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Hybrid Vehicles Toyota Highlander Hybrid Toyota Highlander Hybrid
3943 messages, Last post on Nov 02, 2009 at 9:19 AM
You are in the Toyota Highlander Hybrid Forum. Your Host is pf_flyer
We are having very above average snow year here in the Colo mts and so far the HH is behaving well. Not quite as good as the 1994 Explorer with its low range, but it has been fine in very heavy snow. The real test will come this summer on some of the rough roads to trailheads... the power is there, and the clearance is probably the equal of the Ford, but will the lack of gearing keep me away from places I am used to getting to? We'll see,
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Replying to: stanwagon (Feb 10, 2008 1:48 pm) FWIW we will be using the new vehicle almost exclusively in short to medium haul city driving. |
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I have only had the vehicle in the winter, but I have experience with the Prius for 3+ years now. In summer, Prius gets 50 mph no problem. In winter it gets 40, except when I am working in St Paul, Minnesota, and driving just 2.5 miles to work each way. Then the mileage takes a big hit because of the short hops. 32-35 mpg is typical for Dec. in St Paul (unless we go somewhere on a longer trip). I imagine the HH willl be the same, percentage wise. Right now I am getting 24, but I try to use it only on snowy days. I believe it will get 30 in the summer.
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Replying to: stanwagon (Feb 11, 2008 1:28 pm)
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Replying to: volkov (Feb 12, 2008 11:07 am)
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| Why is that the Fuel Gauge and Cruising Range move more slowly from full to half then they do from half to empty or zero? I've noticed this on several cars I have owned, both Toyota and domestics. | |
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Replying to: kdhspyder (Feb 12, 2008 11:47 am) If there is no opportunity to recover energy "stored" in the mass of the vehicle via it being in motion then the Toyota Hybrid synergy drive system has very little advantage. Energy recovery via regenerative braking occurs only during coastdown and braking periods. For mostly freeway, primarily cruising at a set speed, you would be better off with a non-hybrid vehicle.
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Replying to: wwest (Feb 12, 2008 6:59 pm) The HSD system offers the Toyota models the opportunity to use the more efficient Atkinson cycle while cruising on the highway. In addition while highway driving is normally at a constant high speed it is not uniformly an accelerating speed. There are periods of highway driving during deceleration or during lessened load on the ICE that the battery/e-motor assists the ICE and thereby saves fuel. The proof is that the Prius is more efficient on the highway than both the Corolla and the Camry.
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Replying to: kdhspyder (Feb 13, 2008 8:37 am) Yes, on the hwy the THSD will often use the electrics for BOOST for even the slightest level of acceleration. But then the battery must be recharged via the ICE and that increases the loss factor. I suspect that if a switch were provided wherein the driver could choose to live with slower "ICE only" acceleration on the hwy the hwy FE would improve dramatically. |
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Replying to: wwest (Feb 13, 2008 9:27 am) Looking at the specs of a vehicle that is offered in both non-hybrid and hybrid, the Toyota Camry, the specs say this: 2008 4 cylinder, automatic trans.: Mileage Estimates: city 21 mpg / hwy 31 mpg; 2008 Hybrid: Mileage Estimates: city 33 mpg / hwy 34 mpg; -------- This proves true, though to a lesser degree, with the Highlander as well: 2008 Highlander 3.5L v6: Mileage Estimates: 18 mpg / 24 mpg; 2008 Highlander Hybrid: Mileage Estimates: 27 mpg / 25 mpg; Granted there are ICE-only vehicles that you can purchase that get better hwy mileage than the 34mpg Camry hybrid, but then, the '08 Prius is rated at Mileage Estimates: city 48 mpg / hwy 45 mpg, and few non-hyrid cars can compete with that hwy mpg rating. That carries over for the highlander hybrid. How many SUV can compete with the hybrid mileage? On a related subject, there is definitely a fall-off on winter mileage with a hybrid, but there is mpg drop-off on a non-hybrid as well. And note that the winter mileage on a Prius, even for short trips, is still much higher than the winter mileage of a non-hybrid for short trips. I would think the same would hold true for the HH compared to other SUVs and to it's non-hybrid self, too.
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