2014 Honda Accord Hybrid Touring Long-Term Update 4 - Motor Trend
Unlike the car's electric air-conditioning, the heater can't rely on battery energy to warm up the car's occupants. Instead of 40-60 mpg on my commute (the 20-mpg spread is almost entirely traffic-dependent), 30-35 becomes the norm. Lest we forget, Real MPG is 46. 8/41. 6/44. 3 mpg city/highway/combined. Although it's generally accepted that gas-electric hybrids are more susceptible to wide fuel-economy swings (note the variance in my commuting above), our Real MPG test has determined the Accord is minimally penalized by bouts of aggression. Excavated from the test, the aggression penalty studies the change in CO2 emissions with severer-than-average acceleration rates. The Toyota Prius , the most common hybrid in the world, earned an average penalty. As each mile per gallon carries more sway on thirstier vehicles -- 3 mpg difference on a 40-mpg car is worth 7. 5 percent. it's 12 percent for a 25-mpg vehicle -- the Emissions Analytics equipment needs to inhale more carbon dioxide burped out of the car to warrant a greater penalty. Of course, the fuel economy could nosedive if I floored it everywhere, though that's realistically not the way an "average" Accord Hybrid customer drives. Source: www.motortrend.com
