WeAreTheKey

If you want the best mileage for your buck and also be kinder to Mother Earth, here is a list of some of the top choices (per MSN):

http://editorial.autos.msn.com/listarti ... =passenger

Whoo Hoo! I drive #1!!

Wow, I wish I could buy one of those! Some of them are pretty cool. There's a few things I don't understand though.
On the second car, the Civic Hybrid, they actually say "In rendering the hybrid more aerodynamic, Honda also made it one of the better-looking Civic offerings...although this might be part of the reason it hasn’t seen nearly the sales success of the Prius."
Uhh, what?

Also, the Prius and the Civiv BOTH get 45 MPG Highway, yet the Civic gets a whole 8 MPG LESS in City?!? How is that possible? Some of these cars appear to be getting better mileage in 'city' than they do on 'highway', while others are the other way around. What's that about? I'm guessing the city is when they switch over to electric, which saves gas? But then why don't all hybrids follow that same rule?

Strange new gadgetry! Now when does the magnetic engine model come out? Let me guess.... 200Never.

Well from experience driving the car. Highway MPG is better than city. Heres why I think that is. (Maybe I am not driving it properly, or its an advertising skeem for city drivers?) Either way in the city is way less polluting than any other car.

When your on the highway, depending on if it in flat or hilly, you use a combination of gas engine and battery. The display screen shows your current MPG as well as your overall average (for that tank of gas) Using cruse control is supper efficient because there is no fluctuation in the pedal. But in the city, when your stopped, the gas engine turns off completely, thus, ZERO pollution, but then the light turns green and you accelerate. And depending on how hard or soft (or weather your starting on an incline) you push on the pedal the gas engine and/or battery will turn on. So you have to push VERY soft on the pedal to engage the battery from a stop. More times than not the engine turns on to compensate for stop. Also when you take off, and say you push hard on the pedal, you pours LOTS of gas into the engine giving you really crappy MPG (which is displayed on the screen) I have seen my car on take off get 7.8 MPG (uphill) but your average goes up later when the road flattens out.

Here is my current stats.

Miles driven 407 (still have 2 gallons in tank) javascript:emoticon(':D')
Very Happy
Average for this tank 46.6 MPG

I drove 250miles highway (to Oregon country faire! Woohoo!)
the other was in city.

So this is pretty decent. The best average I have got was 52.3 MPG on a trip to california. Total of 420miles on ONE tank of gas! (lots of down hill, which recharges the battery and doesnt use gas engine)

I dont know about the performance of the Civics, supposedly better city MPG, but if its the same technology then I dont see how it would be any different that the Prius?

I do think that Toyota has had more $ to throw at advertising. Maybe thats why?

I did read a funny statistic. That Portland has more Priuses per capa than any other city in the country!

Overall hybrids are awesome technology. Next step, ALL electric or solar!!

Plus I got a great deal and got REALLY lucky that I found a USED prius (I got it Febuary 2008). Currently there is a 300 person waiting list. And I am only paying 50 bucks more per month than I was for my Toyota Tacoma.

I love my Spaceship!