My 1997 Toyota 4Runner was having intermittent problems starting up. About once a month, I would turn the key and absolutely nothing happened. No click, no engine turning over, nothing. The battery was fine, as everything inside the vehicle still worked. If I waited about 30 minutes to an hour, it started up just fine, and the problem went away for a few weeks.
No big deal. It's not the end of the world to have to wait most of the time. I did take it in to the shop, but since it was so intermittent, they couldn't reproduce it to diagnose the problem.
Then about 3 weeks ago, I happened to check our security/puppy cams (still need to blog about that!) from work to see what the dogs were up to. What I found sent me into a slight panic:
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That's right, the dogs were at the front door. Normally they are supposed to be either in the house or in the back yard (they have a dog door to go in and out). The gate to the yard is closed and secured with a clip at all times.
I didn't know how they got out (somebody must have opened the gate; unfortunately that person never walked into camera view), but my one and only thought was to race home and hope they didn't run into the street or wander off too far in the meantime.
And it happened. The car wouldn't start. Of all the times for this to happen, this was not the time! As usual, it took about an hour of waiting before it started and I could go home. A very frantic hour.
So while we'd been thinking that in a few years we'd get a new car and "retire" the 4Runner to light recreational and load hauling duties, the need suddenly became more urgent. Being unable to rely on my vehicle in an emergency situation was unacceptable. If we got a new car now, not only could we leave the 4Runner at the shop for as long as necessary so they could produce the problem and repair it; but it would allow us both to drive more fuel efficient vehicles for our daily commutes, saving gas and money.
The search began. Given that we were very happy with our 2002 Nissan Altima, the newly redesigned 2007 Altima quickly rose near the top of the list. And this is where an intriguing possibility revealed itself: what about the Altima Hybrid?
Normally when comparing the cost of a hybrid to a traditional vehicle, it takes several years for the gas savings to pay for the difference in cost (if it ever does). In this case, most people who buy hybrids are doing so mostly to be snobby and show the rest of the world how morally superior they are.
But in the case of the Altima, we wanted safety features including traction control and vehicle stability control. To get these on the standard model, you had to get it pretty loaded with high end options. In contrast, the base hybrid model comes with both, and it's only $1800 more than the minimum standard configuration with both features. And here's the kicker: the Altima Hybrid also comes with a $2300 federal income tax credit. That's like getting a $2300 discount off the price, making the hybrid actually $500 cheaper than the standard model with equivalent safety features.
Long story a little less long, we went out in the 109 degree heat on Saturday to test drive the Altima Hybrid and the Toyota Camry Hybrid. Both vehicles are very similar, using the same Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive (Nissan licensed it) and having nearly identical sticker prices. We liked the Camry more than we thought we would; it had a few nice features not found in the Altima. But the Altima drove a lot better (less granny-style, lots of zip for passing when you need it), was rated for slightly better gas mileage, had better financing options, and had a better tax credit (due to the rules of the federal tax break, the credit on the Camry is only about $600 now). Because of the extreme heat, business at the dealership was slow and we negotiated a killer deal.
There's no place for the key in the ignition switch. Just leave the intelligent key in your pocket and push the button. Awesome. You also don't have to take the key out to unlock the door: when it's in range, just push a button on the door handle and you're in. It never leaves your pocket. Ahh, laziness!
The in-dash displays show information about the hybrid system, including power output of the electric motor and charge status of the high voltage battery pack.
This screen, one of several, may be one of the most useful: it shows your instantaneous miles per gallon so you can learn to adjust your driving habits to get the most out of the hybrid system. And when that EV MODE indicator is on, it means you're in stealth mode. In this state, the car is driving using the electric motor only, so you
Under the hood, Nissan licensed the current generation Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive for the "hybrid" part of the vehicle. It allowed them to get a product to market quickly, and gave us the best of both worlds: proven, industry-leading Toyota technology, paired with the Nissan gasoline engine and body. As the advertising materials say, it's the world's first hybrid that drives like a Nissan.
Both batteries are actually stashed in the trunk, out of the way. The normal 12-volt car battery is there, as well as the high voltage hybrid battery pack.
For easy jump starting, a remote positive battery terminal is wired in the front where you'd normally expect the battery to be. Smart.
As of today, the wife, who drives a more hybrid-friendly commute (lots of stop and go, good for reclamation of energy through regenerative braking), will take the new Altima to work. I'll take the "old" Altima on my commute, which is mostly freeway with cruise control where hybrids perform closer to their gasoline-engine counterparts. The 4Runner now rests in the garage until it's needed to haul loads of junk or maybe go camping and stuff. We both increase our fuel economy and the environment thanks us (or at least Al Gore says so). I'm guessing we'll save nearly $100 a month in gas. Excellent.
Oh, and the dogs? A very nice lady up the street found them hanging out in her garage, so she took them in and gave them some food. By the time I'd gotten home that evening, she had left a message on the answering machine. I walked over and thanked her profusely for keeping my babies safe.
The gate to the yard is now locked with a combination lock. It was probably some dirty hippie who let them out.
My uncle had a Prias, and it was /nice/. He started it without my ever actually hearing it, and was able to move without making any noise, other than the sound of the rocks under his tires. All in all, it was nice. Unfortunately, though, people with pace-makers are out of luck there (such as my step-father).