybe, but in cases like this one it may take a few years."

It's fairly scary to imagine someone like this driving around peering at the energy flow screen. Yikes, that's seriously distracting, for me anyway.

I agree with Chuck, the displays are the key for someone who actually WANTS to drive more efficiently. I think the tripmeter HSI display in the Gen-III falls short: too busy. The Insight-I has a much clearer display, which really helped me to work on learning efficient driving.

From what I see on the road, the vast majority of hybrid drivers are like my niece and have zero interest in changing their driving, they just buy the technology and take whatever it gives them, it's better mpg than they had before.

She's impressed by 5.5L/100km? That's 43mpg.

 

She had a CT200h as a press car - same as her saying something like, I was visiting Atlanta last week and had a CT200h as a rental. What did you have in mind?

This blog post was pretty complimentary of the Lexus and her point is that it changed her outlook as a driver from wringing performance out of a car to wringing mpg's out of it. This is exactly what most Prius fans want auto journalists to come to a conclusion on - I just do not understand the hating on her. Just as the articles on the front page of Prius Chat have a green/ pro-hybrid point of view which is determined by the site it looks like she writes for an enthusiast web site.

 

Whoa there, hold 'yer hosses. :behindsofa:

I gave the author a 1/2thumb at the end, didn't I?

I apologize and will accept gentle pokes for not using quizzical,
sarcastical, and mock surprise-ical emoticons, ie: :noidea:

No hatin' goin' on here. ray2:

That's my story and I'm stickin' with it.

 

The hating comment was directed towards all of the negative comments not you in general.

 

After looking at a CR last night, and I'm still baffled how they get such poor mileage out of everything.

 

no doubt slower and safer.

the Prius is so quiet (at least before I rotated my tires--real problem there) that you feel less stressed and more relaxed--less in a rush.Something the car reviewers have missed entirely.

 

The "I love gas guzzlers but I figured Id drive this hybrid like a hybrid should be driven" was too big of a leap for me. Nothing new here. One star.

 

I highly doubt hybrids will make people better drivers if the results of the 2009 study hold true.

Study: Hybrid Drivers Get More Tickets | Hybrid Cars

 

That's because they're hypomilers.

 

Nice, so hybrids may make people worse drivers.

I would say my speed has been reduced with the prius, as I can't take corners as fast

 

The single most important thing that will change our driving habits is an instant mileage readout on the dash. (Well, aside from pricing fuel equal to its cost)

We may not become better drivers, as in safer and more cooperative, but we'll burn less gas.