The 2011 BMW ActiveHybrid 7 Vs . The Toyota Prius: They Aren’t Alike
A new 2011 BMW ActiveHybrid 7 is really a hybrid that will never remind you of a Prius in virtually any shape or form. If you first think of hybrid, you think fuel performance, but the BMW hybrid is nowhere near as efficient as most hybrids. Compared to the other 7-series models, the 2011 ActiveHybrid 7 helps you to save more on fuel but it does not move well in stop and go traffic and the idle stop feature shuts off the power steering. It’s a great innovation in car technology but its quirkiness when driving can get annoying.
Any additional force that is provided by a hybrid system is normally used by most automakers to have a smaller gasoline engine, but not BMW. Even though the typical hybrid uses the energy generated by the electric motor to reduce fuel consumption, BMW uses it to make the car move faster. Like the standard BMW 750i, the 2011 BMW ActiveHybrid 7 has a twin turbo direct-injection 4.4-liter V-8 engine. Unlike the BMW 750i, the ActiveHybrid 7 comes with a 120-volt lithium ion battery supply. The hybrid will give you improved gas mileage than the regular 750i but provide even more horsepower. It also provides more than BMW 525i series.
Numerous hybrids have the capacity to switch to all-electric mode but the ActiveHybrid 7 does not do that. It is just like the Integrated Motor Assist System of the Honda, where it creates boost when it is accelerating, and when it stops it lets the engine power down. While driving, you’ll have no idea that it is a hybrid aside from when you see a blue are in the fuel monitor to show that electricity is being regenerated. As soon as the car stops at a traffic light, you will know that it is a hybrid, by the engine going soundless and the tach needle drops to zero. With the size of the engine, it is shocking how smooth the engine returns to life, when you take your foot off of the brake.
Even though the idle stop platform works well at a long stoplight, it won’t do so well in stop-and-go traffic. Your car will have a tendency to shut down for 5 seconds at a time which can get irritating after awhile. The performance of the vehicle may also take some getting used to because it tends to lunge forward even with a slight tap on the accelerator. The way the car is designed, it is not a green car but a car that uses the hybrid system to add more power while improving fuel efficiency somewhat.
Gasoline efficiency is pretty relative when comparing it to other hybrids where it is more efficient than other BMW 7 series models but it get 20 miles per gallon. That is good mileage for a top quality luxury car but that is not necessarily very good as a hybrid. Everyone hope we will likely discover ActiveHybrid in BMW 525i as well as different BMW wagon in the near future?