Looking for a hybrid...

Kevin, I don't think the Prius has that feature - at least the three 2007's I have, definitely do not.

The mileage that you can get out of the oil on the Civic Hybrid varies from owner to owner. Some people will go well beyond 18,000 kms and others will not make it to 9,000. This is because the maintenance minder on the HCH-2 keeps track of the operating conditions of the engine over time and derives the oil life percentage based on 5 of these metrics.

I agree with Jayman concerning the chronic lack of knowledge from most dealers concerning oil issues. A good 0W30 is a good option, just for giggles I have mine changed at the dealers at the regular intervals advised by Toyota. I don't want to risk keeping the oil for longer periods even though I theoretically could.

Cheers;

MSantos

 

For North America, Toyota requires an oil service every 6 months or 8,000 km / 5,000 mi. My 2007 FJ Cruiser has the same interval. This is among the shortest/lowest interval of any major car used in the North American market

For EU market Prius, Toyota has a normal 12 month or 16,000 km / 10,000 mi oil service interval. This is considered an average service interval in the EU, there are cars there that require a 24 month or 50,000 km interval.

Toyota really got burned on some sludged up motors here in North America. The bare minimum spec API oil is garbage, a no-name oil that earns a "pass" can still allow:

Cold deposits, cold stuck rings, cold sludge, cold gellation, etc. The test interval for API oils is one third as long as highly rated European ACEA A3/B3, B4 oils

My 1990 Toyota 4Runner had a normal 12 month or 7,500 mi oil service interval. I never changed the oil more often than that, but used either Mobil Delvac 5W-40 or a similar HD motor oil. 320,000 km and the motor ran like new, zero oil consumption

I have "pushed" Mobil 1 0W-20 in winter driving conditions (Down to -40 C, extensive city driving, etc) for 16,000 km with excellent oil analysis lab reports. OTOH I've had very alarming reports running the mystery no-name dealership bulk oil to barely 8,000 km

Don't bother trying to find the maintenance minder, there is none for the Canadian market Prius. The US market Prius does have one, it appears to turn on around 4,500 miles no matter how it is driven

 

I own both (2006 models) and I get about 10 MPG better in the Prius than I do in the Civic Hybrid. It may depend on driving style, but for me, yes, the civic really does get that much worse fuel economy. Plus, my wife and I both agree that the Prius is just plain nicer to drive and "zippier". In fact, she now wants a Prius too. Wanna buy a used Civic Hybrid? :lol:

 

I'm on the second tank of our 2008 HCH, and we are running about 49 MPG average. Did some careful driving in the city Monday, and got 61 MPG average over about 14 miles. You can get excellent mileage out of both cars if you try.

 

I get 50mpg in the summer and less than 30mpg in freezing cold weather.

sure, covering the air dams and engine block heater might have gotten me 35mpg, but i think you could do better than a prius where you live.

with snow tires such as bridgestone blizzaks, yokohama ice guards, or michelin ice guards, winter performance is great, but there is such a tiny ground clearance I think you should consider a non-hybrid 4 cylinder camry or accord.


I love hybrids but I'm honest enough to admit they have weaknesses. I know someone in alaska and he tells me its so cold you can even plug your block heater into the parking meters, most hybrids just aren't designed for this harsh cold weather, i hope this helps.

 

I'm not sure a test drive will give you the answers you want. Mileage varies considerably based on terrain, weather, driver, etc.. I tend to have a lead foot with fast accelerations and rapid stops. I will get very different results from somebody who drives very timidly. I've never done hand calculations, I just go by what the computers say. Even hand calculations are a bit fuzzy, particularly if you take your current mileage for the LAST tank divided by the amount of fuel you just put in (as many people do). What happens if you tank up early? Or late? No two tanks of gas will be exactly the same. Not to mention, as the cars break-in with time and mileage, your MPG will improve. Not only that, but modern car computers learn your style and adapt to you over time. A car that has had very different people test drive it will not give you YOUR best results. Not to mention, with time, YOU learn how to best drive the car.

Your best bet is to just buy the one you enjoy driving the most. Buy it because you like it or because you want to be "green", but don't obsess over your MPG. To make a fair comparison, save your gas station receipts for a quarter and compare the total gallons to the previous quarter on your old car. I just don't believe you can make a fair assessment based on one test drive, or even one tank. You can almost be certain, though, no matter which one you choose that it will do better than what you have now. I hope this helps you somehow, though it probably doesn't do much to make you less confused. But if mileage is really THAT important to you, your best bet is a motorcycle.

P.S. As for doing better in the city, if you do a lot of slow stop-and-go gridlock type driving, yes it definitely will do better because it can shut off the engine when you're sitting still. If, on the other hand, your "city driving" consists of 50MPH suburban driving, like it does around here, then no, it won't (you will likely do better on the freeway).

 

Whether it is the Prius or HCH, to get that kind of mileage most people would have to work at it.
But if you are already predisposed and committed to ecodriving and you don't mind trying a little hypermiling, then it will be easy for you to achieve and surpass that kind of mileage... add a little highway and sensible speeds and it gets even better.

Yes, our cold weather will not allow you to get those figures now... but once the warmer months arrive that type of mileage is definitely within reach.

Cheers;

MSantos

 

That's why I suggested in my earlier post that if you can find non-highway alternatives for some of your driving, the Prius easily would be the MPG winner. Some of us routinely top 80-90 MPG on selected trips in the summer, and some (not me ... yet) hold it for a full tank. But we stay off the highway as much as possible.