Looking at that Consumer Reports article on the midsize SUVs from current issue, the mileage they received was:

- an average of about 15 mpg for the non-hybrid midsize SUVs
- an average of about 22 mpg for the hybrid midsize SUVs

That's about a 50% increase in mpg for the hybrids, compared to their non-hybrid brethren. I'd say that shows the consistency of the CR tests, as well as the great fuel economy of the hybrid midsize SUVs.

So I guess I don't see any conspiracy or bias there -- they seem to drive all the vehicles equally hard.

 

For comparison, these hybrid midsize SUVs seemed to have fared better than my beloved HCH, compared to non-hybrid vehicles in the same class. It's not apples-to-apples because I don't have the numbers for the equivalent non-hybrid Highlander and Lexus, but compared to the other similar SUVs in the article:

- the hybrid midsize SUVs get almost 50% better mileage than the non-hybrids

By comparison, the hybrid Civic versus the non-hybrid:

- the hybrid Civic gets almost 25% better mileage than the non-hybrid Civic

As I recall, the Accord hybrid fared worse in comparison (I believe almost 10% better), although the hybrid is a more powerful vehicle.

But I still like Honda's IMA better.

 

Re: Consumer Reports getting paid off and accepting advertising money

Consumer Reports has never accepted any paid advertising. I have gotten the magazine for many many years and can attest to this. There are no articles written by anybody other than Consumer Reports staff.

At the front of each magazine is the statement that Consumer Reports accepts no paid advertising. Unlike their competitors.

I have no particular interest in defending them, I just think it seems like paranoia to believe they have been paid off, or are under the thumb of, anti-hybrid elements.

I think they just drive like those !#$%& morons that I hate so much on the road, when they measure their MPG. Hey, CR is located in New York, what should we have expected?

 

Sounds good to me, then I could boast my FEH gets better MPGs than a Prius.

 

Hi Gillman:

___If the EPA does change their tests to a more realistic driving scenario (they have a cold weather and A/C use test already but will not publish the figures ) as they may for the 07-08 MY and beyond, “Whoooa”, you are going to see some seriously happy Hybrid owners around these parts

___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net

 

When I bought my 2003 HCH, EPA was 48/47 (I kept the window sticker).

Today when I log onto Honda's Ownerlink and pull up my car's stats, EPA is 46/51.

So Honda must be using some kind of independent data, or possibly their own tests, that would modify the mileage. If they were listening to Consumer Reports, It would be much lower.

 

I sure wish I still had that publication, pretty sure it was CR.

The advertisement was clearly disguised as a real, unbiased review.

 

Hi Tim:

___The 46/51 rating is for the MT. Nothing changed in terms of the HCH’s rated FE but Ownerlink has incorrectly reported you either own the MT equipped HCH or it does not differentiate between the MT and the CVT is all …

___I still for the life of me cannot figure out how CR’s received just 26 mpg in an HCH? Maybe sitting in a traffic jam for 45 minutes with MAX A/C and driving another 10 miles in 10 minutes or some other such goofy thing. Or maybe I am just too thickheaded but I don’t see how that lowly number was achieved under any circumstance other then the postulation above???

___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net

 

Wrong, wrong wrong. (I mean that in the friendliest way, Hot Georgia! ) Consumer REPORTS does NOT take ANY advertising. None. Nada. Zip. In fact, manufacturers cannot even say in advertising that they are a Consumer Reports "Best Buy."

You are probably confusing CR with "Consumers DIGEST," which is an advertiser-supported publication, and is often cited in car ads when they get a top rating.

I've been getting CR for about 25 years, and have occasionally made small donations to help fund some of their projects. I'm considering dropping them a note, and so should anyone else who subscribes, to ask for more realistic mileage testing for hybrid vehicles. Certainly pointing them to sites like Green Hybrid could help them see what folks are getting in the real world, and over many miles.

Fred

 

I think I was able to attain 28mpg in my hch when I tried a while ago. It was hard. I'm going to try for lower in the winter to find out how low I can get it so we have a high/low number for the hch.