Mercedes-Benz green future: Bluetec-hybrids and fuel-cells

Hybrid technology is difficult to perfect. Lexus and Toyota are doing it, so lets hope that Mercedes and BMW can eventually make something reliable in the future. I would hate to buy a first generation Mercedes Hybrid.

it is hard to tell the difference between you and david 989 untill you read the post then it is very obvious

first, toyota/lexus hybrid = same technology.

second, i would hate to drive any of the lexus hybrids because they are hypocrisy on wheels with their pathetic mileage (LS hybrid is slower than LS460 and gets same mileage, RX can't see to beat 25mpg and GS can't beat 20mpg).

mercedes, on the other hand, is actually solving a dilemma by building luxury cars that will get extraordinary mileage.

You would hate to buy a first generation hybrid from MB? You really think they're send something "unreliable" unto the markets these days? Those days are long over. Proper testing is back.

All vehicles from car manufaturers are tested. Problems arise when the vehicles are mass produced and people drive them. The Japanese hybrids have been out on the market for a long time. They are proven to work fairly well. Lets see the results of the Euro hybrids once they have been out for a year or two.

Yes, david, so practice what you preach: wait until the Mercedes Bluetec hybrid is actually on the market before you are scared by its reliability. I guarantee you there will be a lot of magazines doing Four Seasons tests, just as they have with the GS and RX hybrids.

Yes, the only thing I want Mercedes to do is to bring the Vision C220 Bluetec to North America ASAP -- forget the hybrid. I test drove the 2008 C300 4MATIC and found a few annoying flaws such as too firm a ride and seats, but I would buy the Vision C220 Bluetech just to have long range between fill-ups on long distance drives.

I think hybrids are a technology which is forced upon us. I don't see any real advantage over a regular diesel engine.

compared to a regular deisel gas hybrids are not that much superior in fuel economy but they produce a lot less emissions. But regular gas engines are improving i think it was gm (correct me if im wrong) that is working on an engine that burns gas the same way a deisel engine burns deisel to get fuel economy about the same as a deisel engine and better emisions.

Uuuh....both VW and Benz already have this type of engine!

Um, Earth to Huu76!

The German Hybrid response is to offer competition against Lexus, not because they believe it'll save the planet. Lexus has managed to overrate and overhype hyrbids, so the Germans are just going to cash in a little on the party.

"RXh and GSh get better mileage than their gasoline counterparts as well they are faster. Is there any diesel car that can claim that?"

Which counterparts? Because the GSh doesn't get any better mileage than the GS350, although it's slightly quicker. The RX400h, on the other hand, gets slightly better mileage than the RX350 but is now slower. And when I say "slightly," I mean it: the difference is minimal and not worth the "Hybrid" badging on the side of the car.

On the other hand, the E320 Bluetec and ML320 CDI both offer significantly better mileage than their gasoline counterparts (E350 and ML350), while offering very similar performance numbers. It's much less of a compromise, you see. This is why I see Mercedes-Benz's strategy as more effective. Until Lexus actually produces a hybrid vehicle that does justice to its name, I will still hold fast to the idea that Mercedes-Benz offers the "greener" solution.