Hybrid for long distance vacation trip?

[tngreg]

Hello all!
Finally got a chance to drive a Maverick this weekend and liked it.
Question before I order...for those in the know on the hybrid power plant. We are hoping to give wife's Outback a break from family of (3) trips to Florida. Will the hybrid be ok to drive on long distance trips say...8 to 11 hour trips?
Sorry to sound ignorant, but I've no previous experience with this system...

Really excited about this vehicle, checks all the boxes for me as a daily.
Thanks all in advance...

Sponsored

 

[JASmith]

Not a problem.

 

[Jakb]

Totally fine. I've done many cross country trips in hybrids and they do fine.

The worst that can happen is you aren't generating much power so you run on the ICE the whole time.
The mpg will drop on long flat stretches of highway, but that's it. Rolling hills are where the hybrid can shine and some road trips are full of em.

If you really want to annoy your family look up hypermilling.

 

[NewBernWolf]

Absolutely. We've made many long trips in a hybrid, including all interstate driving from eastern NC to Louisville, KY (700 miles each way), plus a 3 week roundtrip from eastern NC to Acadia in Maine, to Niagara Falls, Ontario to Adirondack National Park, back to NC in a hybrid. It's just a car. It'll go wherever as long as you're driving on actual roads. You'll love not having to gas it up very often.

 

[MLowe05]

Upgrade to Lariat Luxury package for the ADAS systems (lane centering, adaptive cruise) and it will be an excellent road trip companion.

 

[BILLNOROVILLE]

Wife and I are heading up to Yakima, WA non-stop (except gas and other breaks) then back along the coast then inland. A 4 day trip in our 2016 Prius hybrid that now has 58k miles now. I think we'll get about 47 mpg on the trip. I roll with the traffic so 65-75 usually. It will be packed with bags. Estimate this trip to be 13-1400 miles.

 

[vabchusa]

I just finished a 8009 mile trip from Va to Wa, down to Salt lake, El Paso and back to Va in my 2015 Ford Cmax Se Hybrid with 160000 miles on it. First 1500 miles I was towing my hovercraft (about 750 lbs) to Ia and averaged 40.9 MPG for the whole trip. Drove at hwy speeds of 65-80 in over 100 degree temps most of the time with the ac blowing cold the whole time. Pleasant trip overall.

 

[CZaugg]

Hello all!
Finally got a chance to drive a Maverick this weekend and liked it.
Question before I order...for those in the know on the hybrid power plant. We are hoping to give wife's Outback a break from family of (3) trips to Florida. Will the hybrid be ok to drive on long distance trips say...8 to 11 hour trips?
Sorry to sound ignorant, but I've no previous experience with this system...

Really excited about this vehicle, checks all the boxes for me as a daily.
Thanks all in advance...

The first of the year I bought the new 2021 Toyota Venza Hybrid. I just got back from a trip to Utah, northern and central California, Arizona and back home to New Mexico. Several thousand miles. Many of the freeways were speed limits of 75 -80 mph. I usually cruise about 5 over the speed limit. The Venza performed admirably. Plenty of pick up and go and no problem going up steep grades. The hybrid actually does a better job on fuel efficiency in city driving. City driving I average 43 mpg. On this trip I just got back from I averaged 38 mpg. This is my first experience with the hybrid and the transmission it comes with. I LOVE the performance of my hybrid vehicle. More than enough power for mountain grades, passing and merging. Don’t tell Smokey Bear (state trooper) but one day on a two lane highway I needed to get out and move quickly to pass a slow moving big rig (length is long of course). Peddle to the metal and as I was moving back into my lane I looked down at my speedometer and was going 95 mph with power to spare. I have a sports mode and only used it once and that was on my test drive before buying. Even without using sport mode I had plenty of power. For this reason, I’m sold on the hybrid and getting rid of my diesel guzzling Silverado 2500HD and down sizing to a Maverick XLT. I don’t need the beast (Silverado) any more. I do need a pickup for trips to Lowe’s, Home Depot and the nursery. By the way, my first experience with this kind of transmission too. I love it! You can’t feel it shift. Very smooth. Enjoy your trip.

 

[Bushpilot]

Wife and I are heading up to Yakima, WA non-stop (except gas and other breaks) then back along the coast then inland. A 4 day trip in our 2016 Prius hybrid that now has 58k miles now. I think we'll get about 47 mpg on the trip. I roll with the traffic so 65-75 usually. It will be packed with bags. Estimate this trip to be 13-1400 miles.

Sorry to hear about that Yakima thing ... otherwise sounds nice!

 

[Bushpilot]

Of course, take it as far as you want.

I am planning to take mine on a road trip to Alaska next summer. Assuming I actually have it by then ...

 

[Cactus_Kid]

Totally fine. I've done many cross country trips in hybrids and they do fine.

The worst that can happen is you aren't generating much power so you run on the ICE the whole time.
The mpg will drop on long flat stretches of highway, but that's it. Rolling hills are where the hybrid can shine and some road trips are full of em.

If you really want to annoy your family look up hypermiling.

I do that in my 5.0. I set the cruise at 68 and stay in the right lane. I get excellent fuel milage that way. I've actually had a trooper as if I was ok. He'd followed me into a rest area in west TX.

 

[bringjustn]

Absolutely no issues with road trips in hybrids. it's not like a full electric where you have to figure out charging time and distances for how long your trip is going to be

I just finished a 8009 mile trip from Va to Wa, down to Salt lake, El Paso and back to Va in my 2015 Ford Cmax Se Hybrid with 160000 miles on it. First 1500 miles I was towing my hovercraft (about 750 lbs) to Ia and averaged 40.9 MPG for the whole trip. Drove at hwy speeds of 65-80 in over 100 degree temps most of the time with the ac blowing cold the whole time. Pleasant trip overall.

Is every one just skipping the casual "I was towing my hovercraft" line from vabchusa? Awesome flex

 

[Hack]

Hello all!
Finally got a chance to drive a Maverick this weekend and liked it.
Question before I order...for those in the know on the hybrid power plant. We are hoping to give wife's Outback a break from family of (3) trips to Florida. Will the hybrid be ok to drive on long distance trips say...8 to 11 hour trips?
Sorry to sound ignorant, but I've no previous experience with this system...

Really excited about this vehicle, checks all the boxes for me as a daily.
Thanks all in advance...

If the seats are comfortable, you should be good.

 

[clavicus]

Totally fine. I've done many cross country trips in hybrids and they do fine.

The worst that can happen is you aren't generating much power so you run on the ICE the whole time.
The mpg will drop on long flat stretches of highway, but that's it. Rolling hills are where the hybrid can shine and some road trips are full of em.

If you really want to annoy your family look up hypermilling.

This part don’t make no sense. Hills don’t magically help mpg (all else being equal e.g. driving speed)

 

[fbov]

This part don’t make no sense. Hills don’t magically help mpg (all else being equal e.g. driving speed)

That's just it... speeds need to change if you want to drive efficiently.

Uphill driving adds load to the ICE and downhill extends EV glides. I will accelerate up gentle hills, so I crest with both speed and high HVB charge levels for a longer run without using fuel. I will slow down up steep hills, preferring to find an efficient engine run point for the climb. Steep downhills are great if you know they're coming, so you enter slow and maintain safe speed with regen braking drag.

Flat terrains are different. I try to keep ICE running so HVB fills up, and ICE no longer has charging load. Instantaneous mileage soars to 50-60 mpg... without depleting the HVB, so a gentle crest can become a long EV glide. This is a very sophisticated drivetrain!

Sponsored