2006 Accord Hybrid - getting less for more$?

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2006/02/honda_accord_hy.html

Mileage goes down significantly for 2006 though emissions improve and price
goes up.

 

Honda put the sun roof from the EX Accord on as standard and put a
mini-spare and jack in place of a can of Fix-a-Flat in the trunk. This
added about 80 pounds to the weight of the car, moving it to a different EPA
class and test. Per the EPA ESTIMATE the 2006 gets lower mileage than the
2005 ESTIMATE. In the real world, not EPA's statistical one, the 2006 will
most likely get the same mileage as the 2005 model.

The price increase (approx. $800) can also be attributed to the extra cost
of the sun roof.

Don't jump to conclusions.

 

Just a minor correction.... the 2005 does not have a fix a flat can in the
trunk. It has a small compressor, a jack, and a patch kit. Why they didn't
put a mini spare there is beyond me.

As for the EPA, they are not due to change mileage tests for several years.
Why would the figures change?

 

Woops, but it was all for weight savings. The mini-spare and the sun roof
add about 80 pounds. That was enough to push the car into anouther EPA
class.

True, but there are weight/size classes now and each class has a different
mix of tests. The 2005 Accord Hybrid fit in one class and the addition of
80 pounds or so pushed the 2006 into a higher class with a different set of
criteria.

The new tests, if they are ever instituted, are supposed to be more
realistic. The current tests have all sorts of fudge factors. In the real
world, I doubt that there's much difference between the 2005 and the 2006.
Being Hondas, after about 5,000 miles to break them in and proper
maintenance, they'll probably beat the current EPA estimates.

 

Yes, and my '93 Accord automatic is proof of that. EPA estimated 28mpg on
the highway, and yet I consistently get 32-34mpg.

 

quite easily!

 

They also added stability control. But those lower epa mileage figures will
bother some customers I am sure. They would me.

 

Those numbers are more realistic.

It's interesting that the IMA system is less powerful now. I think it's
time to stop calling the Accord a hybrid. The electric motor is all
about stabilizing the engine during mode changes, and providing power to
the electric A/C. Its effect on the drivetrain is almost nothing in
such a heavy car.

 

I agree. If the electric motor can't run the car by itself, it
shouldn't be called a hybrid. Perhaps Honda engineers called it
"assist" but Honda marketing insisted on the hybrid moniker?

Toyota's 2007 Camry hybrid may be a more interesting model and 192 hp
is more than adequate. Price and real-world mpg are still unknows. As
evidence that the hybrid craze has abated, my local Toyota store
(CARMAX) has 4 Prius in stock, two at $22,308 and two at $25,318. None
priced higher. At about $22K the Prius is a pretty attractive deal for
those who use the car in the city and want to send a one-fingered
salute to the oil industry. The Prius works on the highway (my cousin
consistently gets 50+ mpg) for those willing to keep the speed down
(*everyone* passes my cousin).

 

A big savings from the Accord is its ability to turn off the engine during
stop and go traffic. If it requires the electric motor to do that (which I
assume it does), calling it a hybrid is reasonable. I remember a decade or
so ago, Volkswagon promised to produce a car that shut off its engine during
stop and go driving. To my knowledge it never happened.

 

It would be interesting to know how well the Accord hybrid would do if they
had one with the 4 cylinder. The new 2006 Civic does quite well though not
quite as good as a Prius but at least it is a car worth having. We test
drove the Prius several times and it is annoying as hell in many respects.

 

As far as I know, the engine does not shut down completely. Much like
Crapsler's impostor Hemi engine, the Accord Hybrid's engine uses cylinder
deactivation, shutting off half its cylinders.

 

The gas engine really does shut down at a stop. Much like gas powered
golf carts. Step on the accelerator and the engine starts. It's one
of the reasons for the electric power steering and hybrid A/C system
that switches to electric when stopped.

Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) is what turns off three of the
cylinders when not needed. Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) is what
starts the engine when you press on the accelerator. Two different
systems.

 

Sorry but you are wrong. It has both features.

 

i dont think it meets the requirements to be able to ride solo in
california carpool lanes, either.

 

After reading Dick's post, I stand corrected.

 

I can understand why the Accord Hybrid doesn't get to use the Holy Carpool
Lanes, but how about the Civic Hybrid? Does the Prius get to use the holy
ground because it's better or just because it looks odd while the Civic
Hybrid looks like every other Civic?

In other words, BFD.

 

The A/C system only runs off the gas motor when it needs a lot of
cooling. Normal dehumidification and light cooling is done using
varying amounts of electric power. It's nice in that you don't get the
rapid hot and cold cycles. You can hear its power supply rev the motor
up and down on some AM radio frequencies.

I've tried turning off the A/C for a while to see if it helped milage.
It doesn't. The car just uses regenerative braking less.

I wonder what happens to this car in 150K miles when the front cylinders
are a little low on compression. What happens in 200K miles when it's a
little prone to stalling? My HAH hardly idles smoothly now.

 

My Honda minivan has the same feature. The issue is not limited to the
hybrid.