New Pathfinder Hybrid Coming Soon

We added one to our fleet last night, as we often needed seating capacity in excess of the 5 in the PiP or the Leaf. Not having to task the PiP with trailer towing responsibilities anymore will be nice. Anxiously waiting to see if the fuel economy measures up to expectations.

 

congrats! what is it like to drive? did they develop a new hybrid system or are they still using toyota? does the sticker say 28/25 as doug's link above?

 

It's their system that first showed up in the Infiniti M35 hybrid. Except the ICE is a supercharged 4 cylinder(might be miller cycle) and the transmission a CVT. I couldn't find much in terms of details on it in a quick search.

Those are the EPA numbers on fueleconomy.gov. The AWD version is 1 mpg lower on the highway.

The base model is around $3500 less than the HiHy. It doesn't have nav, but has Nissan's SKS.

 

It was specifics on the engine I couldn't find. Like the compression ratio, is it Atkinsonized, is it a traditional supercharger or electric, etc.

The electric side is pretty straight forward. It is an assist type similar to the Hyundai and new Honda hybrid systems. Which seems to be a plus for a truck. The 3500# tow rating isn't independent of it being AWD or not. Even the FWD is tow rated.

 

So far, my impression is overwhelmingly positive. While the system is much more an aggressive 'mild hybrid' than the Toyota system I've become accustomed to over the last 250,000 miles, it appears that it will serve us quite well. Engine starts/stops are not quite as seamless as the Prius, but close.

Sticker shows 25/27. I've only occupied the drivers seat for about 12 miles between the test drive and a trip to Wal-Mart, but early inclinations are such that the 40.4 that Mr. Gerdes achieved during a review on CleanMPG.com weren't an anomoly. I know I'll not match his achievements, but low 30's should not be a problem at all and mid 30's may be viewed on occasion. My wife got 26.9 last night on a 30 mile round trip. As she's very much a digital driver (1=on, 0=off), the tires haven't been appropriately filled, the vehicle isn't broken in, the temps were quite cold (upper 20's), and the elevation change was in excess of 1,000 feet on the way to: I expect she'll consistently see upper 20s. That's a far cry from 4.3-4.5 m/kwh in the Leaf, but it remains in the stable and will likely see use 3-4 days each week. Wayne likely said it best - if you don't need seating for > 5 or towing beyond a small utility trailer, it's probably not the right choice. For us, my expectations are growing.

 

These winter temperatures seem to effect the mileage on the Pathfinder far more than the Prius. If the heat is on, at any level, the engine will never shut off. That said, we've seen low 20s during the worst stretches (lots of heat use and short trips) and 33 on recent trip to Washington Pa (a 90 mile round trip).

First time towing brought back 22 with about 2,500 or so pounds between the trailer and load.

Holding out hopes that shorter city trips will rebound once the temperatures climb back to more seasonable levels.

 

That's extremely discouraging. What year do you have?

 

It just came out, a 2014.

 

That factor alone makes the hybrid version really not worth it to anyone that lives in a climate with cold winters.

 

Unfortunately, I believe the symptom will persist into the summer, as the vehicle doesn't seem to discern the difference between heating or cooling. Bottom line, HVAC on = engine on.

 

Wow! What's the premium on the Hybrid version?

 

Nope.

At a glance it appears to be $4000. That is just the SV to SV hybrid difference. I didn't delve deeper into equipped features.

 

Given the circumstances listed above I don't see how someone could even get close to making up that cost in gas savings, unless their commute is one where they sit in traffic for hours (and need a vehicle that can tow light things).

 

The dealer we bought from wanted to move the hybrid (and having family in the gm role didn't hurt either). Difference was in the 2,900-3,000 range. We may or may not fully recoup, but I like a hybrid drivetrain and am willing to foot a small premium to use less fuel.

 

The non-electric compressor is amateurish though. Hybrids are no longer a brand new thing, and there is plenty to learn from the competitors on this.