Hybrid sedan driving experience?

[senseless]

The 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid and Ford Fusion Hybrid looks promising. The Camry always struck me as a retired person's car, but the 2012 re-design is more driver oriented. Are Hybrids essentially dull cars or can they be satisfying to drive too?

 

[PhoenixMac]

Depends on your definition of dull if spending $25 to fill your tank exciting then I have fun in my wife's prius other than that very boring to drive

 

[senseless]

Yes, even the Toyota salesman admitted that Hybrids are hardly sports sedans. They're engineered for maximum economy and that excludes tight handling and power.

 

[quagmire]

The Camry is dull to drive even in standard form( looks don't make the car driver oriented). So I wouldn't expect the hybrid to be any better.

I don't know about the Fusion Hybrid, but the Fusion is more fun to drive than the Camry. If you value fun to drive over fuel economy, I would recommend the Buick Regal with eAssist( again I haven't driven the eAssist, but I have driven the base, the Turbo, and the GS models). It's not a full hybrid like the Fusion and Camry and gets 25 MPG city/36 MPG HWY, but it's incredibly fun to drive and very stable( almost BMW stable).

But, Camry hybrid vs Fusion Hybrid, go Fusion. Or another option would be diesels.

 

[neiltc13]

Hybrids are a huge waste of money. They cost a lot more to buy and the saving on fuel is minimal compared to a good diesel car, plus the special hybrid models like Prius and Insight are ugly.

As for Ford, I don't know why anyone would buy one of their North America only models like the Fusion - everything I have read about them says they are worse than the models developed in Europe like the Fiesta and Focus.

 

[steviem]

I don't know, the only hybrid to interest me is the Volt. Even then, that is only mildly...

In regard to US only vs European Fords, I have driven a Mondeo, StreetKa (my mum's old car) and a Focus in the UK and they aren't very interesting at all. In the US, I have driven a Ford Explorer, Ford Taurus and Ford Mustang GT (all 2011) and I must say, they are much nicer than the Dagenham Dustbins that I was used to. The Taurus getting very good fuel economy, whilst being very comfortable and quick when needed, the Explorer feeling quite high end, with myFord Touch, and the Mustang sounding just amazing and looking beautiful, fuel economy and low down torque not very inspiring in that one when compared with the Dodge Challenger R/T though...

 

[puckhead193]

the only hybrid i've driven was a lexus RX 450h, it drove like a lexus, smooth as a baby's bottom 🙄

While expensive take a look at the new Lexus GS hybrid coming out later this spring. its supposed to sportier

 

[MattA]

I've had a VW Golf TDI for nearly 11years and still get 46 mpg on my daily commute. If I were looking at a car today, i would definitely look at the new Passat TDI. They have an 800 mile range!

 

[MorphingDragon]

Only Tesla Motors make cars with an electric motor worth driving.

Tesla Roadster + Old Runway = 😀😀😀😀😀

 

[steviem]

Don't get me wrong, I would love a Tesla Model S, but to get the range that I need to be able to travel up to Vermont and be able to go on other journeys, it would have to be the $90,000 version - that's crazy!

Hopefully they will come up with a lower cost platform with comparable range and to look just as good as the Model S. The Roadster looks nice, but lets not twist things, it's a heavy Lotus Elise.

I would love to get to the point of having a plug in car which is useful for me, and I do think the way Tesla are going about it is the best way.

The Volt is interesting to me because it is more of an EV with an ICE which is just a generator for it, perhaps with a 3 cylinder diesel engine, it would be even more interesting, until batteries get enough range or enough places gain fast and high capacity charging.

 

[mkrishnan]

As for Ford, I don't know why anyone would buy one of their North America only models like the Fusion - everything I have read about them says they are worse than the models developed in Europe like the Fiesta and Focus.

The Fusion has the advantage of having been built off the old Mazda6, which is actually very nice (although old now -- I love my 6 but I wouldn't have bought it today, and Mazda themselves moved on to a new vehicle in the meantime). I've driven the Fusion and it's not quite as sharp as the 6 is, but it's actually not bad. It's definitely a lot more responsive than any Camry I've driven. I agree with you on the truly NA-only vehicles, though, like the Taurus. Not particularly interested.

I think one question is how much one needs the size. These midsize hybrids don't really get remarkably better mileage than the eco versions of the smaller cars (Mazda3 SkyActiv, appropriately configured Focus, etc), and those are almost invariably more fun to drive. I believe the super fuel economy Focus is 28/40. Back when I got my 6, I would've gladly gotten a 3 but I was in grad school and the 6 was cheaper. 😱

 

[waloshin]

Hybrids are a huge waste of money. They cost a lot more to buy and the saving on fuel is minimal compared to a good diesel car, plus the special hybrid models like Prius and Insight are ugly.

As for Ford, I don't know why anyone would buy one of their North America only models like the Fusion - everything I have read about them says they are worse than the models developed in Europe like the Fiesta and Focus.

You're right the Ford Fusion gets 1 mpg better then the gas version. The batteries need replacing eventually the cost is around $10,000. The cost of the car over a gas is $10,000 more. So Hybrids are not worth it right now.

 

[blazerdude20]

Hybrids are a huge waste of money. They cost a lot more to buy and the saving on fuel is minimal compared to a good diesel car, plus the special hybrid models like Prius and Insight are ugly.

As for Ford, I don't know why anyone would buy one of their North America only models like the Fusion - everything I have read about them says they are worse than the models developed in Europe like the Fiesta and Focus.

This is a very misinformed statement. Hybrids aren't as expensive as people make them out to be. The fusion Hybrid is 28k. Sounds expensive but it is equipped at the same level as the SEL model. When optioned similarly as the sel the hybrid is only about $1000 more. Hybrid is 39 mpg combined compared to 26 combined for the 4 cylinder. At 20k miles a year: 20k/39 x$4.00 =2051 for one year of gas. the 4 cylinder is 3075 for one year. The hybrid is the better buy long term. --Essay over--😉