Hybrid Cars Fall Short of Fuel Economy Claims, Consumer Report Claims

A recent report by Which?, a British consumer publication, has raised eyebrows among Australian car companies, particularly Toyota and Honda, after it revealed that their hybrid cars are not as fuel-efficient as claimed. The study tested three hybrid vehicles, including Toyota's popular Prius and Honda's Civic hybrid, and found that they averaged significantly lower fuel economy figures than their official ratings.

Key Takeaways:

• Toyota's Prius, popular with Australian government fleet buyers, averaged only 5.7-6.3 L/100 km in the Which? consumer tests, compared to its official rating of 4.4 L/100 km.
• Honda's Civic hybrid managed a less-frugal 8.4-10.2 L/100 km, compared to its official rating of 4.6 L/100 km.
• The Australian government test results list the Prius as using 4.4 L/100 km and the Civic 4.6 L/100 km, which is significantly different from the Which? findings.
• Vic Johnston, Toyota's manager for Prius in Australia, attributed the discrepancy to the difference in testing methods and environmental conditions.
• Mark Higgins, Honda Australia spokesman, said that driving habits have a significant impact on real-world fuel economy, and that standardized testing provides a good estimate of actual fuel consumption.
• The Lexus LX 400, one of the cars tested by Which?, is not sold in Australia, but Lexus will launch the GS450h, a high-performance hybrid, in Australia next week.

Statistics:

• Average fuel economy of Toyota's Prius in the Which? tests: 5.7-6.3 L/100 km.
• Average fuel economy of Honda's Civic hybrid in the Which? tests: 8.4-10.2 L/100 km.
• Official fuel economy rating of Toyota Prius: 4.4 L/100 km.
• Official fuel economy rating of Honda Civic hybrid: 4.6 L/100 km.
• Fuel economy of Lexus LX 400 in Which? tests: not specified.

Sources:

• Which?, British consumer publication.
• Australian government test results.
• Toyota Australia.
• Honda Australia.
• Lexus Australia.