Toyota Prius V - Bigger, but Thirstier

The Prius V has arrived! It provides more cargo space and practicality than the standard Prius, and is the third member of what is becoming the Prius family of cars. Besides the Plug-in Prius, a fourth model will arrive this year, the Prius C (compact, or, perhaps "cheaper"). The C will not offer significantly greater fuel economy numbers, but will be 19 inches shorter than the standard Prius and will, most importantly, have a lower entry price, bringing hybrid ownership to first-time compact car buyers.

The Prius has never been a particularly small car, but in the interests of maximum efficiency, it tapers down at the back.This gives it a coefficient of drag (cd) of just.25--excellent. The new V is more of a crossover/wagon configuration, with a more straight-back roofline and full vertical tailgate, so it rates at .29 for its cd. That, along with a weight gain of 232 pounds using the same 134 horsepower gasoline/electric powertrain, drops the fuel economy numbers. While the familiar Prius hatchback averages 50 mpg, the Prius V gets just 42. I averaged 38.8 mpg over my test week, which included a lot of freeway driving. Incidentally, the 0-60 time drops from 9.8 seconds to 10.4 with the V.

Those fuel economy numbers bring up an interesting point. One big difference between hybrids and normal cars is that the City rating for hybrids is usually higher than the Highway figure (it's 44/40 for the Prius V). So, oddly, if I had spent more time in town my average might have been a bit closer to the EPA's 42 mpg.

Toyota has made the Prius V feel a little more like a crossover SUV inside by giving it a more symmetrical and solid-looking dash panel. My Prius-owning neighbor noticed that the center console is not attached to the dash, so it feels more spacious up front. Of course the wagon-like practicality behind adds cargo space. Cargo space jumps from 21.6 cubic feet to 34.3 with the V, and with the seats folded, it can be up to 67.3 cubic feet--that's generous for a car that can get 40 mpg.

The price is a bit scary. My tester, a top-of-the-line level 5 model, was $36,692--approaching entry luxury territory. The list for the level 5 starts at $30,750, including shipping, but mine had the Advanced Technology Package, which added many things, including $5,580 to the bottom line. Prices for the Prius V level 2 start at a more affordable $27,160.

Prii for everyone! Stay tuned.

2013 Ford Fusion - European Beauty Comes Stateside

Ford has been doing everything right lately. Alan Mulally, it's visionary president and CEO since 2006, has helped the company weather the storm of the last few years while building up a new lineup of vehicles. Some of these, such as the subcompact Fiesta and compact Focus, have their origins to Europe, and add the graceful aesthetics and taut packaging that's expected there.

With the arrival of the surprisingly beautiful Fusion, Ford's lineup is now completely refreshed. Sitting in the volume middle of the product line and competing with midsize entries from Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Chevy and others, it looks like another winner from the blue oval folks.

Ford introduced the Evos concept car last year with a new look--a pretty face with lean headlamps and a finely detailed grille like an Aston Martin. It signaled a new look for Ford, and the Fusion gets it. And, the car will offer gasoline, hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions, so it can give Prius shoppers something different to consider.

The new Fusion is due out in the second half of this year.

Audi A2 May Return--Hooray

In Europe, they get lots of cars that we don't--and sometimes that's a darned shame. One car I've always liked and never gotten to experience is Audi's diminutive A2. But that could change soon.

At the Frankfurt Auto Show, Audi will debut a new A2, bringing back a car that's been out of production for six years. Like the old one (above left), it will be a five-door hatchback, but this time they plan to make it an electric or electric hybrid.

The reason you're seeing these small cars from the luxury manufacturers is the upcoming increase in the fuel economy standards. You won't get to 54.5 mpg with the lineups these brands currently market in the United States. Look for BMW's i-series cars to give this new A2 competition if it shows up here.

I am still pining for the Audi A1--a MINI-sized car that I know would be popular in the States--but it would probably not be profitable, which is why you and I have not seen one on the roads (yet).

Toyota Prius PHV Gives Long Electric Cruises

I'm one of the lucky journalists who gets to spend a week with Toyota's upcoming Prius PHV. PHV is a new acronym, which stands for plug-in hybrid vehicle. It's a compromise, like all hybrid cars, but it solves the problem of all-electric vehicles, such as the Nissan Leaf, which could strand you if you happen to run out of juice out on the road. Sadly, there's no AAA truck with a gallon of electricity who can come by.

The PHV looks and feels like a Prius, which is not sporty but is quite solid and dreamy quiet. However, rather than simply using electricity that it generates itself, the PHV has a great big lithium ion battery where the spare tire would normally live that can take a charge that will last you about 14 miles. If you live six miles from work, it's possible you could travel gas free.

My commute is 27 miles, but I was able to drive the first seven miles--all on city streets--completely on electricity. Also, the car would drive electrically for significant periods of time on the freeway under conditions that didn't require strong acceleration.

Electronic gauges at the front of the dash, under the windshield, let you monitor your fuel consumption and especially important, where the power for moving the car is coming from. You can see the motor working--or the engine--or both--or neither, if you're stopped at a light.

It was exciting to zoom along for nearly 15 minutes without using any fuel at all. But, the show came to an end and it was back to plain hybrid life--which isn't all that bad, really. After six days, I have averaged 54.8 miles per gallon--about 5 mpg better than a normal Prius. One of those gauges shows what percentage of the time the car was an "EV" or a hybrid, which tells the story. I got in about 8 percent as a pure electric. Someone else, with short jaunts every day, could make that 8 percent hybrid, 92 percent electric.

The plugging in to charge part was easy, but I had to remember to do it. I ran the heavy cord out of my garage and into the plug, which sits behind a door in the left front fender. The battery charges fully in just three hours on normal household 110 volt current.

Pricing is likely to be in the low to mid $30,000 range. The car's due out next spring, but folks are already signing up for their Prius PHV. Here--you can too.

Uh Oh--Four Dollar Gas is Here

I drove past my neighborhood Chevron today and there it was--four dollar gas. I've found that filling my premium-ingesting Audi and BMW is already costing an extra $10 a tank.

As it happened last time, we are likely to see a move to people buying more economical cars. This time, the manufacturers are more ready than they were. Here are some suggestions:

Electric: Nissan Leaf

Plug-in Hybrid: Chevrolet Volt

Hybrids: Toyota Prius, Honda Insight

Economical small cars: Mazda3, MINI Cooper, Scion XD, Ford Fiesta, Hyundai Elantra

Midsize: Four-cylinder Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Hyundai Sonata

There are many other options, and many more electric and hybrid vehicles coming soon.

Chevy Volt Arrives in S.F. Bay Area

I normally drive a car before writing about it, but this opportunity was too good to pass up. I heard about the first Chevrolet Volt to be delivered in the San Francisco Bay Area and went to the new owner's blog. He had written all about the car and the process. Go see it for yourself. There was his email address, so I contacted Patrick Wang, and within the hour, we had made plans to meet.

Over coffee, Patrick told me all about his decision to buy the new plug-in hybrid Volt and then gave me a tour and a ride. Read all about it in the San Leandro Times.

In 25 words or less, it's a new way of driving, but feels familiar. It's an electric car for the first 30 to 50 miles, and then a gasoline engine kicks in to charge the battery for many more miles of motoring. I'm looking forward to driving one myself before too long.