Civic vs Prius

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tideland Prius @ Sep 3 2007, 10:23 PM) [snapback]506577[/snapback]</div>

A fine place to put it, but not if I want to change songs while I'm driving. A minor beef, I know. Plus, you ever try to open the center console and then get your right arm in a position to get anything out of the console with the 'door' in th vertical position?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daniel @ Sep 2 2007, 11:07 AM) [snapback]505837[/snapback]</div>

A perfect hybrid design will have all of the advantages of an electric car AND a gas ICE car. That ideal hybrid may not exist due to the cost and weight issue. The best compromise and the "silver bullet" solution is to strike a balance to hit the "target" - at least hit the most important targets. Prius with the Hybrid Synergy Drive does exactly that. Although there are some short coming in the current HSD.... for example, hitting a traffic jam more than a mile long under 100 deg F summer. The Prius starts to drive like the Civic hybrid when the HSD battery pack runs low and the gas ICE has to start in order to inch forward. That can be remedy (but not eliminated) by doubling the battery capacity and making it pluggable. Four miles short trips (first 5 mins) are inefficient due to the gas ICE warm up period. Pluggable Prius with 8 mile range will also remedy more and more gas ICE inefficient situations.

Like the concept of Divide and Conquer, HSD divides the duties and give it to the most efficient worker (gas or electric). As the electric powertrain become more powerful in 04 mode year, less gas is used by eliminating most situations when the gas ICE is least efficient. It looks like Toyota is looking to close the remaining holes with the plug-in Prius with bigger battery pack.

I believe the next-gen Prius will achieve outstanding MPG by the process of refining the proven technology:

1) Avoiding short trips (8 miles round trip)
2) Gas engine warm-up period (Avoid the first 5 mins by predicting longer trips. If you jump on the highway and demand high power acceleration, gas ICE will turn on and the trip will be long. If a short run to the bank is in stop and go traffic, the gas engine will not turn on)
3) Avoid extreme traffic jams
4) Maintain peak performance under extreme mountain climbs
5) Capture maximum power on the long downhill (regen braking)


Hitting the most target is critical to sell at HUGE volume. If this "silver bullet" solution can meet 80% of the population's needs, it will be a huge seller. I am just looking forward to the next generation PHV Prius.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(PriusOwner004 @ Aug 16 2007, 03:28 PM) [snapback]497202[/snapback]</div>

I've rented a Civic Hybrid twice and have driven them about 750 miles. I would have to completely disagree with you. I prefer the Civic to the Prius. I only purchased the Prius because the Civic had a 6 month wait and 5 Prii were available locally. (3 new, 2 used) I also prefer the practical hatchback design of the Prius but since I also have a TDI Jetta Wagon that would not have been a deal killer if the Civic would have been available.