One for Mr Cheerful

IIRC the Outlander is 4wd and is brake tested on the road with a decellerometer, the Park button still works as an emergency brake and is tested just the same, ie put it on and see if it slows the car enough. The emissions are still tested as per normal, the 40g per km is only at that level because of the use of battery power, the engine still knocks out the same amount of rubbish while running as any other modern engine. I don't know the outlander, but prius's will run if you press the accellerator with it in park, the latest test only tests at idle.

BTW I am not a tester, but I get about 50 plus tests a year done at the same place, and take a keen interest in testing matters.

Thank you.

The engine (petrol) on the Outlander will run if you select 'charge' but I think the battery needs to be a bit 'down'- it isn't something I normally do. I will check when I get a chance. There is also a 'Save' function (again, I've not really used it) which allows you to 'Save' the battery and run on engine but I think it only works if the battery is a bit depleted. Again, I will check.

You comments re the 40g make sense, it is a very low number! Even our Smart car is near just under 100g. T

you can also push them into running by turning on everything electrical. Once warmed up, priuses stay that way for a long time by storing hot water in a thermos flask (I kid you not) so once there is circulation there is warm water shooting round. Probably the outlander is similar.

I'll have an 'experiment' when I get a chance and report back.

I confess, I've not explored the detail of when the engine cuts in, beyond the obvious (battery depleted or 'foot hard down').

I've tried the charging via the engine a few times - more to see it working- but I don't use it normally.

On 29/07/2018 21:35, Brian Reay wrote: [...]

These vehicles are known as "S-U-V". Probably easier on the tongue than just "U-V". But I don't get the "S" part?

Sport Utility Vehicle

While they are good on 4x4s for roads etc (in snow and the like), I'm not so sure I'd like to take it off road. Not so much because it couldn't cope- may be could- but it is really quite a 'smart' car, not a rugged butch vehicle. Likewise, when I think Utility, I don't think leather seats (heated), air con, gizmos to warm your nadgers (not really but you know what I mean. It is just a great car to drive, with a great driving position, and ideal for my road (which can be a pain to get out of in the snow).

(Cue Tim's theory's which ignore the other cars I / we've owned/own at the same time as SUV's).

The SUV label came, I believe, from the US to identify a new 'breed' of vehicles some years back- 'comfortable' 4x4s (or 4x4 look a likes in some cases) for everyday use.

I drove one of the US SUVs on a test track (off road) in the US in the mid 80s- before they were common here. It was more of an off-road vehicle- which is why we had access to it, the test track was part of a site of testing 'other' vehicles I was working on. It was far more of a 'beast' that most or the SUVs we see here, even the older Range Rovers, but not as raw as a Land Rover. It drove quite well but the not as well, in terms of 4x4 performance, as Land Rover. However, the later, at least to ones I've driven (army ones) are not really much fun as everyday cars.

I was very impressed by the Jeep Grand Cherokee we had as hire/rental car a couple of years back on a trip to the US- so much so we seriously considered one. We also looked at the Tesla 4x4 but the doors and the all electric put us off.

We had a CRV for about 11 years, it was excellent and now my son-in-law owns it.

But they aren't really 'sporty' in tg,erms of being 'fast' - even those like some of the Hondas labeled as the 'Sport' version aren't especially 'quick'- their mass is against them, even with a 2litre engine. (I'm far from a boy racer, by the way!).

Having said that, when you put your foot down in the PHEV and the engine cuts in in parallel with the 'normal' drive, the acceleration is surprising for a 1.7T vehicle. (One of the 'tricks'they get you to do on the test drive.)

I thought the "sport" in SUV was as in hunting (US-style) and fishing.

A friend in the US who had one always called it his Stupid Useless Vehicle.

They seem a bit style over substance to me - nothing much there, except the elevated driving position, that an estate or hatchback couldn't do.

Depends on the SUV but ground clearance is still a feature on some. Eg my Focus estate is from memory about 120mm, a Discovery about 280mm.

Sports Utility Vehicle. Like most Jack of all trades does nothing well.

And when do they get to do that? USA has very few public holidays and people that take time off for vacation are seen as slackers and the first to get laid off.

Bet they don't.

If I was designing a hybrid or stop/start I wouldn't let the motor run in neutral or I'd have a "no-load map". It's really not cheating, even a carb and mech dizzy had no load "maps" (except they were filthy!). The carb wouldn't be open enough to get off idle jet. The dizzy vac advance wouldn't work as revving in neutral produces very little reduction in vac.

I beleive it started as a way to get round the manufacturers' obligation to produce more fuel efficient vehicles. They were big enough to be classed as trucks and therefore did not count. So add car-like luxuries and sell them instead of cars.

All I know is that they managed 45 million people who went fishing at least once in 2015 and 15m with hunting licences. Then there's climbing, mountain biking, hiking, skiing, canoeing etc. And from my few trips to the States all seem to involve quite a few people getting off the paved roads to places where an SUV would help.

160m Working population.

7m unemployed (don't stop them having a pickup and a rifle).

8.3m part time (potential for long weekends). 10m unincorporated self employed (can't be laid off).

30m (includes 5m incorporated self employed) businesses in USA every one has a big boss that can take time anytime.

46m retired.

They would be very silly not to if that is what is specified by vosa (enter latest name as appropriate).

They would not like the bill and publicity if it damages differentials, hybrid regenerative braking system, abs resetting, esp system etc.