SONATA GLS BEATS HYBRID IN MPGs
....I decided to test it against the base Sonata GLS, without any hybrid technology. I got one of my fellow jurors to drive the hybrid while I drove the base car, and we took them both out on a 15-mile loop, with me following him, so that we drove the same roads at the same speeds. Get this, the hybrid averaged 33.3 miles per gallon, while the base car got 37.2 mpg, nearly 4 miles to the gallon better. I think Hyundai has got some work to do on its hybrid, and this also shows just how good the base car is.
That is like the time that Top Gear took an M3 (M5? I am not going to look it up, but I recall watching the episode), and an economy car around their test track. The economy car was in the lead, and was doing what they could to make the best time possible. The BMW followed the economy car.
Final result - the BMW had far, far better gas milage than the economy car. Why? Because the economy car was being pushed hard, which for a BMW M series, is like idling along a straight street. In the end, it was interesting, but pointless.
As the comparison above may have been - no doubt the route kept the hybrid's gas engine running steady, maybe even being pushed, while the 2.4L engine was loafing along.
Which only goes to prove that you should understand how and where you will be driving a car before deciding which type of car will word best for you. Beyond that, only good for enterainment value.....