Getting to the DC Auto Show was easy. I drove South on I-95, parked at Greenbelt metro station, then took the green line seven or eight stops to Mt Vernon Square/Convention Center. I walked out of the station into the convention center just as the show opened. Toyota had a Ride & Drive booth near the ticket area, so I scanned my driver's license and quickly found myself getting into a Prius v - which is called an extended hatchback wagon, but just looks like a longer Prius. Kelly, a pleasant young blond woman from Pittsburgh, guided me through starting the motor, and explained the features. Driving smoothly at about ten or twenty mph, we never left battery power. The v is a lot more spacious than the mid-size Prius, but mileage is 44/40 instead of 51/48. Kelly noted that part of the center console separating the driver and passenger seats has been lowered for more legroom, and I noted that the ceiling was more than just a few inches above my head. In my current car, my head touches the ceiling. The car I drove listed for $27,385.
In Toyota's display area, I saw the FCV-R, a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle prototype, and the NS-4, a plug-in prototype intended to include a Human-Machine Interface and all sorts of communications tech - both untouchable on pedestals. The styling of each was more Camry than Prius. More interesting to me was the Prius c, (Aqua in Japan) which looked like a very short Prius. It was only four inches longer than a Yaris/Vitz. It was also a prototype, so the doors were locked, but is due to be released in March 2012. The c/Aqua reportedly gets 64/46 mpg and will be a Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle, which is almost as good as the Double Dog Triple Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle. Honest Injun.
Third-generation Priuses start at $24,000 while the Prius plug-in on display had a list price of $32,000. The plug-in hybrid is only available in March in 14 states until next year. For the extra $8,000 dollars, you get MPGe of 87 in EV mode, but 49 mpg in hybrid mode. You'd also want a recharger. Seems like you'd have to do a lot of city driving to recoup that premium.
I crossed through Lexus just as a presenter turned on his microphone and started his spiel. Both his accent and looks reminded me of Jude Law, but Lexus wasn't busy at that moment. Moving to Honda, the popular Fit/Jazz had great visibility, but despite the release of the Jazz hybrid in Japan over a year ago, there is still no Fit hybrid here. The Civic CNG, a natural gas-powered vehicle, was on display, along with the Civic Hybrid and the oft-maligned but popular Insight, but I noticed the Fiat indoor track and ran over to get in line. In front of the track was a classic Fiat 500, a photo opp for enthusiasts.
After another brief e-registration, a slim young brunette woman named Lisa drove me in a Fiat 500 Cabrio through a series of low-speed maneouvres simulating parking and u-turning on city streets. I was comfortable sitting in the car as she noted the bluetooth, wifi and sundry electronic connections. The $16,000 Fiat hasn't been selling well, and they are obviously trying to grab a youthful demographic, the sort who might buy a Kia Soul or Mini Cooper. I could have driven a few more cars, but it felt like speed dating.
I wandered through Audi displays, drooled over the A5 Cabriolet, and saw the front wheel drive Audi A3 e-tron, which has been displayed as both EV and serial hybrid prototypes since 2009. This protoype was an EV with a claimed range of 140 km. The Audi rep, a rather thin woman, said that the e-tron is to be available in 2 to 3 years.
I sat in a few Minis: the Cooper, Clubman and Countryman. Coopers start at $20,000, and are a lot more expensive than Fiats, but seem to have a cachet among city folk that Fiat doesn't. The exterior styling is classic, but the interior styling always makes me think of Dr Who. In my opinion, the style doesn't translate well to the larger Clubman or Countryman.
I love ragtops, but after all their safety advertising, I still find it odd to see Volvo convertibles. Volvo displayed the XC60 plug-in hybrid prototype, a largish crossover utility vehicle. After Volvo was Impossible-land, featuring Bentley, Lotus, Maserati and Ferrari - no hybrids there. I stopped by Mercedes to sit in a Smart Car Cabrio, but I've heard such lousy things about their transmissions that I'm not really a fan.
Volkswagen has always turned to diesels for better mileage, but they did have a display devoted to the Jetta Hybrid, due out in 2013.
I liked the exterior styling of the Kia Optima Hybrid, and its 35/40 mpg is OK, but sitting in the front seat, I was struck by how small the front windshield appeared.
A lot of folk were trying the front seat in the Leaf, so I kept leaving and coming back. There was no Versa hatchback, just a sedan. I still don't like the Juke. Another thin spokeswoman had been driving a dealer Leaf for the past year in LA, and was telling stories about successfully taking longer trips between cities. I said I'm sure everyone asked about range anxiety, but what was the range? She grimaced and said it really depended. If you were running the heater or AC and other devices, or driving at high speeds on the highway it could be 70 or 80 miles. If you were tooling at low speeds in comfortable weather it could be 130 miles. She had the model with cabin AC before the heated seats, steering wheel, etc. were made standard equipment.
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