Progress crept up unnoticed: for seven years now, no one has raised an eyebrow at the word “hybrid”, and in the Belarusian car market you can find more than a dozen models equipped with both internal combustion engines and an electric motor. On the one hand, they are afraid of the high complexity of the design, possible problems with batteries and questionable endurance. However, hybrid vehicles are touted as less voracious than conventional vehicles and are no longer a novelty on our roads. Many of them were brought to us in 2011-2014 from Europe and the USA, and after traveling for several years, they sell them.
There are hybrid, and other brands - the race for fuel economy is captivating more and more motorists. They say that the hybrid "Japanese" themselves are reliable if they are serviced correctly and in a timely manner. But the acquisition of used A hybrid is still akin to playing the lottery. Today, using specific examples and together with the experts of the Selectcar car selection company, we will check the condition and why hybrids are sold.
Our selection includes models not older than 2008. The first mass-produced hybrid car is considered. The model appeared on the Japanese market in 1997, and a few years later it began to be sold in the United States. The car is not cheap, but has gained popularity among Belarusians. The owner approached the sale of this instance of 2010 responsibly, and even shot a video to confirm the ideal condition of the Hybrid Synergy Drive system and the battery in particular.
The car arrived at the end of December 2014 from Poland. The body in the factory paintwork, only the bumpers and the left fender were painted, the roof was in black film. Salon in model cases made of eco-leather. They also give two sets of wheels with almost new tires. The only caveat is a broken piece of the rear-view mirror on the inside. But recently the owner made spacers, which is why the car rose 2 cm in front and 2.5 in the back. “This is the best solution forPrius ZVW30without sacrificing handling. At the same time, the bumper does not cling to the curbs,— says the seller about the reverent attitude to the car.
According to the man, her consumption is as follows: in winter, Prius consumes 5.3 liters of AI-95, and in summer it decreases by almost a liter. “I refuel for 40 rubles and drive 750-800 km around the city”, he gives a personal example. The car was serviced at its own service station. The battery is in order for a run of 200 thousand km. “As far as I know, she is for the whole term, inPrius30 had no problems with them. Therefore, the car costs a lot of money, since the hybrid installation is reliable, there is nothing to complain about, the problem used to be only with inverters, but it has already been solved, ” the owner adds.
The hybrid specialist also has no complaints, so his comment is concise and short: “As for the body, that technically the car is really in good condition. Toyota hybrid systemRworks flawlessly. UnlikeCivicandinsight, the Prius is a full hybrid capable of shutting off the engine and driving fully electric inEco. Plus, the Toyota system is considered reliable and provides economical consumption..
"Delighted with the car", - the owner of the car, who owns the hybrid for a little over a year, says goodbye. The reason for the sale certainly does not lie in the problems and malfunctions. Based on our inspection, the car is indeed in excellent condition. Another thing is that not everyone is ready to pay $ 13,800 for a progressive hatchback, and the owner will not bargain much. Market average prices for a Prius this year range from $10,850 to $17,000.
The most affordable hybrid car in our review is a direct competitor to the Toyota Prius, but appeared much later - Hybrid. It has been produced since 2008, and its prices are much more attractive than those of its rival. See for yourself: a 2010 Civic is asking for $7.5 thousand. The hybrid is presented as a well-groomed and neat car, from which dust particles were literally blown away. They write that they wash and vacuum the car almost twice a week, there is a whole set of “smells” in the cabin, but it did not seem as clean as it was emphasized in the ad.
Of the nuances, one can name a broken “foglight”, a scratched front bumper, a worn rear one too, fogging of the rear lights due to loss of tightness and moisture ingress. The expert checked the body with a thickness gauge and found a painted and putty front left fender, curved gaps with a bumper, the rear left door, roof and hood were also painted. According to the owner, the most problematic places, including the hood, headlights, rear arches at the end of the rear fender near the door, under the door handles and on the thresholds, are pasted over with a protective film.
Honda is a trouble-free car, but there is important point. The battery life is one hundred and fifty thousand, and this is quite small. In this instance, the mileage has already stepped over the mark of 200 thousand km. You can, of course, extend the life of the battery for a year, but then it still needs to be replaced.
This instance has a very weak battery, the IMA error lights up. You can drive for a while. The owner has already equalized the voltage on the elements at the masters in the garage service, having paid 240 rubles. There, the battery was completely discharged, and then fully charged, this is called pumping the battery. True, depending on its novelty, such an operation should be carried out once every six months or a year.
This only applies to Honda nickel-metal hydride batteries, while Toyota has no battery problems at all. Finding a used battery is problematic, and the cost of a new battery fluctuates around 2 thousand euros, which will significantly hit the budget of a car enthusiast who is not ready for such expenses. The owner himself does not make a problem out of this, arguing that from time to time you can do a “pumping”.
Despite the weak battery, he does not intend to bargain - from $ 7.5 thousand is a symbolic "hundred" of dollars. “Even if the battery is replaced under warranty, it is not a fact that the engine error will not light up again in a year. At 160 thousand km, I tried to write to Poland, but there was no answer. Initially, it was sold for 8300 USD, so I already dropped it to the average market price, ”- opposes the seller who sells the hybrid, because outside the city the low ground clearance creates inconvenience.
The expert's verdict is not so optimistic: “There are errors in the air conditioner, but the saddest thing is a serious decrease in battery capacity, as a result of which an error breaks through the Honda systemIMA. The owner tried the budget version of "pumping" the battery, but it is already very worn out and does not gain the required amount of charge. This is fraught with the fact that the essence of the hybrid, which is bought to save fuel, is gradually lost. Ideally, you need to replace the battery, but this is very expensive. In addition, while driving in the pits, the suspension knocks at the rear and front - perhaps the shock absorbers are asking for a replacement. And as we can see, there is no bargaining for the car at all”.
The top three among hybrids closes, which appeared on the American market in 1999. Unlike the Prius, the Insight looked like a true hybrid and was designed to minimize fuel consumption and fuel levels. harmful emissions in atmosphere. The 2009 copy we chose with a 1.3-liter gasoline unit and an IMA installation was brought from Germany, and is now being sold because of the desire to transfer to another car.
When the device shows the color of the front left wing, the owner of the car climbs into the trunk for a personal thickness gauge and sincerely worries, being sure before our arrival that the body is in “kindred”. Full processing "anticorrosive". Of the minuses, a crack in the front bumper and a chip in the rear.
The car was serviced in a timely manner, now the mileage is 150 thousand km, and 20 thousand ago they did a big MOT. The average consumption is 5.8 liters. Since Honda does not require investments, and in addition two sets of new tires and an original bike rack are offered, the discount on the car does not exceed 300 USD. from the declared $8600. “If there is no bicycle, then I will give in a little. Do you know how much a fuel filter costs here? 150 rubles! And in the summer I drove it almost to Sicily ”, — the man praises the Japanese hybrid.
The expert speaks positively about Insight: “ The body is "live", there are no complaints about the engine and the variator. According to the results of computer diagnostics, there were minor errors inABSand a light sensor, since the owner put an additional unit on running lights. ByIMAThere are no questions, which means that the battery is in good condition.
Another Honda in the face of the model shown in 2010 at the Detroit Auto Show. There, a one and a half liter engine is paired with an electric unit built according to the IMA principle, which produces 13 or 20 horsepower, depending on the condition of the battery. The price tag on a coupe made in 2010, which arrived from France 5 years ago, is 9500 USD.
According to the owner, the average consumption in the city is 7.5 liters. “In this model, the hybrid installation is not for savings, but instead of a turbine: from the point of view of acceleration dynamics, the effect is more noticeable than saving liters,” the man explains. Interested in CR-Z on the "mechanics" once a month, not more often.
After a test drive of the model, the autopicker shares his impression: “Actually an interesting and high-spirited car. On the body painted and putty front left fender, rear arch, the entire front — the hood and fenders. We can say that almost completely it was repainted. Salon needs cleaning. There are errors inABS, EPS, outside temperature sensor. There are no errors on batteries. The exclusivity of the model is that it is a hybrid version with a manual gearbox. For the price, the seller is ready to give up $ 500 and give the summer kit for casting..
Our review concludes with the 450h rear-wheel drive hybrid sedan. Business class, fuel consumption is about 12-13 liters, the car is very attractive. But GS have been produced since 2006, and at the moment the batteries of the cars of the first years of production have worked out their resource. For this copy of 2008, they ask for $ 16,900 (bargaining - 200-400 USD).
Initially, it was brought from America, but they are selling it, because the car has become unnecessary, with two children it is already crowded.
“The car is painted, and very poor quality. Repainted right rear fender with the transition to the rack, driver's door, hood. On the trunk lid, the varnish blew up in bubbles, the paint on the bumper also bursts, "beetles" climbed along the edge of the hood. The whole body is scratched, and the external condition raises a reasonable question: what justifies the inflated price? Probably because it is a hybrid of the brandLexus. You can’t call it economical (under the hood there is a 3.5-liter engine), the help of the electric motor in this regard is not very significant, ”- sums up the specialist, but the mentioned nuances do not bother the owner of the car, initially they wanted to get $18,700 for it. The condition of the ten-year-old hybrid sedan is not the best, but the price frankly "bites".
Summing up today's review, we can say that hybrids are good technologies that help save fuel and reduce harmful emissions. So the purchase of such a model is fully justified - the game is worth the candle. Despite the fact that they have taken root in Belarus, the “semi-electric” is not the most popular product on our market, nevertheless, the owners of the cars we examined were very reluctant to bargain.
“We pleased Toyota Prius and Honda Insight with their “live” and well-groomed condition, while future ownersCivicand the Lexus GS 450h is something to think about: the former has a costly battery problem, while the latter is overpriced for a wrecked body. ConcerningHondaCR- Z, then this is such an urban “lighter” with an interesting design, the only bad thing is that it was beaten well, ”- our expert sums up, noting that in practice the Civic Hybrid is in the greatest demand, although in terms of the reliability of the hybrid system, the Toyota Prius is still the favorite.
the site expresses its gratitude to the companyselectcar (assistance in the selection and purchase of a car) for assistance in preparing the material
Many owners of hybrid Insight are interested in a completely logical question: how to extend the life of the traction in a car? What can affect its accelerated failure?
How to Extend the Life of an IMA Traction Battery Honda Insight
Here are some tips that are relevant not only for, but, in principle, for all hybrid cars.1. It is not recommended to leave the car without movement for a long time, 3-4 weeks or more. If you need to leave for a long time, ask someone to periodically (every 6-7 days is enough) start the car and charge the battery in this way. Otherwise, like any similar battery that is not recharged for a long time (in winter, at temperatures from minus 20 and even lower), the Insight battery will begin to slowly lose its properties, which as a result leads to additional headaches and significant financial expenses. .
2. If the BB battery has already become completely weak, you can try to "pump" it, but this is a difficult task, without certain skills, knowledge, experience and special equipment, it is better not to experiment on your own.
Do you still have questions about this topic? You can ask them on our forum! Or help others deal with this and other issues that relate to hybrid insight. :)