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GMC Sierra Hybrid pickup
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Comments
That is pure bunk. Media hype has brain washed you to believe that kind of crap. I thought the $41 was high for the Chevy. I have never paid over $30 for service at Bob Stall Chevrolet in La Mesa CA. Nissan charged MT $83 for the 7500 mile service and $155 for the 15k mile service. Not my figures they are from the source you wanted to use as reference.
Over the 7 years that I owned my last Chevy the Suburban, all I ever did was oil, filters and lube, plus one serpentine belt for $26. Two of the 3 Chevy trucks prior to that gave me NO trouble. I drove both of them back to Alaska and after 2 years sold them for nearly what I paid for them new. I was lucky to get rid of the 1994 Toyota PU truck. I did find a sucker and sold him the headaches. Unless they have improved 100% from 1994 they still build tin junk. It is easy to sell a used Toyota. Proves the power of media hype. The TCO of my Toyota PU truck was thousands more than the Chevy Suburban. The only car that cost me more than that Toyota PU was a Fiat Spyder. Another car my son had to have. So the Toyota was ever so slightly better than a FIAT.
I almost forgot. My overall mileage on the GMC hybrid is still at 17 MPG. I have less than 300 miles on it. Mostly trips shorter than 3 miles. Full AC as it is Hot here this week.
Your anger/frustration certainly has no relevance in this forum. GM's financial shape has nothing to do with their impressive line of trucks (inclucing the hybrid Sierra) and everything to do with events that happened a few decades ago: bad union-management negotiations regarding pensions/heatlthcare.
Falconone, other than jealousy I dont know what your motivations are?
Interesting point. The 2004 Chevy 1500 4X4 Hybrid is rated at a combined 18 MPG. That means MT over the long term is getting 18% below the EPA rating. Just to keep things in perspective that same group of writers that awarded the Prius "Car of the Year" in 2004 are not doing too well with their long term Prius mileage. They are averaging 24% less than EPA rating. Cost of maintenance is higher by far than the Chevy 4X4 hybrid. Prius service $65 every 5k miles. Must be some expensive oil.
I hope you will be as happy with your Prius as I am with my GMC hybrid.
Of course CR will glorify Toyota. You don't bite the hand that feeds you...
Lest you think Toyota is in bed with CR, you better have proof to substantiate your claim. But that's coming from someone who claims Japan is a 3rd world country. No one on the hybrid boards understands you agenda. The fact that you spend more time on the PC than with your family speaks volumes.
The auto-stop does take getting used to. It is very nice to sit at a stop light in total silence except for the AC fan. When you let off the brake the engine starts so quietly that you do not hear it if the radio is playing. You have to look at the tach to tell if it is running. I have less than 300 miles on mine so I cannot give any mileage details. The total indicated by the computer is 17.2 MPG. That is on very short trips to the store.
But I applaud GM for making the hybrid they have. And I applaud their investments in other technologies. They may be late, but IMO they are moving in a positive direction.
So stop the bashing. Doing so only trivializes your own point of view, and sways people in the wrong direction.
And I love reading Gary's posts, even though I often disagree with him. He's one of the best things going on this forum.
You are too kind. I like to debate what ever the subject. My friends don't always agree with me either. We still get along great. As for my Sierra hybrid. We went shopping at Home Depot and Lowe's this morning. I told my wife I would not miss driving the Passat too much when we sell it. I would rather pay a few bucks more for fuel and be in a PU truck. I just cannot get into driving a car. Too low to see what is going on ahead of me. Mileage holding a 15 MPG with all short 3 mile trips on the hybrid. Gas dropped another 4 cents today, $2.799.
It's the misrepresentation that upsets people.
Hybrid means there is some type of blending.
Since no electric propulsion whatsoever is provided, no blending has occurred. It's just an improvement to the existing system, increasing response time and extending fuel-cut to non-moving conditions. The engine provides 100% of the thrust.
GM should have called this improvement something else, rather than "hybrid".
JOHN
Definition of Hybrid
Something of mixed origin or composition.
Something, such as a computer or power plant, having two kinds of components that produce the same or similar results.
I don't see in the definition of hybrid where the Prius is anymore qualified as a hybrid than the Honda or GM hybrids. It is merely the combining of different components to give an end result. The desired end result is the saving of a bit of fuel. In the case of the GMC Hybrid I did not have to give up Handling, comfort & towing ability.
There is no mixing.
Where's the component that doesn't already exist?
The battery is bigger than usual and the starter is bigger than usual.
It's an improvement to original parts, nothing new.
JOHN
The battery is bigger than usual and the starter is bigger than usual. "
Well, there is the equipment added to enable the regenerative braking to charge the batteries, plus the electric A/C (gary, correct me if I'm wrong on this one), and of course the components to run those electric 110V outlets. Those don't exist on a stock GMC...
No offense taken.
I also don't worship any vehicles. They are just a means to get me and my stuff from one place to another. Actually buying the Sierra Hybrid was an after thought. It had the engine and towing package I wanted. The dealer offered the hybrid option for a grand and I figured what the hey. I like the truck. It is very Quiet & smoothest running vehicle we own including the Lexus. I don't get offended easily. I realize there are a lot of zealots hang out on this forum with very narrow vision.
I get annoyed when people talk about themselves on this forum :P :P
What I driving now is Pontiac Vibe and if you don't know, this car is the same as a Toyota Matrix with a little different sheet metal styling. I bought this car out of curiosity to see what is all this hype about the Toyota's. Well, now I know and I can wait to get rid of it. I've had brake problems, wheel bearings, noisy transmission and basically a very noisy car. The horn on a motorcyle sound louder and is bigger than this car. So I've change the horn and now is the time to change this lousy car and buy good GM car like maybe Chevy Cobalt that rides like a big car and a Pontiac Solstice,
Joe
General Motors says the hybrid system gives the trucks the best city mileage ratings of any full-size pickups.
EPA ratings show the trucks get 18 mpg in the city and 21 on the highway for two-wheel-drive models. Four-wheel-drive models get 17 city and 19 highway ratings.
http://www.mlive.com/business/fljournal/index.ssf?/base/business-1/113111950572770.xml&col- l=5
PS
With auto stop it is close in concept to the Honda hybrids. NO smog check you gotta love it.
Back to our trip. I started out trying to drive 65 MPH, the speed limit on Interstate 15 in San Diego. The computer indicated right at 20 MPG. It was obvious I was holding up traffic even in the right hand lane so I gave up and went with the 75 MPH flow. This was at 9AM and the traffic was still very heavy headed North. South bound was stop n Go. Other than slow downs at the main freeway exits we maintained the 70-75 MPH for the 185 mile drive to Barstow. Driving home was equally heavy but seemed to move smoother with less slow downs. The North bound lanes were stop n Go for the last 75 miles into the San Diego area. I could not commute in that for any amount of money.
The truck is very quiet and the XM classical stations provided uninterrupted music the whole trip. The trip computer gave us an 18.2 MPG for the entire tank. I had filled up before we left and did so on our return. Calculated mileage was 18.87 MPG. The truck now has about 1250 miles on it.
I got a real surprise in the mail from Farmer's Insurance. Because it is a Hybrid they lowered my premium from $545 to $399. That paid for all my gas for the first 6 months.
Conclusion:
I like driving the truck. I don't see a mileage improvement, maybe after it is broken in. I would still rather have a 1/2 ton PU with a 5 cylinder diesel like the one in our Mercedes RV. That is an 8000 lb vehicle that gets 22-26 MPG. Gasoline propulsion is just a highly refined losing proposition IMO.
a) to make a statement
b) for the tax credit and other perks
c) because they’re environmentally friendly
d) to save money at the pump
e) to be the first to own new technology
Please submit a few sentences to support your response no later than Friday, January 27, 2006. Be sure to include your Forums username. Thanks! (wclarke@edmunds.com)
Or does it have the opposite effect?
GM Nixes Hybrid Pickups
Hybrids on Hold
GM axes hybrid pickups until two-mode system debuts in 2008
By RICHARD TRUETT | AUTOMOTIVE NEWS
AutoWeek | Updated: 04/26/07, 10:06 am et
DETROIT -- Despite rising gasoline prices, General Motors quietly has dropped the hybrid versions of the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups.
GM's next hybrid pickups are due in about 18 months.
The Silverado Hybrid sold for $30,040 including shipping, about $3,000 more than a V-8 powered Silverado with the same size engine and same trim. The Silverado Hybrid and the more upscale Sierra Hybrid were launched in late 2004. They were GM's first gasoline-electric hybrids. But neither truck received much promotion, and sales were slow.
The total production run of both trucks was about 3,000, according to GM. There are a few unsold models of both trucks in dealer inventory, said Chevrolet spokesman Brian Gobel. Production ended in December.
Neither truck generated much buzz, mostly because the hybrid system didn't drive the vehicle on electric power alone. The fuel economy increase of 2 mpg compared with a standard Silverado or Sierra was not dramatic enough to captivate buyers the way the Toyota Prius did.
But the trucks did offer several unique features, including an onboard 2,400-watt generator and four 120-volt outlets. They also gave GM bragging rights about having the most fuel-efficient V-8-powered full-sized pickup.
In idle mode, the trucks could generate enough electricity to power a house. GM officials had hoped the hybrid Silverado and Sierra would find a market with construction workers, campers and others who needed electricity in remote places.
To qualify as a hybrid, something needs to be combined. Not getting any propulsion power whatsoever from an electric motor meant it never met the criteria.
It was disingenously labeled, a vehicle serving as a great example of "greenwashing".
Thank goodness it is being discontinued.
JOHN
Overall gas mileage in the GMC hybrid PU truck 19.56 MPG. High tank from Cortez Colorado to Page Arizona 21.79 MPG. Low mileage was while in Albuquerque 17.57 MPG, 161 miles city driving.
Conclusion: I do not think the hybrid system makes any difference in mileage on the highway. I think the 5.3L GM engine is the best compromise for a vehicle of this size. By surpassing the EPA rating (pre 2008) it proved to me, if you do not make fast starts and cruise at comfortable speed you can get the rated mileage. Also the CA designer gas is lousy for mileage. Shell outside CA yielding the best mileage. Looks like this tank of CA Shell will be the lowest mileage of the trip when I fill up next time. The computer says 18.3 MPG. It is usually .5 MPG lower than calculated. I expect the last leg to be about 18.8 MPG.
I have a 2004 GMC Sierra 4x4 Hybrid with 39,000 miles. The truck just died on me the other day. Went to start it one morning and it wouldn't turn over.
Towed it to a GMC dealer with a tech. qualified to work on it and they are saying one of the hybrid batteries is dead and the other two show a low charge. Current estimate is 3 to 5 days for a new battery to arrive.
Also, initially the dealership was saying that the battery is NOT covered under warranty. Everything I have says GM is covering ALL the hybrid components for 8yrs/100,000 miles - this includes the batteries.
The dealership says this sounds right to them and that they were just going off what the tech. had said in regards to the warranty.
I'm curious to see what experiences others may have had.