I have been wishing for more FE vehicles for a long time, and now that the hybrid vehicles are gaining popularity among manufacturers, I am curious what consensus there is about how they should be designing them:

And to clarify, I am asking what YOU want, not what you think the rest of the world wants.

What I want is a utility vehicle that gets good mpg, power be ****ed. The Freightliner/Dodge sprinter van is a good start, but I want some pickup trucks to be FE too, with small diesels and/or hybrids that get GOOD mpg. I have a contracting business and there's nothing on the market that meets the needs of someone with true utility needs. The Jeep Liberty diesel might have been a good SUV option but they put a 250hp motor in it so it has very little FE gain, instead what amounts to a "free" power gain. I want true economy, I do not need to race my pickup truck.

 

This poll is very self-selecting, of course. It's a 'preaching-to-the-choir' kind of thing: if you ask people who own hybrids or are interested in them whether they care most about fuel efficiency or something else, they're probably going to answer fuel efficiency. Just a Wild Guess. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

 

I think they need 2 types of hybrids.

First... the very economical commuter. Usually a smaller car with limited cargo. Loaded with safety features, as us commuters as crash risk is higher simply to being on the road a lot. Example, the HCH2.

Second.. economical, safe, but more practical family vehicle. Extra cargo space for hauling stuff around.. kids, tools, and all that. Some models should even be able to tow a limited amount.. such as a small trailer for a lawnmower or something. Example, a hybrid Honda CRV or Subaru Forester (I own a Forester.. wish a hybrid was available).

Yes I said only 2.. but a possible Third option to brainstorm on..

A small/mid ranged sporty looking hybrid. Economical but with interesting design with some power to it. This may entice a younger crowd. Possible Example... European 06 Civic Hatchback in a hybrid package. I really like that design.. too bad not avail. Or how about a Honda Fit sported out and hybridized.

 

I voted for the second option. I presume this is speaking of about the same amont of power as would be expected from a normal 4-cylinder sedan. I would go for same level of power, with some improved fuel efficiency, as there are some situations where I feel a little bit more horsepower than the current economy hybrids would be nice, such as on sustained uphill climbs where it's occasonally necessary to pass, without going as far as the Camry or Accord in terms of Horsepower.

I would however also like to also see a lightweight sporty hybrid coupe with good handling, good aerodynamics, with some extra pick-up while still getting decent mileage. (I guess this is the third option, I'm not advocating anything excessive like the new V8 Lexus) However, this would be lower priority than my first choice.

 

Well, this is mostly a function of where the poll is being administered. If I had a larger audience to post it to I would.

Still though, I am interested in why we as a group are interested in hybrids. I am curious how many FE nuts there are vs people who simply like the extra FE because they don't have to give up much to get it. I'm curious how many of us would buy a wimpy but efficient family vehicle, suv, pickup, etc.

 

In the church analogy, not everyone is a member. Maybe the poll was "preaching to the choir" expecting many to prefer maximum-economy hybrids, but we know there are members that don't agree with that.

 

Just for reference, I am a brand new hybrid owner with a 12 day old HCH.

I love the HCH but as a "wish list" I'd like to see the same or slightly better MPG with a little more performance. Maybe a 0-60 in the 9-10 second range. Perhaps also a bigger IMA to allow EV crusing more easily in the 20-35 speed range.



Dan

 

I would def. buy a nice Hybrid pickup as soon as it were to come out. I need a pickup and some power but that is a major factor. I def. need and want better FE than what I get with my truck. I would be first inline for a Real hybrid pickup and not Garbage Motors (GM) idea of a hybrid. May people have a need for a pickup and cannot due with out especially businesses. If half or maybe even a quarter of all pickups on the road went to hybrids with even just a 15 to 20% increase of FE it would save a lot of fuel.

 

For years I've been asking my Honda dealer about plans for a hybrid CRV/Element. That combination would have done amazingly well. I opted for the HCH2 because of comfort, good acceleration (my previous car was a '97 CRV, before they increased the HP), and the ability to carry 4 passengers comfortably. It would be awesome to have an AWD vehicle that received excellent mileage for us folks in the Great White North. The FE of the 4wd FEH doesn't come close to my mpg goals.