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... It seems that his biggest concern is the cost of replacing the battery after the warranty is up...
Hybrid #1: 2006 Lexus 400H, purchased from dealer as a lease return with 60k miles. Sold to best friend at 220,000 miles and she drove it for several years putting on an additional 30,000 miles, no issues with traction battery.
Hybrid #2: 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid, purchased from dealer with 200k miles. First year of generation 2 HiHy. Traded in at 250,000 miles for Hybrid #3 below, no issues with traction battery.
Hybrid #3: 2013 Toyota Highlander Hybrid, purchased from dealer with 120,000 miles. Last year of version 2 HiHy. Traded in at 155,000 miles for Hybrid #4 below, no issues with traction battery.
Hybrid #4, (current daily driver): 2016 Toyota Highlander Hybrid, purchased from dealer with 51,000 miles. Last year of version 3 HiHy before mid-cycle refresh. Little used but well maintained by previous owners, drives like a brand new car, even though seven years old when purchased. This one is a long-term keeper. No issues with the traction battery.
So . . . even though I've heard that traction batteries do go out, they never have in any of my hybrids. As long as the filters to the traction battery is kept clean, they will probably last the practical life of the vehicle. I'm sold on hybrid technology, at least the Toyota version of it.
My mechanic is not a big fan of hybrid cars. What do you guys think about them ?
Thanks.
Our Prius V has lasted 10 years and still gets pretty good mileage though not as good as when it was new. 38-40 mpg today, versus 49-50 mpg in 2013.
It's well over 100K and finally had some stuff go wrong, but not the hybrid drive train. A suspension cross-strut had broken; the repair guys welded it. A dead ABS sensor that cost a pretty penny to replace -- the sensors are embedded in the wheels. The 12-volt battery died twice.
Other than that, it's been a flawless car. My main complaints are the sluggish acceleration; it is not a sporty car in any sense! Also, the audio electronics are out of date and I wish it had Android/Apple connectivity, but of course most new cars do have that now.
Probably my next car will be a compact pickup truck similar to the Ford Maverick, but the hybrid version is only FWD at this time. Motor Trend hints that an AWD PHEV is in the works...eventually.
Meanwhile, there's also the rumored Toyota Stout mini-pickup that is expected in 2025, and will likely offer a hybrid drive train if not PHEV, in the upper $20s. If they can pull this off, and if it has a crew cab and at least 6' bed and off-road capability... it will be very attractive.
Not just the weight, duplicate-systems that will require maintenance and repair.
What "systems" do you believe are duplicated in a hybrid? None that I can think of. I know that my hybrids don't have starter motors nor alternators, so those can never fail. Can't think of any components that are duplicated on a hybrid versus the normal ICE version of the car.
Yes, hybrids are a little bit heavier, about 350 pounds, about the weight of two adult male passengers. By way of direct comparison: a 2016 Toyota Highlander AWD Limited weighs 4,508 pounds, (the traditional ICE version). Fuel consumption is rated at 18 city/24 highway. A 2016 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Limited, (all HiHy are AWD), weighs 4,861 pounds and rated at 27 city/28 highway. Both run on regular grade fuel. This is the fuel consumption I get. A little higher in warmer temperatures, a little lower in winter temperatures. Both the ICE version and the hybrid version have the same V-6 engine. The hybrid has two electric motors, one front and the other rear giving it its AWD capability.
What "systems" do you believe are duplicated in a hybrid? None that I can think of. I know that my hybrids don't have starter motors nor alternators, so those can never fail. Can't think of any components that are duplicated on a hybrid versus the normal ICE version of the car.
Yes, hybrids are a little bit heavier, about 350 pounds, about the weight of two adult male passengers. By way of direct comparison: a 2016 Toyota Highlander AWD Limited weighs 4,508 pounds, (the traditional ICE version). Fuel consumption is rated at 18 city/24 highway. A 2016 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Limited, (all HiHy are AWD), weighs 4,861 pounds and rated at 27 city/28 highway. Both run on regular grade fuel. This is the fuel consumption I get. A little higher in warmer temperatures, a little lower in winter temperatures. Both the ICE version and the hybrid version have the same V-6 engine. The hybrid has two electric motors, one front and the other rear giving it its AWD capability.
Yup.
For cars that have an actual hybrid version of themselves the weight difference is nowhere near 1000-1500 pounds.
But of course I'm sure the critics will compare two very dissimilar vehicles.
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