Does the Prius still make sense when midsize-car Hybrids are getting almost 50mpg?(Accord Hybrid)

here's the thing: you're jumping the gun on honda claims, they haven't been right about anything hybrid to date. let's see what the real world numbers turn out to be.

that being said, my wife is getting 49mpg in her hycam and the epa is 39 or so. i get around 70mpg in my pip with epa at 50. if you can get 50 from the hyacc, and the price and size and non hatchback is worth it to you, go for it. trust me, hyacc will not make much of a dent in prius sales, as the next gen prius will be even better.

 

Sedans lose the utility of the hatchback design, have a much smaller trunk than their non-hybrid versions and typically have little or no pass-through with the rear seats. If those aren't issues (single person commuter or second car for instance), then they are certainly worthy of cross-shopping.

 

good question only you can answer

 

Try taking an Accord to IKEA. You wouldn't believe what you can fit in a Prius with the seats down...

 

The market will decide.

The Honda Civic hybrid and Honda Insight are toast. So this is the new "Prius killer?" <BRAHAHAHAHA>

Why should someone pay a few thousand more for a sedan instead of a large cabin hatchback?

Perhaps because we all have different sets of requirements and one size does not fit all. It really comes down to choices. Here is a better list of the competition:

	Column 1
0	[tr][th]model[th]Jul_13[th]Jun_13[th]May_13[th]Apr_13
1	[tr][td2]Toyota Prius Liftback[td2]15252[td2]14066[td2]15330[td2]12432
2	[tr][td2]Jetta Diesel[td2]4821[td2]3940[td2]3752[td2]3158
3	[tr][td2]Toyota Camry Hybrid[td2]4193[td2]3878[td2]4265[td2]3257
4	[tr][td2]Passat Diesel[td2]3997[td2]3405[td2]2797[td2]2797
5	[tr][td2]Toyota Prius C[td2]3797[td2]3442[td2]3782[td2]3486
6	[tr][td2]Toyota Prius V[td2]3428[td2]2987[td2]3732[td2]3372
7	[tr][td2]Ford Fusion Hybrid[td2]2914[td2]3057[td2]3335[td2]3625
8	[tr][td2]Ford C-Max Hybrid[td2]2267[td2]2889[td2]3261[td2]3197
9	[tr][td2]Sonata[td2]2200[td2]2129[td2]1817[td2]1447
10	[tr][td2]Nissan Leaf[td2]1864[td2]2225[td2]2138[td2]1937
11	[tr][td2]Chevrolet Volt[td2]1788[td2]2698[td2]1607[td2]1306
12	[tr][td2]Tesla Model S*[td2]1550[td2]1800[td2]2000[td2]2100
13	[tr][td2]Malibu Hybrid[td2]1338[td2]1651[td2]1695[td2]1551
14	[tr][td2]ES Hybrid[td2]1324[td2]1239[td2]1434[td2]1237
15	[tr][td2]Lexus CT200h[td2]1306[td2]1513[td2]1623[td2]1171
16	[tr][td2]Kia Optima Hybrid[td2]1241[td2]1100[td2]1206[td2]1000
17	[tr][td2]Avalon Hybrid[td2]1139[td2]1394[td2]1514[td2]1423
18	[tr][td2]RX 400 / 450 h[td2]962[td2]900[td2]885[td2]688
19	[tr][td2]Toyota Prius Plug In[td2]817[td2]584[td2]678[td2]599
20	[tr][td2]Golf Diesel[td2]709[td2]698[td2]624[td2]527
21	[tr][td2]MKZ[td2]646[td2]768[td2]715[td2]884
22	[tr][td2]Honda Civic Hybrid[td2]578[td2]568[td2]570[td2]569
23	[tr][td2]Lacrosse Hybrid[td2]530[td2]619[td2]668[td2]662

Source: April-July 2013 Hybrid Dashboard Summary | PriusChat

I don't really care whether or not someone thinks the whole hybrid market is just one model Prius, the hatchback. It simply means they don't understand there are real choices out there. If the next Honda captures some market, it will probably be at the expense of the current Honda hybrids but that does not matter.

No the real question is what 'gasser' car does it compete with? Does it pull someone from a 25 MPG gas only or diesel car?

Bob Wilson

 

The HAH will steal some sales from FFH and TCH. Why? It is a better driving car, a quieter car, with better interior than the TCH. And better mpg than the FFH. From early indications of the HAPI, they are getting EPA miles from non-hypermilers and first time hybrid owners.

 

So the diesels, Chevy cruise, and other gassers are safe?

Bob Wilson

 

no way is it quieter than hycam, the thing is like a limo.

 

Indeed

 

You asked for opinions OP, so here are a few of mine:

• 1. You wrote "seems like" too may times. Wait for facts
• 2. MSRP does not matter. Wait to compare actual selling prices
• 3. A 3 - 4,000 USD difference in price is exactly what has kept 96% percent of US car buyers in non-hybrids.
• 4. Toyota has proven tech, Honda not so much -- in hybrids anyway. Want to be on the bleeding edge ?

I applaud your purchase of any 50+ mpg combined MPG car with clean emissions. I personally have no use for sedans, so the Honda Accord would be a non-starter for me. Over the years tens of millions of people have chosen either the Toyota Camry or the Honda Accord. You should ask them how they decided to gain some insight. I'll guess it came down to what car they owned before and the deals offered at the time.

Now, about those hypothetical advantages:

• Faster 0 -60 -- I could not care less
• Bigger -- not in the storage area, where I do care. My Prius vagon is a cave on wheels. The fuel meter sits at 51.9 mpg after 32k miles.

 

Exactly. The new Accord Hybrid sounds great, and I already loved the new gas Accord. Some automotive journalists have already vouched for the Accord Hybrid's mileage overseas, hopefully Honda won't pull a Ford. The new Camry hybrid is great, but we already have a 2007 CH, which at 100,000 miles is still going strong. So I got the V for cargo room, and found it had a lot of people room as well. My Prius V listed at $29,000 plus. Most people are not buying stripped models anymore.

If the new Accord hybrid is what they say it is, it will once again grow sales in the hybrid segment. I've driven all the new major 4-door sedans, and preferred the new Accord by a wide margin to any others in that range. The new gas-only Accord gets a combined mileage figure (real world) as good or better than some small compacts. Competition is good

 

You are getting passive insulation. The Fusion and Accord use active noise-cancel, which works better. Think ear muffs versus Bose noise canceling headphones.

 

From reading some situations with the Toyota hybrid design, there are cases with high stop/go traffic that can eventually kill the battery quicker. As it drains to 2 bars and recharge 1 bar, and then repeat.

In the HAH, you can switch to ICE and bypass the battery all together. Or you can even charge the battery up as well. Honda has made improvement to potentially allow user to protect the battery.

 

Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. Have any ?

The situation you describe sounds like stereotypical taxi use, and early Prius battery demise is most certainly not being reported in that use category -- just the opposite.

 

The Prius IS classified as mid size. And, per other responders, really don't care about leading edge 0 to 60 times.

 

Sorry but this is inaccurate. Heat is the enemy and that happens at high-speeds, hot climates, and hilly and mountainous areas. City traffic is nothin' because the energy transfers are 'in the noise' compared to highway traffic energy levels and transfers. The reason is kinetic energy is a velocity squared energy level and the aerodynamic drag energy has a velocity squared part. City traffic is at least a factor of four or smaller compared to highway effects.

So what is the mileage if you just disable the battery and drive it like a Honda Accord Hybrid with the traction battery disabled?

But Honda has a legacy problem:

Source: Honda Hybrid IMA Battery Defect Class Action Lawsuit

I don't mind if you want to claim the Honda Accord Hybrid has great mileage but when you claim it is superior because the owner can disable the battery . . . tell us what mileage you get with the battery disabled.

You're not a very good Honda Accord Hybrid advocate.

Bob Wilson

 

Does a Prius make sense since the Honda Insight exists? Yes. The Insight is hideous AND gets worse mileage.

 

Another Honda customer, silly place to advertise it
Why buy the prius, it works, I love my Honda lawn mower and weed trimmer
I would love to buy a Honda electric, someday.

I didn't receive a stipend for my post
(I think the op did)

 

I've managed to do it this week through rather extraordinary circumstances. I've been home this week, so only driving at best 2.5 miles a day. The route I take is stop and go, and the battery is under constant attack due to limited breaking, and heat and humidity. Granted, not many miles on a new tank, but I'm at 35 MPG now.

I need to run my baby a little more ;()