Hybrid Honda Accord

adp3

yes yes, nice argument about the Hummer

 

why is it that people have to trot out absurd examples to prove a silly point

 

instead of focusing on the one example that proves your point, why not focus on the 100 examples that might prove my point?

 

again, I ask a simple question: forgetting about allthe enviro niceties of driving a hybrid, what does the Accord Hybrid buyer compare the Accord to? if he wants X hp and seating for Y what is the comparo. THEN ask, which is better for the environment.

 

It is not fair to say "well, he could get 2 Elantras" - the dude ani't gonna buy an Elantra. It ain't gonna happen. The Accord drives better. It is more fun. We aren't gonna get him into the Elantra.

 
(OK,maybe you will get him into the Elantra - and maybe Honda's days are numbered - maybe the Elantra is a good car to compare the HAH to)

 

 

Those of you who know me know that I am in favor of making BIG environmental improvements. But incremental improvements are valuable, as well. And we have to be realistic. You are not gonna get a Mustang buyer into an Elantra. But you MIGHT get him into a souped up Accord. Maybe.

 

if we can get more HP with the same emissions (rather than an increase in emissions) then that is a net gain for the environment. Well, at least it is not a net loss.

 

Of course, this begs the question of whether it is WORTH it (monterilly) to go for the hybrid, or to care about emissions, at all, but that is a different question.

 

What does the HAH compare to from a HP, handling, reliability, etc. standpoint? THAT is the comparo I'm interested in. And if I can get better tailpipe emisisons than the compared vehicles in this huge segment, I think it is a good thing.

adp3

backy is asking the right questions

 

of course, that's if you want to UNDERSTAND the issue, not simply support your own position (which you hold for wahtever reason, such as being a GM or Toyota employee, or work for an oil company or the GOP; only half-kidding - not sure who some of you guys work for, sometimes)

gagrice

It is not fair to say "well, he could get 2 Elantras" - the dude ani't gonna buy an Elantra. It ain't gonna happen.

 

You should know from previous debates that I gear the debate to the person I am debating. In the case of backy he does in fact have two Hyundai Elantra's, that I believe he likes very well. With you, I don't know. Would you trade the utility of your XC90 for a cramped no trunk Accord hybrid?

 

I think it is safe to say the person that buys the Accord hybrid would have bought an Accord of some sort. There are Accords that are environmentally superior to the HAH. They just don't have that 0-60 speed that the green racers want. The only thing that would tempt me in the Honda lineup is the Accord diesel. Now there is a car. Plenty fast and very good mileage. Lower in GHG also. Unfortunately it does not fit the agenda for the powers in the EPA and CARB. With only so much pollution allowed they have chosen to give it all to their corporate buddies in the shipping and trucking industries.

viet

I am going to pick up my brand-new HAH with NAVI. at 11:00AM sharp tomorrow 12/24 for my greatest Xmas eve. The nice female fleet manager at Honda dealership just confirmed with me a few minutes ago. They are installing extra stuff and waxing the car to make it real shiny. She told me "You are going to love it. You will be one of the first ones who drives the HAH with NAVI. on the road".

 

Talking about "the more HP the better it is". I love the HAH's powerful 255HP but ironically I have never driven over 75MPH on highway or over 40MPH in city. That's why my 19 year old son was not quite pleased when I drove his Accord V6 EX 240HP, with him sitting next to me, and exited into the highway at 40MPH or less (just like an old man who drove an old Ford Pinto 1930). But I love the extra HP. When we need it it will be right there. May be I am older now and dont want to put my wallet and my safety at risks of accidents or speeding tickets.

 

In order to meet my tight schedule, I did drive 70 - 80MPH + when I drove a big truck to move my son's furniture to S. Cali. to help prepare a room for his college attendance. On such occasions I do need the big HP.

stevewa

I heard an ad on the radio today suggesting Honda was offering 2.9 APR on _all_ models including the HAH. They were also plugging a sweepstakes to win an HCH. Don't know if this is a regional (NW US) or national campaign...

 

Are sales so weak right now that they have to work this hard to move tin?

xcel

Hi Backy:

 

High price premium? The price premium of the HAH is about $3500--in the same ballpark as the premium for other hybrids. And please spare us and don't pull out your ad from that Chicago Honda dealer. I am talking about list prices here.

 

___Just the ad from the Chicago Honda dealer? How about Honda Accord - Prices Paid and Buying Experience forum here at Edmunds? There aren’t many Accord’s not going for near invoice and even below including the V6 if you would like? I don’t care if you want to pay MSRP for your automobiles or not but most will pay far less if they want to purchase any Accord other then the AH today. The AH is priced at MSRP and MSRP + from most discussions vs. what you can actually go and pick up an Accord EX V6 or I4 of any trim for. I am sure there are a few Honda dealerships in your area, right? Why not go ask about your mythical $3,500 premium. They would be glad to sell you any Accord as well as the EX V6 at MSRP although that act might cause a few chuckles in the Honda Accord - Prices Paid thread as well as the salesman and manager of the target dealership during their lunch break.

 

Middling emissions? Compared to what, the AT-PZEV of cars like the Prius, or the emissions of the regular V6 Accord? What are the emissions of the HAH when it is stopped at a stoplight, ICE engine off, compared to the V6 Accord? What are the emissions of the HAH when it is cruising on 3 cylinders, compared to the regular V6 Accord? Is every vehicle that does not have the best possible emissions rating a failure?

 

___Sure, the AH has the same emissions as the 03 Corolla, the 03 MDX, and even the 03/04/05 Accord V6 let alone the much lower emission rated Accord PZEV. The Accord PZEV can be ordered in any state in the Union according to some Honda dealerships I have spoken with. So much for the AH’s new technology improving upon what has already been in the market place. The std. V6 and the AH have the same emission ratings other then CO2 but in the real world, the AH’s lower fuel use will emit less NOx, PM, and CO as well. If Autostop isn’t invoked much as Autostop usually has a nasty little NOx spike upon restart :-(

 

Middling fuel economy? How does the fuel economy of the HAH compare to that of other V6-powered mid-sized cars, especially those with comparable performance to the HAH?

 

___Middling is exactly what it is. Many automobiles have at least a 29/37 city/highway EPA estimate. On a positive note, the AH does offer higher FE then most mid-size sedans which is a very good thing but middling is a good description imho. Then again, it has the same overall FE as that of the 2WD Hybrid Escape SUV but with higher emissions.

 

___Good Luck

 

___Wayne R. Gerdes

falconone

You can also make the argument that you can get two HAH vehicles for the price of the new Lexus LS430. That is a silly comparison. The HAH driver has NO interest in an elantra and the lexus driver has NO interest in a HAH. Let's even say that you can buy two jeep libertys for the price of ONE hummer. Still a foolish comparison. I truly praise the folks that are what I consider pioneers of this segway into the future of the automobile. If they want to buy a hybrid, let's not criticize their decision.

electrictroy

"___its SoC was showing 0. As soon as the mechanic lit it off, I saw a 4 bar forced charge begin to bring the pack up. This is probably a std. practice with Hybrid’s being prepped but I have not seen this before?"

 

.

 

Disconnect the 12V from your Insight, and then reconnect it, and you will see exactly the same thing. The car doesn't know how much energy the battery holds, so it charges until it detects the "full" signal.

electrictroy

"Honda was offering 2.9 APR on _all_ models including the HAH. Are sales so weak right now that they have to work this hard to move tin?"

 

Car Sales are ALWAYS weak just before Christmas (people are shopping for toys, not cars) and during January/February (people are paying off their debt/saving money).

viet

The Big 3 offers 0% financing, Nissan 1.9%. The sale weakness is the result of the whole weak econmy and weak employment nationwide, not just sale weakness at year end only.

 

Sales are really so sluggish this year end. Malls are empty. The Iraq and Afghanistan wars are now so uncertain. It has been slowly draining out America financially. The American war policies in Afghanistan and Iraq need to be reevaluated and adjusted accordingly. The financial and economic impacts on American taxpayers are horrendous. Federal debts have quickly increased up to hundreds of billion dollars. Wars are always heartless destructions on everything. Each missle costs us hundreds of thousand dollars. You guys and I have been paying dearly for those military adventures.

 

I have never tolerated terrorism and terrorists but when the government decided to conduct big wars to fight our enemies it should have thought through real carefully to come up with wise and realistic strategies. We cannot run very costly conventional wars to fight guerrilas who are willing to commit suicide to blow up our troops to become gloriously religious martyrs.

 

In the mean time I am still lucky enough to have a stable job so I enjoy a little bit with my new little toy HAH tonight, the Xmas Eve.

 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you and your loved ones !

backy

What you say and what you do are two different things.

 

So you are saying that I should only participate in Town Hall discussions about cars that I currently own or plan to buy in the near future? What about you? You not only have no intention of ever buying the HAH, you have been quite clear in your negative feelings about it. Yet you persist in posting messages in this discussion that is solely about the HAH. Why? Is it because you don't like the HAH, so you don't think anyone else should like it and buy it either? Do you think everyone else should have the same taste in cars that you do?

viet

Hi Kirstie_h (The Host):

 

Please do not delete my message which mentions about war, HAH, sales, etc. They are real life issues strictly relating to our discussions on weak sales this Xmas. Thanks.

falconone

If you look a few weeks back a very clever person left an interesting post. It's about ENVY and jealousy. It's quite apparent that quite a few folks post here for that reason. I happen to dislike gas guzzlers but I NEVER post disparaging remarks on those related forums. Conversely, I can't figure out why people continue to post, if all they have to add is negativity.

viet

I fully support Mr Backy, "The PhD. in modern automotive technology". We work so hard for our money so we only buy best cars. Our decision to buy a car may be a little bit subjective. But what the heck?

gagrice

This is for viet. I hope you LOVE your HAH. It sounds like a much deserved Christmas Present. Someone that takes as good a care of their cars as you will probably get 500k miles from your new Accord. All the best.. Easy on that throttle or you will get a whiplash.

viet

Thanhs Mr, Gagrice. Finally, I got the HAH at 11:30PM PST. The NAVI is awesome. It took me to my home accurately step by step. The steering is truly electric/ electronic one from S2000. When the HAH stops at the traffic light, the engines stops and the battery kicks in. There is a very small noise when the battery kicks in, but insignificantly. Later when the engine warms up I did not hear the kick-in noise any more. Will track on that. This is really a big toy for me. I am learning 250+ NAVI commands. The MPG is always about 33 - 36.5 on the dashboard while the car was running. I felt like I sat in an airplane cockpit. It ran so quiet on the highway. I have been insane with the XM radio, NAVI., and many little details Honda offers to me. Thanks Honda Inc. You gets a GOLD STAR today. Thanks my wife who has continuously sacrificed for my crazy love with new cars, especially high-tech Honda automobiles. This is a real hi-tech car with lot of computer chips inside to offer you utmost driving pleasure.

 

"One who dies with the most toy wins". I will report to you additional details later on. I have to bring food to my brother-in-law so he can cook for our Xmas Eve. dinner.

backy

In your case, it might be "The one who dies with the most Accords wins." I hope you get many years of pleasure from your HAH.

viet

Thanks Mr. Backy. The HAH's integrated NAVI./ audio is extremely awesome. I turned on the speaker volume to number 30+ and it is so loud that I was afraid to break the closed windows so I turned it down. I did not reach the max. It is so exciting. The audio system looks great and is so complicated as a true small computer at hand. It is real interesting. I have to read and learn all features of the NAVI./ audio. 8 cup holders, 8 airbags, 2 cell phone charging outlet, auto windows up and down from outside, the key is one of kind which costs more than $100 to duplicate by Honda Inc. only. Bye bye car thieves.

 

I get to go eat my Xmas dinner at my sister-in-law now. See you later folks.

viet

My HAH's graphite exterior color is gorgeous. It looks like dark slight black/gray. I love it. The car ran eeriely quiet on the highway, effortless on hills at constant 60-65 MPH with 33 - 36.5 MPG. Battery was charged to the max fast. Auto electric windows will automatically roll down by themselves if somebody (kids) accidentally put in their hands on their up closing paths. Chairs electrically respond and adjust positions fast. The engine jerked slightly when it changed mode to shut all 6 cylinders at stop lights. I will track on that. Is it the "small weakness"? But on the highway when it cruised on 3 cylinders and/or changed engine mode I did not hear nothing except my CD player and the "sexy voice" from the NAVI.'s woman. It was so fun.

 

Doors will automatically lock by themselves after 20 seconds if the driver leaves the car and forgets to lock them up. The audio/ NAVI. is very impressive. Trunk is a bit smaller than the regular Accord's trunk (11 cubic feet). No spare tire. Flat tire repair kit is provided. Little hook in the trunk. I always love Honda for these fantastic little details. Engine is quite powerful and smooth. Tilted and telescope steering. My son test drove the car and immediately noticed the steering is lighter, better than the one in his V6 Coupe. Another KISS to Honda's dedicated and smart engineers. A special KISS for Honda's President too. Steering is the one from the S2000 or the NSX. The run on highway was quite nice and utmost pleasant. I was quite pleased with constant 33 - 36.5 MPG at all time. According to my experience, I always get a little more than the max MPG on the car stickers, especially on long distance trips on highway.

 

I am insane with the audio / NAVI. system. It is truly the top NAVI. on the market. Will have to train myself to use that effectively. Woman's voice from the NAVI. was soft and "somewhat sexy/ attractive". It updated me with accurate directions step by step, very specific, until I reached destination. I can change the temperature, change CD track and the XM radio. It is so cool. My son got so excited. The driver's piloting dashboard is all digital. I love it. It looks like a digital plane cockpit. All numbers illuminate nicely by themselves like 2003 and later Accord models or a Lexus. The ride was so nice.

 

I love the Accord engine's 255 HP. It provides me with more than adequate power. When I need, it is right at my fingertips. The car is fast and so quiet. The spoiler on the trunk lit looks cool and tasteful. The NAVI. box and the short antenna on its top distinguishes the HAH from regular Accords. I love the leather seats. Sensor underneath the front passenger seat will deactivate frontal airbag if passenger weights less than 45 lbs. (?) It is a safety feature to protect kids/ babies sitting on front seat. Latches/ anchors in the back seats for baby's separate car seats. The trunk space is not quite bad at 11 cubic feet. My wife was so pleased with the graphite color and the cool shape of this top Accord sedan. The graphite color may give her "status". Any time when we buy new cars we always "fight" on the exterior color. Worst to come to worst I can go with any of 4 colors. But I do not like the (plain) white or the silver very much. Most dealerships have HAH with NO NAVI. for now. I had to wait for this HAH with NAVI. for so long. But it was definitely worth my wait.

 

In general, I am quite happy with my new HAH. It is so fun to drive. It is Accord quality. Accord does win again. Yearly sale of Accord to the U.S. is almost half a million units. The customers are not stupid to pay for the Accord. This is the top Accord. The dealer made about $3,000 to $4,000 profit on my purchase. But what's the Hell !. I dont care to pay to buy this hot, new model. I also finally bought the extra extended warranty for the following 3 years after the 36 months/ 36,000-mile standard warranty. I promised my little 16 year old son that I will give this HAH to him if he gets accepted into top universities. At that time I will buy another Honda or Acura. Just wait for another cool models in the near future. May be another brand new Accord hybrid. Why not? This is my 8th Accord in the row.

 

My current 95 Accord EX I4 at 200K miles has been so loyal to me for 10 years and I love it so much like I love my real babies. It still runs strong flawlessly on original engine, original transmission, starter, muffler, etc. The gold exterior color fades but it shows absolute loyalty and dependability to me. Another KISS for "my fleet of Accords".

kurtamaxxguy

For the new owners of their HAH's;

 

how far can you get up a mountain range or hilly area before your battery is exhausted?

 

I had considered hybrids but the I5 through Northern California and Southern Oregon is mostly mountain ranges, many having hills well over 5 - 6 miles long.

 

Previous reviews I have read of other hybrids, including the H.Civic., suggested their batteries run out about a mile up the mountain range, forcing the engine to do all the work. In those vehicle's case, without the battery the car is severely underpowered.

 

Does the HAH have extended battery range? Or can its 6 cyl. engine handle the load of going up a long hill once the battery goes flat?

viet

The HAH's 240 HP can run by itself even if the battery is dead or compeletely run out. The Accord 240HP can take you up all hills in California and Oregon. My HAH's battery is always full during my great quiet run. A nice thing made me so happy is the MPG was always 36.5 on my way home yesterday. The NAVI. is marvelous. It controls the audio, temperature, defrost, XM, AM, FM radio,etc. NAVI screen can show split screen (map and written driving instructions). It is awesome. The NAVI. is really worth $2,000 with calendar, notebook,voice activated, etc. Per manual, the NAVI. is an extremely sophisticated equipment. You can completely control the NAVI. by voice in order to focus on your driving. BRAVO HONDA. Accord wins again. I am considerating to buy another HAH after I give this HAH to my son when he enters out-of-town college so he will never get lost on the road. When I buy the second HAH the price must be lower. I could not wait to buy an extremely hot HAH 2 weeks ago. Am I a good Dad and a walking Accord commercial? I do hope not.

gagrice

Am I a good Dad and a walking Accord commercial? I do hope not.

 

I would say you are a GOOD Dad. You have your boys in school and college. That is important. You are teaching them the values in life that make you prosperous enough to afford a nice car. Maybe you should give this HAH to your wife. It is her color. Then give your son her Accord.

 

I'm glad your car made it by Christmas, have a great New Year in that new car...

ramseyny

Doors will automatically lock by themselves after 20 seconds if the driver leaves the car and forgets to lock them up.

 

Are you sure about this? I have neither read about this in the manual or experienced it in the 2 weeks I've had my HAH.

 

The engine jerked slightly when it changed mode to shut all 6 cylinders at stop lights.

 

I too have noticed this though I would more describe it as a release of the engine and transmission that ends up feeling as though a slight push is given to the car while stopping. It was a bit disconcerting to at first but I am getting used to it.

viet

I am one trillion percent sure the HAH doors will lock up by themselves no matter what you lock them up or not after 20 seconds. The Fleet Manager demonstrated to me under my own eyes. Headlights are auto shut off too.

 

I just drove my HAH the first 31 miles. Since then my two sons test drove it around. It engine is so powerful, quick, quiet, responsive, sophisticated. I insist that the HAH NAVI. is extremely awesome. Honda Inc. should pay me for my "free Honda commercial".

 

This may be a Xmas gift to some Honda's owners. Please get in Honda website below and enter your Honda VIN and you are all set with Honda Inc. to "babysit" your Honda.

 

https://www.ahm-ownerlink.com/login.asp?brand=honda

viet

Hi Ramseyny,

 

Do not forget to claim $2,000 federal tax deductible got 2004 tac year. You may also get free parking sticker from your home town. Check it out.

blane

But, viet, do you like your Accord?

backy

Did you get confirmation from Honda or your dealer that the HAH qualifies for the hybrid tax deduction? If so, there will be a letter that Honda will provide to you (on their web site I expect) that certifies that the HAH qualifies for the deduction.

vinry

The latest announcement from IRS with regard to clean fuel tax deduction does not include HAH.

 

http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=132163,00.html

kurtamaxxguy

Visiting the IRS site, there didn't seem to be any info on the HAH. Perhaps in a month or two it will be added to the elgible hybrid list.

 

One poster commented on the V6 having enough power for mountains even with a flat battery, and mentioned the engine was 240 HP.

What is the total rated power of the vehicle (assuming motor and gas engine are active?).

viet

My HAH is the best Accord ever. My Salesman said the HAH is qualified for the $2,000 federal tax deductible, I am checking with the IRS soon. I love it so much. I am not hesistating to buy another one if I have to. The NAVI is smart and fun to play with. The acceleration is great. 255 HP. MPG is always about 33 - 36.5.

viet

The Accord is getting better and better each year. I noticed the acceleration, auto windows and everything is getting better, quicker than the previous version. I chose the Accord hybrid 2005 over the Acura TL 2005 due to the MPG, new hybrid technology. I love the sound "VROOM" of the engine when I start it up. I love the sound when the doors close. Everything is so fine. It is so enjoyable. We cant be wrong to buy a Honda/ Acura automobile.

vinry

Viet, now I believe you work for Honda. Maybe in the marketing department? Just kidding. Enjoy your new HAH.

ramseyny

I have spoken with Honda about about certification of the HAH for the federal tax deduction and they were quite clear that it has been certified though it is not posted on the IRS website. The agent I spoke with read to me from internal Honda documents. I believe the deduction is $1,500. It was $2,000 last year and goes down to $1,000 on 1/1/05. If you happen to live in New York, you can also take a $2,000 tax credit on your state income tax and claim a refund of sales tax on $3,000 of the purchase.

 

FYI: 1st tank=19MPG

2nd tank=21MPG so far.

gagrice

I believe the deduction is $1,500.

 

Sounds like your dealer has old documents. The latest deduction is $2000 through 2005. In 2006 it goes to $500 then gone. Honda has to petition the IRS for the deduction on the HAH. Ford just got it for the Escape. I believe the EPA has to give it a SULEV II rating. According to Honda's website the HAH is only ULEV II. The Civic and Insight are qualified. Have to wait and see on the HAH.

 

"Consumers purchasing a new Honda Civic Hybrid, by the end of 2005 are eligible for a "Clean-Fuel" vehicle tax deduction of up to $2,000. The incentive will be reduced to $500 in 2006. Vehicles purchased after 2006 will not be eligible for a deduction under current legislation".

 

Note: The clean-fuel vehicle tax deduction was originally scheduled to phase out starting in 2004. Vehicles bought in 2004 were eligible for a maximum deduction of $1,500, and those bought in 2005 were eligible for a $1,000 deduction. However, the "Working Families Tax Relief Act of 2004" has extended the $2,000 deduction through 2005.

viet

Dear Mr. Gagrice (Who "hates" the HAH):

 

I love the way you talk "exact legal". Yes, the new legislation gives $2,000 tax deductible for the HAH/ hybrid cars buyers. Thats why my wife and I had to make sure we signed the purchase contract before 12/31/04.

viet

Dear Kurtamaxxguy:

 

I drove a 4 engine 145 HP Camry over hills in Los Angeles areas with no problem yesterday. Therefore, the 255 HP HAH is more than enough to go over these hills. My son's 240 HP V5 EX Accodr Coupe d runs like a wild horse on highway and beats all hills in CA. Bravo Accord.

gagrice

Dear Mr. Gagrice (Who "hates" the HAH):

 

I would not say I hate the HAH. I think Honda would have done the environment a bigger favor by making the Accord a high mileage with not so much power. I am sure you will love your HAH as you should. I am hoping the automakers will sell more cars that get 45 mpg and not worry so much about 0-60 times.

falconone

It would be interesting to see what type of mileage they got if they used a 4 cyl engine. I think the HAH is a step in the right direction, but the negligible increase in mileage would not be worth it to me. I'd rather buy the TL and have some more goodies for the same price.

kurtamaxxguy

Ironically, a larger engine in a heavier car can improve mileage. Example: GM Mailbu has 4 and 6 cyl options. The 6 cyl engine not only gets more MPG in real world tests, but has more HP.

 

So I suspect Honda made right choice in supplying larger engine but also adding cylinder deactivation.

viet

I heard the TL's NAVI. is more sophisticated than the Accord's NAVI. with the "route recalculating feature". However, on Xmas Eve. I drove the HAH to the Church and we intentionally missed the turn, the NAVI immediately requested me a "UTURN" to get to the right street. It's one of the little toys in the HAH that makes me more comfortable while driving.

 

I love 2 cell phone charger outlets, one hides neatly in the box in between the 2 front seats. I love 8 airbags, 8 cup holders, the doors auto lock. I will manually calculate the MPG to see if it matches with the digital MPG. I love the powerful "VROOM" when I start up the engine. My son who test drove it said "Everything is so sensitive and powerful", better then his Accord 2002 V6 EX. I used to speed that Accord V6 on highway when I had a tight timing schedule and It ran like a big greyhound. That car has only 200HP. My current HAH has 255 HAH, and 90% torque can be achieved at under 4000RPM. Is it worth the money"?

viet

The MPG of my 95 EX I4 Accord is now almost same as that of my Accord V6 2002. After I "climbed up" to the V6 Accord I have not wanted to "Step back" to the I4.

robertsmx

I am hoping the automakers will sell more cars that get 45 mpg and not worry so much about 0-60 times

 

Honda already offers one: Honda Civic Hybrid. Thats a car for people who want more mileage without caring much for performance. Good to offer more choices though, and thats where HAH comes in.

ktnr

You recently mentioned for a second time having 8 airbags in the HAH. I thought that, like all Accords, there are only 6: front, side, and side-curtain all on both sides. Where are the extra two airbags on the HAH?

viet

4 airbags at 4 corners of the HAH, 2 frontal airbags, 2 side airbags. All Accord 2005 EX have 8 airbags. I am not sure about LX and DX.

fxtool

okay, I've been away for a few days,and am jealous of those of you who got your Xmas presents on time! I am still waiting for my graphite HAH to come in. Saturday will be three weeks since I bought it. Let's hope I don't make it to Saturday!

 

Cheers-

Dylan

viet

Hi Fxtool,

 

Please be patient. I only drove 31 miles my graphite HAH from the dealership to my home. And my 2 sons test drove it. Now it is in my garage until Jan 3rd when I drive it to work. I am sure you will enjoy it. Does yours have the NAVI.? It is so fun to drive the HAH with the assistance of the NAVI.

backy

I believe the EPA has to give it a SULEV II rating.

 

I thought the Federal tax deduction for hybrids was based not on emissions rating, but on the fact the hybrids save gas over conventional vehicles? The deduction is to offset the cost of the hybrid components. If you look at the certification letters for other hybrids, emissions are not mentioned, just the point about the cost of the hybrid components.

gagrice

I thought the Federal tax deduction for hybrids was based not on emissions rating, but on the fact the hybrids save gas over conventional vehicles?

 

That may be right. I thought you had to get 45 mpg combined to qualify. They got the Escape hybrid listed, yet the GMC hybrid PU trucks are not on the list. Maybe the manufacturer has to submit documentation proving an improvement over the conventional car.

ktnr

"4 airbags at 4 corners of the HAH"

 

So you're counting each side-curtain airbag as two airbags? Why?

viet

4 curtain airbags at 4 corners.

 

2 frontal airbags in front of you.

 

2 airbags on the sides of the 2 front seats. Tags are on upper side of the seats.

 

Total 8 airbags.