?? For you that also own hybrid vehicles

[Chris M]

For my work I now drive a '19 Toyota Camry Hybrid. This is the first hybrid I've ever driven, and I have a question:
Do all hybrids have that surging/slightly jerking feeling as the engine switches back and forth between battery, battery and engine, and engine only power?

The car is heavy, it seems, and is a wee bit slow to accelerate from stop but when it starts to level off a bit it is pretty responsive--but I can easily feel the switch between power sources.

I get really good mpg in it here in PHX, even for what I do (transporting special needs children to and from school), at just over 50mpg daily average.

The reason I ask is that later next year I may try and talk my wife into getting a hybrid if this is an anomaly.

Thanks in advance for any wisdom and experience you guys care to share.

My work hotrod:

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[Kristina]

Yes, hybrids weight more. Strongly suggest to take test drives with other brand EV-s too.
You’re using ECO mode? Get rid of all eco-s and try again.

 

[RedlandRanger]

We have a 2016 C-Max Hybrid and the only way I can tell it shifts between electric and engine power is when I hear the engine fire up. I've never felt any surging or jerking, but then again, maybe I'm not as sensitive as some others. I know a lot of people complain about surging on the Ranger, and I don't feel that either.

I think Kristina's advice to drive other hybrids is good advice - compare and contrast.

 

[Joeiconic]

My folks have a 2017 Toyota Camry hybrid and I have a lot of seat time in that car. I’ve never noticed what you describe in their car.

 

[Texasota]

I drove a 2015 Fusion hybrid for 9 years and now have a 2023 Escape PHEV. Like @RedlandRanger, the transition between ICE and EV is seamless and only know it is happening because of the dash electronics and the sound of the ICE. I loved that Fusion and think I will also love the Escape PHEV (still early in the romance). Ford hybrids are know for their seamless transitions between ICE and EV.

 

[quangdog]

Before my ranger I owned a 2008 Escape Hybrid. I loved the drivetrain in that thing, because it had a power feel similar to the V6 variant, but still averaged 30(ish) MPG. More in the city, less on the freeway (common with hybrids).

There was very little if any "feel" change when the engine would start up. I used to try to see how far I could drive from my house before the engine would kick on - back then I lived just a few miles from work, and if I was *EXTREMELY* gentle, I could baby it all the way to work on just the battery. But if I put in more than like 20% throttle, the engine would kick on. I'd only notice due to a bit of engine noise and the tach springing to life.

That thing used the HV drive motor (the big electric drive motor sandwiched into the transmission, driven by the hybrid battery pack) to start the engine, so when the engine would start it would just sort of suddenly be running. You'd never hear any starter noise.

I loved that little Escape... bought it with around 75k miles on it. Drove it for many years during the time of life when my kids were pretty young ... dozens and dozens of trips to see the grandparents several hours south. At least a dozen trips out to the Oregon coast. Lots of fantastic memories in that little thing. Sold it with > 250,000 miles on it to a teenage girl who totaled it roughly a year later.

 

[Langwilliams]

I've considered a hybrid for a second run around car but was worried about the reliability with the complex systems. Sounds like they are reliable with people reporting multi year ownership an thousands of miles.

 

[CATX]

My wife has an entry level Lexus which shares its hybrid drivetrain with the Toyota rav4. Acceleration is completely smooth - zero driveline jerking or surging. It’s too smooth for me because it does this via a CVT which are not really enjoyable transmissions and they have questionable reliability. But it gets great mileage and I think overall it is a great compromise.

 

[Langwilliams]

I would avoid a CVT transmission myself but I heard they are have been major improvements to them since they first popped up 25-30 years ago.

 

[Chris M]

I would avoid a CVT transmission myself but I heard they are have been major improvements to them since they first popped up 25-30 years ago.

My wife has one now in her HRV, and had one in the CRV we traded in. Transmission seemed quite smooth, although both cars seemed a twitch underpowered to me. I can see her getting and liking another if she does go hybrid.

 

[Langwilliams]

My wife has one now in her HRV, and had one in the CRV we traded in. Transmission seemed quite smooth, although both cars seemed a twitch underpowered to me. I can see her getting and liking another if she does go hybrid.

my aunt had a dodge caliber with a cvt an the cvt died with like 60K on it an she was told it would cost way more than the car was worth to fix it.

 

[Kristina]

I forgot to mention I haven’t own any hybrids but I work with them daily.
About CVT. The brand I work with their CVT boxes are very reliable. Actually haven’t notice other brands popping up with weak CVT-s. Changing fluids in time is important.

 

[kendive]

We have an 23 Toy Rav4 Hybrid XSE and my sis has a 22 Camry SE Hybrid and they are the smoothest cars I have ever drove. I would dump my ranger for a rav4 if I did not need a truck in a heart beat.

 

[Texasota]

my aunt had a dodge caliber with a cvt an the cvt died with like 60K on it an she was told it would cost way more than the car was worth to fix it.

Ford's transmission in the hybrid Fusion, C-Max, Maverick, Corsair Grand Touring and Escape is an eCVT. It has no belts or pulleys like old fashioned CVTs. These eCVTs are very reliable and almost bullet proof. I had 102,000 miles on my hybrid Fusion when I sold it to a friend. Would not have sold it to him if I thought the transmission would cause him problems. My new Escape PHEV is a newer generation of the same eCVT. These eCVT transmissions are more reliable than conventional automatic transmissions.

 

[Chris M]

I forgot to mention I haven’t own any hybrids but I work with them daily.
About CVT. The brand I work with their CVT boxes are very reliable. Actually haven’t notice other brands popping up with weak CVT-s. Changing fluids in time is important.

I did change out of ECO mode and notice a bit better response...thanks for the suggestion! At freeway speeds the surging feeling is still quite noticeable. In the city it is less noticeable. It's a company car so I'll live with it.

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