2014 Accord Hybrid to get 49mpg city
09-27-13, 01:25 PM
#136
ES300h vs ES350 is different as V6 is faster but thats why MPG differential is probably closer to 20.
When it comes to PHEVs, they make little sense monetary RIGHT NOW, if not for huge discounts manufacturers are forced to put on them. Due to CA regulations, they have to sell certain amounts of them so they are selling them way below the price.
For instance, some people got Prius PHEV for $1k extra - thats a steal. You save that money in the year and plus you get cool car too.
09-27-13, 01:28 PM
#137
IMO the best bang for buck in terms of total cost savings is the smaller econo naturally aspirated engines. Like the elantra's, civics, the mazda3 eco, etc. No hybrid engine premium. No extra cost for charging station set up.
30 to 35 mpg for non hybrid is pretty common these days.
30 to 35 mpg for non hybrid is pretty common these days.
1). They're small. I need a midsize car. We use to have a Civic, but not having enough room was the reason why we got rid of it for a Camry.
2) Most of my commute is in the city. Where can I find a midsize non-hybrid that'll do 30-35 mpg city?
If the only thing I care about was MPG, I would have bought a moped.
09-27-13, 02:16 PM
#139
09-27-13, 05:27 PM
#140
how about the new mazda6? it "supposed" to get 29 to 30 mpg MIXED city.
not sure how realistic it is but that's their claim.
not sure how realistic it is but that's their claim.
Here is why I'm not considering the cars above.
1). They're small. I need a midsize car. We use to have a Civic, but not having enough room was the reason why we got rid of it for a Camry.
2) Most of my commute is in the city. Where can I find a midsize non-hybrid that'll do 30-35 mpg city?
If the only thing I care about was MPG, I would have bought a moped.
1). They're small. I need a midsize car. We use to have a Civic, but not having enough room was the reason why we got rid of it for a Camry.
2) Most of my commute is in the city. Where can I find a midsize non-hybrid that'll do 30-35 mpg city?
If the only thing I care about was MPG, I would have bought a moped.
09-27-13, 07:14 PM
#141
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Here is why I'm not considering the cars above.
1). They're small. I need a midsize car. We use to have a Civic, but not having enough room was the reason why we got rid of it for a Camry.
2) Most of my commute is in the city. Where can I find a midsize non-hybrid that'll do 30-35 mpg city?
If the only thing I care about was MPG, I would have bought a moped.
1). They're small. I need a midsize car. We use to have a Civic, but not having enough room was the reason why we got rid of it for a Camry.
2) Most of my commute is in the city. Where can I find a midsize non-hybrid that'll do 30-35 mpg city?
If the only thing I care about was MPG, I would have bought a moped.
The most efficient non-hybrid versions of the Nissan Altima and Honda Accord have the highest city rating of 27 MPG in the mid-size sedan field. Most mid-sizers are around 22-25 mpg city.
EDIT: There is a version of the Mazda 6 rated at 28 mpg city. That's just one select model however. The others are 26 mpg.
Even MICRO cars only get what you are looking for a mid-size to do.
- Smart fortwo gets 34 mpg city
- Scion iQ - 36 mpg city
- Fiat 500 up to 31 mpg city
- Chevy Spark - 31 mpg city
Last edited by -J-P-L-; 09-27-13 at 07:19 PM.
09-27-13, 07:44 PM
#142
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Here is why I'm not considering the cars above.
1). They're small. I need a midsize car. We use to have a Civic, but not having enough room was the reason why we got rid of it for a Camry.
2) Most of my commute is in the city. Where can I find a midsize non-hybrid that'll do 30-35 mpg city?
If the only thing I care about was MPG, I would have bought a moped.
1). They're small. I need a midsize car. We use to have a Civic, but not having enough room was the reason why we got rid of it for a Camry.
2) Most of my commute is in the city. Where can I find a midsize non-hybrid that'll do 30-35 mpg city?
If the only thing I care about was MPG, I would have bought a moped.
09-27-13, 07:49 PM
#143
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09-27-13, 09:15 PM
#144
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Here is why I'm not considering the cars above.
1). They're small. I need a midsize car. We use to have a Civic, but not having enough room was the reason why we got rid of it for a Camry.
2) Most of my commute is in the city. Where can I find a midsize non-hybrid that'll do 30-35 mpg city?
If the only thing I care about was MPG, I would have bought a moped.
1). They're small. I need a midsize car. We use to have a Civic, but not having enough room was the reason why we got rid of it for a Camry.
2) Most of my commute is in the city. Where can I find a midsize non-hybrid that'll do 30-35 mpg city?
If the only thing I care about was MPG, I would have bought a moped.
Those are the reasons that I will be interested in looking at the Camry Hybrid when the lease on my Corolla comes due in 6 months time. The Corolla is fine for my daily commutes but when the family piles in, especially when my parents squeeze in, it is tight. Despite what they claim, the Corolla is NOT a 5-passenger vehicle, and the new 2014 Corolla may have much more rear leg room but it is still as narrow as the 2009 to 2013 Corolla, with its narrow back seat.
09-30-13, 04:04 AM
#145
AutoNews Says 12.7 Cubic Feet Trunk
Most of the attention for Honda's Accord hybrid will come from its eye-popping 50-mpg EPA city rating and under-$30,000 starting price. But those with an eye for engineering will see a creative combination of new technology with elements from the Chevrolet Volt, Toyota Prius and Ford Fusion Hybrid.
"Honda put in all we had," said Koji Ninomiya, chief engineer for the Accord Hybrid, through an interpreter. "We did our best, and we ended up at 50 mpg."
The car, which gets to dealerships in late October, uses 3 drive modes to crack the 50-mpg figure -- something no other mid-sized car, including the European diesels, can match.
Ninomiya said 50 mpg or any specific number was not the goal when Honda engineers began nearly a decade ago studying a new hybrid powertrain to replace its current design.
"We considered everything, [including] driving resistance and regenerative braking. We made the powertrain all new, and the biggest purpose of this was to aim for the most efficient system in the world. As we tried to optimize the efficiency, we decided 2 motors will be best," he said.
Here's how the 2 electric motors work in the Accord Hybrid's 3 drive modes, EV, Hybrid and Engine.
• EV mode: The car is propelled only by an electric motor powered by the lithium ion battery pack. The top speed is about 60 mph, but the range is very limited, just a few miles. Once the battery is depleted, the car automatically switches to Hybrid mode.
• Hybrid mode: The Accord Hybrid works a lot like a Chevrolet Volt. The 2.0-liter gasoline engine powers a generator to create electricity for the electric motor. Honda calls the generator a motor, hence 2 motors. Only the electric motor, fed by the generator, moves the car in Hybrid mode.
• Engine mode: The electric motor is decoupled, and the Accord's Atkinson cycle gasoline engine drives the wheels directly through a 1-gear transmission. In that highway gear -- similar in efficiency to a 6th gear on a manual transmission -- the gasoline engine runs in its sweet spot, delivering both strong acceleration when needed and high fuel economy.
Ford and Toyota hybrids also use Atkinson cycle engines. The Accord's Atkinson cycle 2.0-liter gasoline engine is a 1st for Honda.• Hybrid mode: The Accord Hybrid works a lot like a Chevrolet Volt. The 2.0-liter gasoline engine powers a generator to create electricity for the electric motor. Honda calls the generator a motor, hence 2 motors. Only the electric motor, fed by the generator, moves the car in Hybrid mode.
• Engine mode: The electric motor is decoupled, and the Accord's Atkinson cycle gasoline engine drives the wheels directly through a 1-gear transmission. In that highway gear -- similar in efficiency to a 6th gear on a manual transmission -- the gasoline engine runs in its sweet spot, delivering both strong acceleration when needed and high fuel economy.
(cut and paste url) bcove.me/wo557r58
In an Atkinson cycle engine, the intake valves remain open briefly during the compression stroke. That pushes some of the air in the cylinders into the intake manifold, which lowers the compression ratio. That enables fast, smooth starts, which is ideal for hybrids. The downside is that it reduces power.
To solve that problem, Honda engineers installed VTEC, a system that electronically controls the timing of the valves with camshafts that have 2 sets of lobes. 1 set of lobes is for the Atkinson cycle; the other is for normal combustion. The engine's computer switches back and forth between the 2 sets of lobes, based on engine speed and load.
Other new technologies include the car's innovative regenerative brakes, which send electricity to the battery. Regeneration begins the instant a driver's foot leaves the accelerator, not when the brake pedal is pressed as it does on other hybrids.
The air-cooled lithium ion battery pack fits in a compact case between the rear seat and the trunk. The pack does reduce trunk space. The hybrid's trunk is 12.7 cubic feet, while the regular Accord's trunk is 15.8.
Honda will offer 3 versions of the Accord Hybrid. The base model starts at $29,155; a midlevel E-XL version, at $31,905; and the loaded Touring, at $34,905. The prices exclude shipping; figures haven't been announced.
Watch the technology in action
(cut and paste to play) bcove.me/bt05m62r
(cut and paste to play) bcove.me/bt05m62r
Honda is assembling the Accord Hybrid at its Marysville plant; it is the 1st time the Accord Hybrid has been built in North America.
The car's innovative powertrain could help win back some former Honda fans who deserted the brand for other makes with more advanced engines and transmissions.
In the past, Honda had stuck with nickel-metal hydride batteries in its hybrids while other automakers developed more efficient gasoline-electric powertrains that use lighter, stronger lithium ion batteries.
And in its gasoline-powered cars, the company has been slow to shift to automatic transmissions with more than four speeds.
The result of that strategy: middle-of-the-pack fuel economy ratings and a string of misfires dating back nearly a decade, including the failed 2004-06 Accord Hybrid, a slow selling Civic Hybrid and dismal sales for the Insight and CR-Z hybrids.
The Accord Hybrid's 50 mpg is "a pretty strong statement," said California dealer Dave Conant. He is CEO of The C.A.R. Group, which owns 13 stores, including four Honda outlets.
"For a long time Honda sort of owned the territory," he said. "I think a 50-mpg Accord is going to absolutely swing people back to thinking of Honda as a fuel economy leader. It's long overdue, honestly."
Last edited by GS69; 09-30-13 at 07:57 AM.
09-30-13, 09:52 AM
#147
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exactly what i was thinking. assuming it's the plug-in version that eats more trunk space. not comparable to camry because toyota doesn't yet offer a plugin one.
10-01-13, 03:12 PM
#149
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50mpg is awesome but here are some other numbers to think about.
The base Accord hybrid is $6500 premium over the regular accord LX automatic.
LX is 30mpg and hybrid is 47mpg combined. With the current gas priced at $3.8/gal, one would have to drive the Accord Hybrid 141,873 miles to just break even.
The base Accord hybrid is $6500 premium over the regular accord LX automatic.
LX is 30mpg and hybrid is 47mpg combined. With the current gas priced at $3.8/gal, one would have to drive the Accord Hybrid 141,873 miles to just break even.
10-01-13, 04:16 PM
#150
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