2007 Hybrid cars loosing fuel efficiency - Toyota Prius drops 20% in city mpg

According to a new government fuel-economy ratings that are available for the first time, new hybrid cars are loosing their fuel efficiency as compared to old models. If you go to the government’s fuel-economy Web site, http://www.fueleconomy.gov/, and click on the section called “Compare Old and New MPG Ratings,” and select any hybrid car, you can see that new hybrid cars use significantly more fuel than their previous ratings.

We looked up two cars including the 2007 Toyota Prius and the 2007 Honda Civic Hybrid. The Honda Civic Hybrid dropped from a city/highway mpg of 49/51 to 40/45 with a combined drop from 50 mpg to 42 mpg.

Not too bad right? Well check out the Toyota Prius that is praised for its fuel efficiency and hasn’t even received an upgrade since its initial debut. The Toyota Prius dropped from a city/highway mpg of 60/51 to a current mpg of 48/45. That’s 20% drop in its city mpg and a 12% drop in its highway mpg.
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chewy - 2/26/2007 2:48:39 AM

+3 Boost

Those are EPA's estimates of estimates. I will wait until they release the 2008 model year data.

But yes, hybrids will drop that much, if not more.

dicar - 2/26/2007 3:09:07 AM

+4 Boost

Not hybrid only.
All cars drop.

komododave - 2/26/2007 9:43:52 AM

+3 Boost

Not by that significant of a drop, they won't.

MercBasher - 2/26/2007 1:54:27 PM

-1 Boost

Well for example the Mercedes E320 Diesel EPA combined rating drops by about 13%.

omarrana - 2/26/2007 11:33:08 AM

+2 Boost

lol cawimmer430... it's on

mstangpny07 - 2/26/2007 7:54:45 PM

+1 Boost

The Hybrids vehicles themsleves aren't losing efficiency...the ratings just dropped. The vehicle will achieve the same mileage as before, it's just that the posted mileage is lower.
Next time, make your titles make sense.

Bill - 2/26/2007 12:01:11 PM

+3 Boost

Mr. Le Mans Fan,

Hybrids are overrated, I agree, but they're not crap.

S4cabriofoxone - 2/26/2007 6:31:43 PM

+1 Boost

LeMansFan was kicked off, finally. What an idiot.

This won't be good for Toyota, Honda, Nissan-- and even the German brands who are doing hybrids. VW, Porsche and VW are among the guilty.

S4cabriofoxone - 2/26/2007 6:31:55 PM

+1 Boost

*VW, Porsche and AUDI.

XYZZ - 2/27/2007 4:54:06 AM

+1 Boost

right you are, mustangguy! some peeple seem to have difficulty understanding the CARS themselves have NOT CHANGED. merely the way epa runs their test cycles.

some people (myself included) couldn't care less WHAT the epa ratings are. i always manage to get BETTER mileage. even over the old ratings.

the new ratings are a concession to the hordes of LESS than average drivers.