Writing from the UK. I got picked up at Heathrow by a sales manager from my company, who drives me to Birmingham. In the course of the two hours, I am bragging on my Prius. She points out that her Avensis is getting 58 mpg and isn't hybrid - asks me what to big deal is about 50 mpg. I am speechless. Any comments?
How about other things such as interior room, features, cargo room, weight of the car, etc.? If you ride a bike, I'm pretty sure you get much mileage than the Avensis. We have to compare apple to apples.
That's because her 58mpg is in imperial and your 50mpg is in US gal. Although, 58mpg Imp. is roughly 48mpg US so it's close. Note that she's probably talking about her 2.2 litre Toyota diesel. You can ask how many g/km of CO2 she's putting out. It should be ~150g/km while the Prius puts out 105g/km.
That's odd she would say that, because the Avensis specifications say it only gets about 26 MPG (US) from my conversion calculations (quoted number is 9.2 L/100km from Australia). http://avensis.toyota.com.au/TWR/content/static/12832.pdf Even the six-speed manual diesel featured at Toyota Europe's website says it only gets a combined rating of about 39.8 MPG (US). http://www.toyota-europe.com/cars/new_cars...s/fullspecs.asp
This is a UK imperial gal which works out to 1.2 US gal per UK gal, so 58 ukMPG would be 48 MPG US. This list is from a UK site for the Avensis PERFORMANCE, FUEL CONSUMPTION AND CO2 EMISSIONS 1.8 VVT-i 5-speed manual: 0-60 9.7seconds; top speed 124 mph; combined mpg: 39.2; CO2 emissions: 171 g/km (Band C), IG 7E (T4 8E). 1.8 VVT-i automatic: 0-60 11.1 seconds; top speed 121 mph; combined mpg: 36.7; CO2 emissions: 187 g/km (Band D), IG 7E (T4 8E). 2.0 VVT-i 5-speed manual: 0-60 8.8 seconds; top speed 130 mph; combined mpg: 34.9; CO2 emissions: 191 g/km (Band D), IG 8E (T4, T Spirit 9E). 2.0 VVT-i automatic: 0-60 9.6 seconds; top speed 130 mph; combined mpg: 30.7; CO2 emissions: 221 g/km (Band D), IG 8E (T4, T Spirit 9E). 2.0 D-4D 5-speed manual: 0-60 11.1 seconds; top speed 121 mph; combined mpg: 48.7; CO2 emissions: 155 g/km (Band B), Euro IV (no BIK surcharge), IG 7E (T4, T Spirit 8E).
More things divide Americans and Europeans than politics. It does not suprize me the Avensis is diesel. Hybrids sell well in the US - diesels in Euroland. A bio-diesel plug-in hybird would be pretty close to the bleeding edge of current technology.
Was just looking on Toyota UK's website, it claims a combined 51mpg (imperial, I'm guessing) The Prius, according to Toyota UK's website, gives an impressive 65 MPG
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Davey Bob @ Oct 26 2006, 12:59 PM) [snapback]338762[/snapback]</div> A British Imperial gallon is about 1.2 U.S. gallons, so your sales manager is actually getting about 48 US mpg, but that's still pretty darn good.
Note as well diesels are about to go the way of the dinosaurs. They can't meet the new emissions coming out next year in the US. I suspect this will migrate into Europe within a few years and people there will NOT be happy. Of course, they may make a technical breakthrough and that prediction will then be moot.
I've seen practical jokers at work when someone has a new car and is calculating MPG. The jokers simply add a gallon or two a day for a few weeks, waiting for the super MPG report from the owner. Then, when they stop adding fuel, they wait for the reaction.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(David Beale @ Oct 26 2006, 02:36 PM) [snapback]338800[/snapback]</div> Toyota already made that technical breakthrough: their D-4D diesel has about as clean emissions as the Prius. http://www.automobilemag.com/auto_shows/pa...411_toyota_d4d/ http://www.toyota.com.mk/default.asp?ItemI...57A6CE84086E790
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(David Beale @ Oct 26 2006, 02:36 PM) [snapback]338800[/snapback]</div> Honda plans to have their 2.2 i-CTDI meeting regulations and ready for sale here by 2009. They are also developing a V6 diesel for North America. The Germans are working together to encourage the EPA to accept urea based exhaust treatment. Euro V emissions targets were once thought to be out of reach. The question now is not if it's possible, but which method is the best choice. Unless a large number of automakers all fail to come through, I see more passenger car diesel sales in the future, especially in North America.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(seftonm @ Oct 26 2006, 04:08 PM) [snapback]338865[/snapback]</div> That's correct. One of the reasons the U.S. is upping the requirements for diesel vehicles is because we're switching over to clean diesel (low-sulfur) which makes things like catalytic converters much more workable. Now the designs that have been worked out in Europe can be introduced to the States, and I think diesel sales will definitely increase. Is that 58 mpg (48 US) she got her lifetime average or her best tank? What's her typical commute compared to yours? Sometimes people get defensive about their gas mileage and twist the numbers somehow to avoid looking bad by comparison (cough, my brother, cough).
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rick Auricchio @ Oct 26 2006, 03:49 PM) [snapback]338815[/snapback]</div> No jokers at work - the Avensis has an MFD that shows the MPG. It is not as comfy or as smart as my Prius but not a bad car at all as far as I could tell. I totally forgot about Imperial gallons vs US. Thanks for all the tips, all.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(eagle33199 @ Oct 26 2006, 12:24 PM) [snapback]338788[/snapback]</div> 65mpg = 55mpg US... roughly.
Davey Bob - Hopefully I can clarify from a British perspective I always hunt around for the lowest price and filled up the other day at 83.9p a litre. Now my maths is terrible but I calculated using 4.54 litres to a UK gall and 1.84$ to the £ = 7.01$ for a UK gallon. With that, my 'EVie' and I can get as much as 68.9 mpUKg (best ever) average 64.6mpUKg, best lowest 61.4mpUKg. The other thing to note is that while a brit gall comes in at $7.01 approx, a diesal brit gall comes in $8.16 So I don't think the Avensis mpUKg is as good as all that. Though I hope this makes you feel better
