I'm not a fan of hybrids. I'm not afraid to admit it, despite the raised eyebrows and scowls from greenies everywhere. I like a gas-burning, carbon-dioxide-spewing, earth-murdering vehicle that's got some oomph behind the wheel and some attitude on the road.
You just don't get that in a hybrid – I'm sorry, but you don't. My esteemed and devastatingly handsome colleague, Matt St-Pierre , points out that there are some exceptions, namely from Porsche; however, they are not for mass consumption, yet.
I haven't been in many hybrids over the years (I try and space out the tests as I get quite bored and, let's face it, a little annoyed with all the high-tech gadgetry that's supposed to be sooooo cool), but the ones I drove have been less than impressive.
Sure, they saved me some gas (kind of) and they allowed me to stealthily creep around parking lots behind unsuspecting shoppers, but that's about it. The transitions between gas and electric power were always jerky, leaving a stop was like watching molasses fall from a spoon and trying to pass another car on the highway is likely to happen... never.
Then, a few weeks ago, I had a Lexus CT 200h .
I was actually quite eager to drive this hybrid, and I'm not too sure why. I'd driven the Lexus RX450h in the past and been underwhelmed by that as well. The change from gas to battery power was choppy and I could only use the battery mode when I was creeping (literally) around parking lots, as above 30 km it would automatically switch to gas, or if I gave it too much throttle (read: a normal amount). It wasn't a good introduction to Lexus' hybrid technology.
I'll leave the gory details for the test drive review, but all in all I really enjoyed my week behind the wheel of the Lexus CT 200h, and it got me thinking. The Lexus completely changed my style of driving.
Every other hybrid I've driven has annoyed me more than anything, and made me want to drive it normally, which just doesn't work. But this time, I wanted to drive the Lexus in the most efficient way possible.
I used the “B” gear for great recharging while braking down hills or coming to a sudden stop from a higher speed. I clicked the EV Mode button for full electric as soon as I entered suburban areas where the speed limit was 40 km/h (the max speed you can hit in full EV mode), and I rarely popped the Lexus into Sport mode (something that's just unheard of for me) unless I was making a pass on the highway.
By the end of the week, I was averaging 5.5 L/100km. Pretty impressive. While it still cost me close to $100 in gas for the week (thanks to our lovely prices at the pumps), I was impressed by the fuel economy readout, and I know it had to do with my driving style.
If hybrids and EVs really do take over the roads in the future, I think we'll have a very different breed of driver behind the wheel. I was so much more conscious of what my vehicle was doing (watching the gasoline to battery to gasoline graphic on the dash to see what was charging or powering what), and of how I was influencing my gas mileage that I changed my on-road habits (braking more to recharge, choosing EV Mode whenever I could, etc.). And I did it because the Lexus CT 200h worked so well.
Never before have I wanted to change my driving habits for a car, let alone a hybrid.
So, if the future of hybrids looks as bright as it did from behind the wheel of the Lexus CT 200h, does that mean we'll all be different drivers in 10-15 years?
You just don't get that in a hybrid – I'm sorry, but you don't. My esteemed and devastatingly handsome colleague, Matt St-Pierre , points out that there are some exceptions, namely from Porsche; however, they are not for mass consumption, yet.
I haven't been in many hybrids over the years (I try and space out the tests as I get quite bored and, let's face it, a little annoyed with all the high-tech gadgetry that's supposed to be sooooo cool), but the ones I drove have been less than impressive.
Sure, they saved me some gas (kind of) and they allowed me to stealthily creep around parking lots behind unsuspecting shoppers, but that's about it. The transitions between gas and electric power were always jerky, leaving a stop was like watching molasses fall from a spoon and trying to pass another car on the highway is likely to happen... never.
Then, a few weeks ago, I had a Lexus CT 200h .
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| 2011 Lexus CT 200h (Photo: Lexus) |
I was actually quite eager to drive this hybrid, and I'm not too sure why. I'd driven the Lexus RX450h in the past and been underwhelmed by that as well. The change from gas to battery power was choppy and I could only use the battery mode when I was creeping (literally) around parking lots, as above 30 km it would automatically switch to gas, or if I gave it too much throttle (read: a normal amount). It wasn't a good introduction to Lexus' hybrid technology.
I'll leave the gory details for the test drive review, but all in all I really enjoyed my week behind the wheel of the Lexus CT 200h, and it got me thinking. The Lexus completely changed my style of driving.
Every other hybrid I've driven has annoyed me more than anything, and made me want to drive it normally, which just doesn't work. But this time, I wanted to drive the Lexus in the most efficient way possible.
I used the “B” gear for great recharging while braking down hills or coming to a sudden stop from a higher speed. I clicked the EV Mode button for full electric as soon as I entered suburban areas where the speed limit was 40 km/h (the max speed you can hit in full EV mode), and I rarely popped the Lexus into Sport mode (something that's just unheard of for me) unless I was making a pass on the highway.
By the end of the week, I was averaging 5.5 L/100km. Pretty impressive. While it still cost me close to $100 in gas for the week (thanks to our lovely prices at the pumps), I was impressed by the fuel economy readout, and I know it had to do with my driving style.
If hybrids and EVs really do take over the roads in the future, I think we'll have a very different breed of driver behind the wheel. I was so much more conscious of what my vehicle was doing (watching the gasoline to battery to gasoline graphic on the dash to see what was charging or powering what), and of how I was influencing my gas mileage that I changed my on-road habits (braking more to recharge, choosing EV Mode whenever I could, etc.). And I did it because the Lexus CT 200h worked so well.
Never before have I wanted to change my driving habits for a car, let alone a hybrid.
So, if the future of hybrids looks as bright as it did from behind the wheel of the Lexus CT 200h, does that mean we'll all be different drivers in 10-15 years?