Review and photos by Steven Bochenek
From June 4 to 6, a contingent of writers accredited by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) will take turns driving twenty-one arguably green vehicles between Ottawa and Montreal.
Each day, the most eco-conscious driver who attains the best fuel economy stats will win an Eco Green Jersey. (Most of these writers have taken racing lessons – many have raced. We’re like reformed sinners preaching to the congregation.)
A 200-km journey, you could walk the Eco-Run in as much time, so you’re right in assuming that there will be several stops along the way.
Indeed the route won’t be as the goose flies, or typical Canadian drives. We’ll stay north of the Ottawa River until the Thursday, when we descend from Terrebonne (that means lovely Earth, a good sentiment) to Montreal. The event will stop along the way for press conferences, stunts and rest stops.
The following are the vehicles we’ll be driving. Any that I’ve driven include prior driving impressions. Furthermore, you can read the impressions of each that I sample during Eco-Run each evening, June 2–4.
Chevrolet Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel
Forget what you thought about diesel. Like South Africa, it’s far from the villain it once was and lots of your friends are going there. Clean diesels emit less than 10 percent of the amount of nitrogen oxide (NOx) and particulate as earlier (dirty) diesels. GM inserted a 2.0L turbo-diesel engine in this, their most popular sedan. The result, according to GM, is Canada’s best highway fuel consumption for “any non-hybrid passenger car.”
  Chevrolet Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel & Ford C-Max Hybrid. Click image to enlarge |
Chevrolet Volt
The Volt offers the benefits of an electric vehicle (EV) but has a greater range than most. Its claims to fame include being the world’s bestselling ‘EV’ and the only one that adapts to all of Canada’s climates. Plus last year it outsold all other EVs and plug-ins in Canada combined.
I drove the prototype two years ago and liked it enough. It handles fairly well and there’s plenty of insta-torque, although the price would be a barrier for many of us, starting at $42,000. Hybrids have come down in price much faster than electric vehicles (EVs).
Ford C-Max Hybrid
Ford took a while to get to the hybrid (gasoline engine and battery-driven electric motor) party but didn’t come empty handed. The C-Max Hybrid claims a top speed of 100 km/h in EV mode and 195 net horsepower. The spirit of Eco-Run discourages us from testing such claims, preferring us to economize and glide. At least that way we can test its fuel economy claim of 4.0 L/100 km city, 4.1 L/100 km highway and 4.0 L/100 km combined.
The C- Max was at last year’s AJAC TestFest, which I attended along with several writers here at Autos.ca. TestFest is a four-day suite of half-hour drives – dozens of them – so not all individual tests leave lasting impressions. I kept my score sheets though. It got good marks for drivetrain and comfort, and average for the quality of its materials, though its victory in our Hybrid Car Gridlock Torture Comparison Test shows that it fulfills its purpose admirably.
Ford Focus Electric
Only just being released on the market, all this EV’s stats are still ‘expected’. They include superb expected fuel economy of 1.7 litres-equivalent/100 km in the city and 2.0Le/100 km on the highway. It’s expected to have a range of 160 km on a full charge and require no more than four hours to fuel up with a 240-volt charging station.
As with its Ford sister C-Max, I liked it a lot during a 20-minute encounter at TestFest last year. The price seemed a bit high against its only competitor, but it won the category for City Car.
Ford Fusion Energi
It offers 4.5 L/100 km in hybrid mode, then 1.9 Le/100 KM in combined EV and gas mode. Like many hybrids, you can go short distances strictly on electric power but can also plug in and juice up from a 120-volt outlet. Then, fully charged, it puts out 195 hp. SmartGauge, a feature in the instrument panel, provides tutorials on greener driving.
All three Ford offerings are complemented by MyFord Mobile. It’s a smartphone app that coaches greener driving habits, ideally enlightening you and lightening the load on your wallet.
Honda Accord Plug-in Hybrid
Built on the new Accord platform, this PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) claims to earn the highest EPA MPGe rating in its class (115 MPGe). In metric that’s an impressively low 2.06 L/100km. It’s not yet available in Canada.
Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
This is Hyundai’s first venture into the hybrid world. They’ve upgraded it significantly from the 2012 model, increasing the lithium polymer battery output to 47kW while shrinking its weight by 2.1kg and size by 40L. They also increased the electric motor’s output 5kW more to 35. Its stats: city 5.5L/100km, highway 4.9L/100km, combined 5.2L/100km.
I recently tested this car and found the experience behind the wheel didn’t quite live up to the thrilling looks. It was more a fault of that outer design, like finally dating your dream girl/boy/whatever and discovering they’re just normal. However, you can’t argue with the price and the goodies included.
    Ford Fusion Energi, Honda Accord Plug-in Hybrid, Hyundai Sonata Hybrid & Lexus ES 300h. Click image to enlarge |
2013 Infiniti M35h
This is another major manufacturer’s first hybrid, so its appearance at Eco-Run is sensible. It pairs a 3.5L six-cylinder engine with a lithium-ion battery and 50-kw electric motor. The output is a hammering 360 net hp and 258 lb-ft of torque – you could outrun a global-warming inspired tsunami – producing combined fuel efficiency of 6.9 L/100 km. At last year’s Eco-Run, the luxury brands and powerful cars were glommed onto by the gearheads. Still I’ll push for an opportunity to test it.
Kia Rio LX+ Eco (AT)
Its ‘Idle Stop and Go’ (ISG) technology turns the engine off automatically when you stop. When you release the brake pedal, it starts again. I recently tested the 2013 Kia Rio but not this trim. Also, my wife and daughters drive an old but dependable Rio, so I’m looking forward to testing this one.
You’ll see stop/start technology among several of these Eco-Run cars. It’s a great idea. Imagine the possibilities for drivers who commute in busy suburbs where a stoplight takes up to four minutes.
Lexus ES 300h
The last time I drove a Lexus hybrid was January 2010. I took the RX450h, an SUV, on a 1,000-km trek through -30 degree weather in Vermont and it performed spectacularly. Yes, this is a completely different model and year but I’m still looking forward to trying this entry-level luxury sedan. It puts out 200 hp and reports 4.8 L/100 km combined fuel economy.
Mazda CX-5
This was the manufacturer’s first offer to include all the Mazda Skyactiv Technologies. ¿¿Qué?? No, Skyactiv isn’t a James Bond movie, it’s a holistic approach that looks at the entire car for greener pastures, from aerodynamics to weight and everything in between, rather than just focusing on specific engine or transmission functions. Without resorting to premium gas, the CX-5 claims the best highway fuel economy of all SUVs sold in Canada, 5.7 L/100 km.
It was at TestFest last year. It’s comfortable, easily accessible and has an impressive drivetrain, scoring well among its competitors on the day.
Mazda3 Skyactiv
It has a Skyactiv-G engine that produces higher torque at low- and mid-range engine speeds for better day-to-day driving with less fuel consumption. It gets 7.1, 4.9 and 6.1 L/100 km in city, highway and combined ratings.
At TestFest it received good marks all around, which makes sense because it won Best New Small Car (under $21,000). It handles better than it looks – no, that’s not a slag against its looks – punching above its class for cornering. At this price point, I’ve always liked Mazda3s, especially the ‘Sport’ hatchback.
2014 Mazda6
This is Mazda’s all-new flagship sedan, featuring plenty of new technology with some great names. As part of the whole Skyactiv suite, there’s their new Skyactiv -G 2.5L I4 engine – and i-ELOOP, which may sound like a Lithuanian dance but is actually their capacitor-based brake energy regeneration system.
    Mazda3 Skyactiv, Mercedes-Benz B 250, Mercedes-Benz GLK 250 Bluetec & Porsche Cayenne Diesel. Click image to enlarge |
Mercedes-Benz B 250
Hello, efficiency. Its turbo-charged four-cylinder engine emits 208 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. Plus it has start/stop functionality as a standard offering.
Mercedes-Benz GLK 250 Bluetec
The first diesel in its class, this sport ute publishes stats of 5.9/8.3/7.2 L/100 km, city/ highway/combined with an engine that puts out 200 hp and 359 lb-ft of torque. I’ve driven the GLK 350, whose bendability in the corners is truly impressive from so high up — but it wasn’t this new diesel. I look forward to experiencing the difference. Chances are 20 other writers do too.
Mitsubishi i-MiEV
It’s tiny, very quiet and at $33,998, the least expensive four-passenger EV available. It was among the many cars we drove at TestFest last year but stood out for me because of its uniqueness. Yes, it seats four but not much of their stuff. Not that they’ll likely be carrying much because it only travels up to 155 km on one charge. No other electric vehicle in Canada offers a DC quick-charger port as standard equipment. We tested those, too, and they stood up well to the constant errors that the uninformed will come up with.
Porsche Cayenne Diesel
Here’s to saving the planet six cylinders, 240 horses and 408 lb-ft of torque at a time! Its Transport Canada highway fuel economy rating is an impressive 6.7 L/100 km considering all that power. At the end of each Eco-Run day, it’ll be interesting to check whether the Green Jersey winner spent any time in it.
Ram 1500 HFE
Actually those initials stand for High Fuel Efficiency, not Holy Friggin’ Expletive-deleted, what’s that doing here? Each Eco-Run vehicle has a story. This pickup’s reasons include segment firsts like a stop-start system – eminently sensible for big engines – plus air suspension and an eight-speed transmission for better efficiency. Its highway efficiency: 7.8 L/100 km.
Smart Fortwo Electric Drive
It boots it: 0 to 60 km/h in 4.8 seconds, and attains up to 125 km/h. Fully charged, it has a range of 138 km. Technically speaking it can charge from your wall outlet, but even with a specially installed 220-volt outlet it takes 3.5 hours to juice up from 20 to 80 percent. Much, much longer if you drained it completely. Speaking of which …
At last year’s inaugural Eco-Run, I was the one who followed at least four other auto writers the wrong way for the two-day event’s final leg. There were at least another two Eco-Runners behind me – altogether, a significant mess of professional auto writers blindly following the lead foot – and it was nearly a half hour before I and a couple of others pulled over and checked the directions. This boneheaded detour turned a 40-something km trip to over 90! However, I was the only one driving a two-thirds out-of-juice EV! The trip’s official photographer was with me when the smart electric drive sputtered and went to sleep on a lonely hill 25 km from our destination while the diesel and hybrid drivers puttered onwards to the pre-arranged final press conference. The winds were high and the nearby farmer’s fields had clearly been sown with silage within the past day or two.
But I really like tiny EVs and, this year, look forward to testing the smart again – and its GPS.
Subaru Forester
This CUV was launched this year amid the primordial forest of Vancouver Island. Its Lineartronic continuously variable transmission comes with paddle shifters in manual mode to encourage more efficient driving. It claims best-in-class all-wheel-drive highway fuel economy of 6.2 L/100 km.
Toyota Prius v
It’s the Prius with the most space for passengers and their belongings. Featuring the third generation Hybrid Synergy Drive system, it reaps the benefits of years of learning, including engine start/stop and an 8.6 percent improvement in fuel consumption from exhaust heat recovery. With combined fuel economy stats of 4.5 L/100 km, it’s won the ecoENERGY award for the most fuel-efficient station wagon for two years running.
    Smart Fortwo Electric Drive, Subaru Forester, Toyota Prius v & Volkswagen Jetta Turbocharged Hybrid. Click image to enlarge |
Volkswagen Jetta Turbocharged Hybrid
This last Eco-Runner blends a turbocharged engine that achieves 150 hp with an electric motor and seven-speed transmission. Volkswagen modified the Jetta design for ten percent less drag. Coasting at highway speeds it disengages the gas engine. And like several other featured Eco-Run cars has stop/start technology built in. Its city driving stats are 4.5 L/100 km while combined highway and city are 4.4.
Check the Dates
If you’re a race fan (or read this article’s summary) you’ll know the event culminates on the eve of the Grand Prix weekend. It’s a time when already decadent Montreal cruises into overdrive, drowning out any earnest, hand-wringing tree-huggers beneath the earsplitting whine of Formula 1 engines bouncing off all corners of the city. I’ll be there, hopefully wearing the Eco-Run Green Jersey.
Day 1 Impressions
Eco-Run’s raison d’etre is twofold: 1) to show consumers considering a new car the latest advances in fuel efficient vehicles of all sizes and snack brackets 2) for the rest of us who aren’t buying, to demonstrate how to drive your current vehicle more efficiently.
Number 2 is the catalyst behind the Green Jersey competition which, daily, awards the driver who demonstrated the greatest efficiency. (Specially installed devices read and interpret our braking and acceleration.) Today, the launch of Eco-Run, it was awarded twice however. Joe Oliver, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, attended our kick-off ceremony and gave one ceremonially to the driver who made the most efficient trip from our hotel 10km away to his office. The winner was in front of me on much of the ride and he purposely drove 20km beneath the 80km speed limit during much of the trip, slowing the single lane for a score of frustrated commuters behind us. Perhaps such tactics are more fuel–efficient but in the real world they’re bound win you plenty of unwanted attention from fellow drivers — even police if you stringently don’t let others pass.
Each driver gets two cars each day. Here are my impressions of today’s rides.
Lexus ES 300h
   Lexus ES 300h – AJAC Eco-Run. Click image to enlarge |
What I liked: pretty much everything. It’s nimble on its toes, with laser sharp steering. The buttery bright leather doesn’t soak up the sun, decreasing the need for A/C and just looks sexier than predictable black. The three driving modes, Eco, Normal and Sport each present a different car. To return to normal you need to depress the dial. This is brilliant because you can flip back and forth, in busy or open traffic, between the two extremes. You can instantly seize opportunities when you need to and maximize mileage when things are smooth.
Complaints: 1) The point and click infotainment master control will take anyone a while to get used to. If you click in the wrong spot, it doesn’t forgive you easily. 2) I had to immediately accept that I wouldn’t be winning the Green Jersey today. Sure I switched the transmission to hand-shifting to lessen the need for braking but how could I avoid the temptation to rev now and again (and again) in Sport mode. Ottawa’s a stressful place!
What’s most interesting: how it delivers 4.8 L/100km when it’s so sportily tuned.
Chevrolet Volt
   Chevrolet Volt – AJAC Eco-Run. Click image to enlarge |
What I liked: Well, outside it’s gorgeous, especially from the back. Yet within it doesn’t disappoint. There’s charming symmetry of design from any passenger’s point of view. The materials used were quality and well assembled. The long hatchback — Prius-esque in its extended gentle slope — allows plenty of light to flood in, despite that there’s no sunroof. You can fold the two back seats down to maximize space. The sporty driver’s seat was very comfortable, though the front seats aren’t electric (save the juice for something that matters) it molded to my peculiar scoliosis in seconds. The drive flew by, despite a cruise control set — realistically! — at 99 km/h.
Complaints: 1) Some of the GM infotainment and comfort controls get flashy and aren’t intuitive. 2) After a morning in the Lexus, it felt less agile, though it’s a good tight car. 3) Starting at $42,000, it is still very expensive. Other green cars have come way down in price.
What’s most interesting: Not really a hybrid, the Volt is an electric car, which extends its limited range by using a small onboard gasoline engine to generate more juice. I completed a 98-km drive on 1.1L of gas.
Day 2 update
Sorry, WHO did you say won?
So I’m eating green humble pie. It turns out that, yesterday, I was the most environmentally conscious driver on the trek from the Chateau Laurier beside the Houses of Parliament (your country’s seat of government) to the Chateau Montebello in Quebec. When the news came out this morning a lot of people were surprised. (Some have lost faith and are threatening to leave the church.) The honour was for my gentle use of the Chevrolet Volt. The interesting thing is, I didn’t low-ball it. I exploited the cruise control at the legal speed limit and made the most of the space between the Volt and the driver in front.
The chances of a repeat range from poor to shut-up. I got lost in the morning and was running late for a press event near Mirabel airport. Suddenly Mr. Green Jeans turned into M. Piedlourde.
Mazda6 SkyActiv
What I liked: Another gorgeous winner of a sedan. Car and Driver magazine recently rated it above the Honda Accord, which it’s held in high esteem since before esteem was ever mentioned in car reviews. The quality of the materials is first rate. The sport transmission allows for shifting with paddles or the knob. Choice: what a concept! Cruise control is easy to exploit for greenie points. There’s plenty of room for four and a half people. The engine is plenty responsive, though I lost any green credibility trying to whip through start-and-stop suburbia to our destination. I was coming in at 5.1L/100km but finished my drive at 6.4. The lesson? Leave early or pay more and produce more waste.
Complaints: Black leather attracts the sun and dirt, making it expensive to cool and a pain to keep attractive. The steering was slightly flaccid for such a sporty looking car.
What’s (al)most interesting: 1) The back seats are released with a lever in the trunk. Fun. 2) There’s a clever feature I’ve never seen before. Small plastic fasteners are attached to the top of the rear seats. When they’re being raised, you slip the seat belt into them so they don’t get in the latch. Veteran AJAC member Gerry Molloy says he hasn’t seen such a feature in cars since the ‘70s. He figured it probably went away because someone ‘was trying to pinch a few pennies’. Sure it’s not a huge deal but on a cold winter’s morning when you’re running late and have a child to install, a few pennies’ worth of plastic would become dearly valuable.
Kia Rio LX+ ECO
What I like: It was a very brief drive of 16 km through suburban Montreal (well, Laval actually) but felt nothing like my wife’s 2008 Kia Rio. Low to the ground and sporty, this huggable hatchback is so much sexier, holding its own among much more expensive cars here on show.
Complaints: the black cloth seats would attract heat, are already showing off mud and are a pain to clean. Even after two days of Eco-Run, a three-day event, it was beginning to take on some man smell. If you have a dog or teenage boys, upgrade.
What’s most interesting: Three cheers for the Idle Stop and Go technology. It shuts down the engine when the car stops — no, not when you turn off the ignition, but when you simply stop. Then it restarts when you release the brake pedal. You have to look and listen for it to notice it. Early hybrids were more noticeable. The construction-riddled traffic distracted me, so it simply wasn’t noticeable.
Day 3 Eco-Run: Final Ride
Today, the AJAC Eco-Run was brief. Each writer was assigned a final car to drive, which we took 30 km into Montreal from northern Laval. My ride?
Mitsubishi i-MiEV
   Mitsubishi i-MiEV – AJAC Eco-Run. Click image to enlarge |
What I like: 1) After sleek rides from Lexus and Mazda sexying up the green experience, it was refreshing to be in something unabashedly goofy looking. 2) The long wheelbase means room for four in a car that looks like it may not survive a fight with a Bixi Bike. 3) Those distanced wheels, positioned on the corners of the car like that, also provide a very stable experience in turns and on sudden u-turns (of which we stole two when the directions weren’t clear and the clock was ticking). 3) The u-turns were only possible courtesy of the miniscule turning circle. 4) There’s not much horsepower but plenty of torque. We were on Montreal’s never-dull Autoroute Décarie and fit in wherever we needed to, whenever we needed to — even in the sluggish Eco mode, something necessary for Green Jersey contention. 5) The name is a ballsy acronym, standing for Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicle.
 Mitsubishi i-MiEV – AJAC Eco-Run. Click image to enlarge |
Complaints: 1) I felt the bumps. This is built for city streets and can do over 120 km/h, but it doesn’t love city potholes at that speed. 2) There’s no cruise control; of course you’ll never take this out on the highway for serious distances and nobody uses those on trips to the grocery store — but there’s no other way to win the vaunted Green Jersey. 3) The mirrors were hard to adjust to. I doubt that I’m the first to find that, given that it comes with a reverse-view camera when you could almost reach out behind and feel the obstacles there.
What’s most interesting: The designers were able to adapt the i-MiEV from an existing gasoline-powered car that had already proven its mettle on the city streets of Japan. So the car was partially complete before they’d even started. That’s partially how (and how quickly) they were able to produce Canada’s least expensive four-seat EV.
