About To Buy A Hybrid Suv

[SOMEONE ELSE'S GOT MY NAME]

No one used "fabulous" to describe a Ford or Mercury car.

And if you re-read and make just a tad more effort to comprehend Laura's opening post she was clearly asking for advice regarding the Lexus vs the Ford.

And I remain of the opinion that the Mercury Mariner hybrid should be given serious consideration.

Unless there is a Lexus hybrid version of the RAV4 when I next go car shopping the Mercury will likely top my list.

Actually, she hinted the Ford's 'Chincy' factor was a little too high for her. sure, the FE isn't as high on the 400h, BUT ... many re-learn how to drive the 400H (and hihy) to get over 30mpg's. So IF you have to regularly shlub a lot of stuff, AND shlub it up a nice grade ... heck, it's nice to have the 400h's surplus power. BUT, it's nice to know that if you DO put forth the effort to get high MPG's, well the 400h CAN get in the 30mpg ... kind of the best of both worlds. Whereas the Ford will always have less power.

[wwest]

WWest,

You can be sure that if I, as an owner of a C5 Corvette, continuously posted in a C6 Corvette forum that a Mustang Cobra is much better than a C6

Since you bring it up, yes, there are some aspects of the Mustang that are preferable over a C6, a modern day engine design vs pushrods, say.

But build me a Corvette (T-Top, please) with a modern day 300HP+ V6 engine design (DOHC, VVT-i, 24V, DFI, etc, etc,) and my 911 would go on the block immediately.

While I own an '01 Mustang convertible, V6/stick, the last Mustang that held any real interest for me was the '67 fasback.

and how awful the C6 is on a racetrack

Is it..?? I didn't know, hadn't heard that. But on the other hand watching the Corvettes fail, fall by the wayside, each and every year, the past 7 anyway, at the 24 hours of Daytona I shouldn't be surprised.

(despite not having one, myself), etc, etc, I would be banned from the site for starting a flame war.

Yes, but in the case you state, the Mustang vs the C6, you clearly would not be being truthful (at least I hope not.)

Well, this situation is not much different. You were banned before for doing a similar thing (yes, I remember),

And, if you pay close attention you might take note that some of the tecnically helpful and even some of the adversarial posts "here" somehow mysteriously turn up, almost word for word, over "there"...

so please, if you are a fan of Mercury,

Please, let's not be insulting, I am most certainly NOT a fan of Mercury, Just as in some sense I am not a fan of Lexus. But I am a realist. If someone on this forum asked for purchasing advice on the RX400h vs the Mercury Mariner I, and ALL who post here, should be FREE to provide whatever TRUTHFUL information they might have available. But, even NOT being a fan of mercury, had I made the decision to purchase a hybrid SUV "today", the MMH and the RX400h would both be on my "sort" list. Which would win..?? An MMH w/VSC or an RX400h with a small 4 cylinder Miller cycle engine.

I really do have a hard time commiting, don't I..??

But I'm really glad that I don't really have or need too, at least not "today".

you might find a less irritated atmosphere in a Mercury forum.

Do you really think Mercury fans are a kinder and gentler group of people...?? I would actually think the opposite would be true, Lexus fans being....

You do present some excellent technical details and we appreciate that, but going into a biker bar and insulting Harleys is not the best way to change the occupants' minds about that particular brand.

If your intent, really, was to compare this forum, and all the participants, to the likes of a "biker bar" I think maybe you should seriously consider banning yourself, sir. I guess I hope that now that we have insulted them, possibly unduly, there are no "biker bar" participants "here".

Dave

Hey, if this forum is into "book Burning", censorship, turning the truth away, then you might as well band me now.

But, let's say, on the other hand, you were considering the purchase of a new C6 vs "whatever" and went to the Corvette forum and asked for advice.

Would you really not want to "hear" the full range of responses...?

And suppose Laura had asked about the Honda Hybrid (on the "appropriate" forum) vs the Prius, would it have been okay for me to "bash" the Honda..?? In a truthfull way..??

[wwest]

No one used "fabulous" to describe a Ford or Mercury car.

And if you re-read and make just a tad more effort to comprehend Laura's opening post she was clearly asking for advice regarding the Lexus vs the Ford.

And I remain of the opinion that the Mercury Mariner hybrid should be given serious consideration.

Unless there is a Lexus hybrid version of the RAV4 when I next go car shopping the Mercury will likely top my list.

Actually, she hinted the Ford's 'Chincy' factor was a little too high for her. sure, the FE isn't as high on the 400h, BUT ... many re-learn how to drive the 400H (and hihy) to get over 30mpg's. So IF you have to regularly shlub a lot of stuff, AND shlub it up a nice grade ... heck, it's nice to have the 400h's surplus power. BUT, it's nice to know that if you DO put forth the effort to get high MPG's, well the 400h CAN get in the 30mpg ... kind of the best of both worlds. Whereas the Ford will always have less power.

"Whereas the Ford will always have less power."

To which one could counter with:

The RXh will always have lower FE capability.

"Whereas the Ford will always have less power."

As will the Prius....

Ever hear of anyone complaining about the lack of power in the Prius...??

No...??

That's because it was a "purpose" purchase.

When someone asks for advice regarding a purchase choice, in this case a hybrid SUV, how do we know, discern, their priorities...??

We don't , we shouldn't, we simply open the book and pass along all the information we think might be helpful.

Is it a detriment to the MMH vs the RXh that the MMH doesn't have VSC...?? ABSOLUTELY..!!

Is it a detriment to the RXh vs the MMH that the RXh comes up "short" in the FE department...?? Again, ABSOLUTELY..!!

I don't know, can't say for anyone else but were I to drive a hybrid on a regular basis I would not be one to "relearn" my driving style to improve FE. If I wanted to take that effort then I could do so just as well, relearning for FE, with my current '01 AWD RX300.

[RX400h]

Okay, folks, I believe this topic has run its course.

WWest, until you actually have wheel time behind an RX400h, quit bashing them here on this forum. There is a big difference between someone's pointing out "issues" after living with the vehicle for even a short period of time, and bashing a vehicle because of "paper" discrepancies.

Dave