January 03, 2005
| Head
to Head to Head: Prius, Accord and Escape Hybrids, Part
1
|
Back in November, I went Head
to Head: The Ford Escape Hybrid and the Toyota Prius.
After driving both the Toyota
Prius and the Ford
Escape hybrid I noted that there were many differences
between these vehicles, but that the main difference between
these vehicles was "simply that the Prius feels different.
Not in a bad way, mind you, but in a futuristic way. Sitting in
the Prius is like sitting in the future."
Nonetheless, I noted that both were excellent vehicles.
Both significantly reduce fuel consumption and pollution.
Well, the new Honda
Accord hybrid also significantly reduces fuel consumption
and pollution as well.
Much like the Escape hybrid, the
Accord hybrid also feels pretty much like a conventional Accord.
Unlike the Escape hybrid; however, the Accord performed at a
different level than the Escape. The Accord hybrid performed
better than most V6 Accords that I've driven, noticeably
different. That was the critical feature that kept grabbing my
attention.
Perhaps it's my bias against SUVs, but I couldn't get over the
design inefficiency of the hybrid Escape when compared to the
Prius. While smaller, the Prius just felt roomier and more
relaxing than the Escape, which from the outside at least,
seemed so much bigger than the Prius.
People don't like change, typically, they don't want to think
differently. That is unfortunate when it comes to automobiles.
In the Yin and Yang of life, the automobile is one of the
greatest inventions of the modern world, yet it has also become
one of its greatest threats.
Hybrid cars like the Toyota Prius truly are a revolutionary step
for the automobile. They do cause you to think differently, to
change. The Prius proves that compact, efficient Sedans don't
have to feel compact. Their intelligent design forces any with
an open mind to realize just how inefficient the American
automobile culture has become.
This isn't good for American auto corporations, their employees,
or their consumers.
According to the Pentagon, global warming is a serious threat to
the national security of the United States. The far majority of
scientists in the United States and the world have no doubt that
decades of automobile emissions have had a serious impact on
global warming.
The Toyota Prius demonstrates the we can easily, and in the long
term, price-competitively, do something to protect our national
security, and we don't have to lose comfort, safety, or
performance.
The Accord hybrid has proven, without doubt, that hybrid
vehicles are simply better than conventional vehicles. They are
significantly more efficient and they can perform better than
their conventional cousins.
While the Escape hybrid is my favorite SUV, it doesn't make as
strong a statement as do the Accord hybrid and Toyota Prius.
Nonetheless, there still are some notable differences between
the Accord hybrid and both the Escape and Prius hybrids. The
Prius and the Escape hybrid are full hybrids, meaning that at
low speeds, both vehicles can run only on electric power. This
significantly reduces fuel consumption and pollution emissions
in stop-and-go traffic - the kind of driving conditions which
cause the most pollution in conventional vehicles.
The Accord hybrid doesn't make quite as much of an impact in
stop-and-go traffic. Though better than the conventional
version. The Accord really distinguishes itself from its
conventional and hybrid competitors in highway driving.
Stay tuned for Part 2.
More on hybrid
cars.
Join the Soultek
Hybrid Car Club.
|
