Car and Driver hosts hybrid hoedown, hearts Ford Fusion heaps
With 4 of the worlds top brands now boasting mid-size sedan hybrids in their line ups, the chaps over at Car and Driver decided it was time to rustle them all together and see how they stack up. If you've been torn over whether to buy a hybrid in the shape of a Toyota Camry, Ford Fusion, Nissan Altima or Chevy Malibu, this is the comparo that can save you days of visiting dealerships and conducting your own set of test drives. To save you even more time, we break down their observations into a handful of bit-sized chunks, from worst to first.
The Chevrolet Malibu hybrid was the "mild hybrid" of the bunch. While its appearance has been praised by some, its engineering earned few accolades from the C&D crew. They found the start/stop system rudely abrupt and the electric assist seemed to surge off and on with a mind of its own while under way. It not only came last in mileage (19.8 mpg city! Dude!), it also came last in acceleration. The can of tire inflation product in lieu of an actual spare only adds insult to injury. Let's hope GM puts more effort into the Volt. A lot more. Hit the jump to see how the others contestants fared.
Gallery: 2008 Chevrolet Malibu hybrid
[Source: Car and Driver]
The Nissan Altima hybrid borrows its hybrid tech from Toyota but bolts it up to their own engine. The result is a car that is equal to the Camry hybrid in fuel economy but able to turn in a top-of-the-heap 7.1 second 0 to 60 time. While it can produce some great numbers, the Nissan sadly lacks somewhat in refinement. There's a "loud whine" when you start moving in electric mode and when the motor kicks in with a jolt, as it is wont to do at the slightest provocation, it's "relatively loud and rough." Despite the noise and a lack of polish it was apparently fun to drive. We hope Nissan can iron out the few bugs once they start using a homegrown hybrid system.
The Toyota Camry hybrid benefits greatly from the years its maker has had to refine the complexities involved in making the hybrid system work smoothly. In fact, "smooth" seems to be the operative adjective when it comes to the Camry. It does the whole regenerative braking, engine engaging/disengaging thing with nary a whisper or complaint. It packs more passing power than the non-hybrid version while keeping the space and comfort that has found it so many fans over the years. The only complaint the reviewers could really make was it lack of "verve."
It was the 2010 Ford Fusion hybrid that really won the hearts of the Car and Driver folks, though. They said it has all the "slickness" of the Camry hybrid but is fun to drive and gets better mileage. They got 34 mpg from it over 300 miles of various types of driving (we managed 43.1 mpg) which was 2 mpg better than the Toyota. They raved about the instrument cluster which can be set to display practically nothing but the speedo or changed to the "expert screen" that shows things like battery charge and energy usage to involve the driver in the game of squeezing maximum distance out of the minimum amount of gas. With its updated styling and competitive price Ford may have a winner here that keeps it from ever needing to ask for any bailout bucks.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Red 4:06PM (1/06/2009)
No surprise here. I'm not thrilled with that chrome strip running from headlight to headlight, but other than that, it's an attractive enough vehicle. Kudos to Ford.
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Nick 12:07PM (1/07/2009)
I've always wondered why they think we still love those "chrome" lines. I've plenty from the 70s. Nonetheless, they are all good cars and I still favor Nissan for some strange odd reason.
Nick
Electricnick.com
Paul 4:41PM (1/06/2009)
The real question is are you going to be able to get one? There has never been (as far as I can tell) a new Escape Hybrid in inventory anywhere in the southeast. Perhaps in CA, but not in GA. This is a real alternative for those too bored by Toyota's options (or not wanting to look like a greenie tool). I hope they can actually get these into peoples hands.
FYI, this alone isn't going to come CLOSE to keeping Ford from needing bailout funds. Hopefully they won't, but it won't be because of one car (just like the Volt isn't going to save GM by itself).
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Cellien 5:09PM (1/06/2009)
Ford doesn't need "bailout" money as it is. Their words.
Phil L. 9:26AM (1/07/2009)
Are Escape Hybrids really that hard to find?
I'll admit I've never shopped for one (waaaay out of my budget), so I took a simple approach:
I used cars.com to search for new Escape Hybrids within 50 miles of zip code 30301 (the first Atlanta-area zip code Google returned) and found 5. Admittedly, the count only jumped up to 8 when I expanded the search to 100 miles. Interesting side note: 38 are within 30 miles of my suburban Maryland zip code.
Do the cars listed in GA really exist? Are they overpriced dealership showroom queens?
Really, I'm just curious...
Paul 12:10AM (1/08/2009)
Hmm, well, that's interesting. I've been checking on and off using Ford's inventory search. That has never turned up squat anyhere in GA or SC. I see you are right regarding cars.com's numbers in the Atlanta area. One of the two is obviously wrong or (more likely) the ones shown on cars.com are demos/on order/committed stock (i.e., not inventory), but it is promising that they do show something...
I live in Augusta, though. Nothing closer than 99 miles. Dealer says they aren't going to get any (but might be able to special order for me--don't REALLY want one, just curious).
The problem of course (aside from only producing 10,000/year) is that this is the southeast where engine size and wheel size mean far more than penis size. There's likely just not enough of a target market to stock them. Can't get a Highlander Hybrid here, either. 4 Prius's. This for a relatively affluent metro area with 525,000+ people. Obviously there's no perceived market (or an under-estimated market with restocking issues).
Phil L. 9:26AM (1/09/2009)
Paul -
Thanks for your insights.
Your experiences do seem to indicate that there are great differences in what dealers stock, based on region. Annoying...
Mike 4:42PM (1/06/2009)
Man, I can't believe the Malibu hybrid sucks so bad. I would really like to help GM out, but they don't make a single vehicle I would want in my garage.
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MikeW 3:41PM (1/07/2009)
Don't call it a hybrid.
It is hybrid-lite.
snp 6:19PM (1/06/2009)
Ford has enough cash to make it to late '09 early '10 running at current operating levels. They wont be profitable until '11.
They have several options which include dilute their stock, issue more debt, cut costs in the areas of low performance investments, dividends, work benefits.
Or, hope for market improvements. One very possible way is (assuming H1 '09 is inline with or above estimates AND H2 '09 improves along with or better than expectations) that ford market share improves against the market. If ford beats market average for the next 6-12 months, they should be in the clear
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Yikes 9:33AM (1/07/2009)
Remember, Ford has taken a second mortgage and leveraged all their factories, patents........borrowing a lot of money to stay in business. Those loans need to be repaid, and I don't think they have anything left to borrow against.
pelzauto 12:04AM (1/07/2009)
Does Ford license use of Toyota hybrid components or do it all on it's own?
I seem to recall Ford relied upon Toyota...
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pelzauto 12:05AM (1/07/2009)
sorry...
do it all on _"its"_ own
Chris M 1:57AM (1/07/2009)
Due to a similarity in design, Ford and Toyota cross-licensed some of their basic hybrid patents, but both Ford and Toyota designs and makes most of their hybrid components. Ford gets the batteries from Sanyo, Toyota gets their batteries fron Panasonic.
Red 8:53AM (1/07/2009)
As a side note, Ford will also get its batteries from Panasonic, should Panasonic (who's currently rumored to be in trouble) purchases Sanyo.
Please no buyout, please no buyout...
ziv 2:50PM (1/30/2009)
One of the problems with Ford's production of the Escape Hybrid is that their CVT is made by Aisin, formerly part of Toyota. Guess what part Ford can't get more than 25,000 per year? The CVT. They claim. But it is pretty probable that Ford isn't selling the Escape Hybrid at its true cost, so they get the greenwash, and by only selling 25,000, they don't lose too much money. The new Escape Hybrid has been changed a lot and Ford may not be allowing Toyota to use the 20 patents on direct injection and diesel tech, but if that was the case, I think there would have been an article or two on it.
The Ford Fusion Hybrid appears to be all Ford and it looks like a winner, but the price premium you are paying to get it, over a normal Ford Fusion, is pretty tough to stomach when gas is under $2 a gallon.
miles 9:49AM (1/07/2009)
Didn't I just hear on this blog a week or two back that Panasonic bought Sanyo (maybe just the battery-making portion of the company)
MikeW 4:29PM (1/07/2009)
Hopefully Nissan will add direct injection to the QR25 for 2010.
Hopefully Toyota will utilize an atkinson cycle of the new 2.5 I4 (1AR-)
Maybe both Nissan & Toyota will use bigger batteries & motors, with resultant improvement in mileage.
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ed 10:06AM (1/29/2009)
...and maybe the tooth fairy truly does exist!