How About a Hybrid Ridgeline?

[rakapur]

Originally Posted by k757

I test drove a Murano a few times and was talking price on one before I bought the Ridge. I would have been a Murano guy instead of a Ridge guy. I found the Murano to be fast. Maybe I like putting my foot to the floor more than most people.

the CVT is not built for hauling, i bought a BBQ for my dad for fathers day, that was about 300lbs and that was a bitch to drive home in, go test drive the hybrid GM pick up that **** cant haul or tow anything

then again nissan is having problems with all there CVTs, and they still put them in most there cars/suv (that is why i will never buy another nissan)

[shovelhd]

GM doesn't make a hybrid pickup. They make a hybrid full sized SUV (Tahoe/Yukon), but it uses a 5 speed automatic behind the 6.0L (!) engine. EPA mileage is 20/20. Take the hybrid system away and you'd be looking at 12/18 at best. It tows 6K pounds.

Nobody here is saying that hybrids are the one and only answer. For trucks, they may not be a good solution at all. But there is no denying that the landscape is changing rapidly. If gas hits $5/gal next year I suspect you'll hear a lot less FUD about alternative drivetrains.

[grego9877]

Originally Posted by rakapur

that would not work at all, the hybrids use a CVT transmission, thats a 1 gear transmission that works on a pully system, i drove a nissan murano that has the CVT for 3 years and that car sucked and it had no power which a pick up truck needs. in 2011 they are coming out with a diesel which will get better mpg

So, to get back to my original question that started this thread, "Is there some reason why a hybrid Ridgeline wouldn't be a good solution (or at least partial solution) to its milage problems?" It sounds like there is a sort of consensus that the CVT transmission doesn't do well in truck/hauling configurations, and hybrids need the CVT transmission.

Too bad --- if it would perform properly, I would have paid a fair amount of money just to add 10 mpg to my current milage. If I have done the math right, at the 25,000 miles per year I do, increasing my milage from 15 mpg to 25 mpg would save me around $2600 per year (assuming gas at four bucks a gallon), or around $13,000 to $15,000 over the life of the vehicle (I generally keep cars for 5 or 6 years). I am guessing that would break about even with the added cost of the hybrid drive.

[rakapur]

Originally Posted by shovelhd

GM doesn't make a hybrid pickup. They make a hybrid full sized SUV (Tahoe/Yukon), but it uses a 5 speed automatic behind the 6.0L (!) engine. EPA mileage is 20/20. Take the hybrid system away and you'd be looking at 12/18 at best. It tows 6K pounds.

Nobody here is saying that hybrids are the one and only answer. For trucks, they may not be a good solution at all. But there is no denying that the landscape is changing rapidly. If gas hits $5/gal next year I suspect you'll hear a lot less FUD about alternative drivetrains.

are you sure i thought they had one?? and it uses a REAL automatic transmission?

well what ever i still dont think that a hybrid pickup will work, some people really use there ridgeline as a work truck, i live in northern virginia and theres a lot of construction here, just about 1 or every 3 construction yards here someone is using a ridgeline, if it was hybrid powered i dont think it would work, if they put that thing the Pilot has that it shuts down 3 cylinders then that would work, i mostly drive in the city and i really dont need as much power in the traffic we have over here.

on another topic, i had to "off road" my ridgeline because i was stuck in traffic for 30 minutes (stupid idiots driving) went over the median which is all grass the front tires were just spinning and the 4WD kicked in it was like driving a whole new car, that was so fun i gotta do that again

[shovelhd]

Yes, I'm sure there's no more Silverado hybrid, yes, the Tahoe Hybrid uses a 5 speed automatic, and yes, it is rated 20/20 EPA. That's outstanding for a truck that size that tows three tons.

The Ridgeline at 15/20 is pretty good too for a midsized truck. Honda doesn't put VCM in the Ridgeline because they don't think the engine has enough low end torque. That's why they make the big bucks.

[csimo]

Originally Posted by djeaux

The real determinant is the difference between gasoline & diesel prices. As long as the difference remains fairly constant, the savings will remain fairly constant. My last set of calculations indicated that diesel would cost about two cents () less per mile than gasoline, assuming the predicted fuel economy & price premium for the diesel engine. Over a 100K mile ownership, the diesel would save $2000 compared with gasoline, but the diesel engine would make the truck cost $3000-4000 more. So you'd have to drive the vehicle 150-200K miles to break even. Although that's well within the normal range for both gas & diesel engines, most owners trade well before that point...

You forgot one major factor... resale value.

Vehicles with diesel engines traditionally have much higher (very dramatic in fact) resale values. With most the difference in resale value exceeds the original cost difference. I posted an example for a VW diesel that cost $900 more initially, but is worth $1500 more than the gasoline counterpart 4 years later.

The break even is the day you buy it. The 25 - 30% fuel savings is just that... savings.

The price difference between gasoline and diesel is a temporary issue that will resolve itself in a year or so. Despite the 6 cents per gallon additional federal tax on diesel fuel it traditionally sells for less than unleaded. The change to ultra-low sulfur diesel has caused temporary issues in North America. This will work out as there are two major refineries dedicated to increasing diesel production coming online later this year and next year.

[arteegee]

Originally Posted by rakapur

on another topic, i had to "off road" my ridgeline because i was stuck in traffic for 30 minutes (stupid idiots driving) went over the median which is all grass the front tires were just spinning and the 4WD kicked in it was like driving a whole new car, that was so fun i gotta do that again

Yeah, that's how it works...

[alexander]

How about alot of things. The RL is not even close to being MPG what it could be and you know what as long as big oil uses all the money we give them to lobby manufacturers and the government in the US it will remain that way.

Look at Chevy there losing money hand over fist but they dont feel the US market would buy there small subcompact they just released that gets 52mpg like the Yaris which is selling like hotcakes.

How about Honda with the CR-Z same thing.

And if the pilot with the same engine and weight gets 50% better mileage than the RL you just have to ask why?

It's simple they meet our expectations no more no less and we accept it.

the Hybrid Tahoe is a joke a 50K dollar joke so that chevy can avoid huge tax penalties they evaded by making most of there cars flex fuel

Within 200 miles of where I live in southern california there is only 3 places you can get E85

oh but wait because the compression is designed for gas you cant take advantage of its high octane rating.

what you can take advantage of is it's inherent 30% worse fuel efficiency for more money per gallon.

You want a Hybrid RL - buy that german natural gas conversion or do what I do and drive less.

Actually I only drive on the weekends mostly and I dont miss it one bit cause I get to drive for fun all weekend long.

[shovelhd]

Show me another full sized SUV that gets 20/20 and tows three tons.

[alexander]

Originally Posted by shovelhd

Show me another full sized SUV that gets 20/20 and tows three tons.

6000 pounds - um thats what 1000 more than the RL but without AWD - Oh wait I paid 22K so in essence I could by 2 tow 10,000 pounds and seat 10 people with a 1200 pound bed capacity and still save 8,000 dollars for gas