The 2011 BMW ActiveHybrid 7 happens to be hybrid car that bears little resemblance to a Toyota Prius or other similar hybrids. When you initially think of hybrid, you think fuel efficiency, but the BMW hybrid is nowhere near as efficient as most hybrids. While the 2011 ActiveHybrid 7 is going to save on fuel when compared with its other 7-series siblings, its ride in stop and go traffic is iffy and the power steering gets turned off in idle stop. It is a great development in automobile technology but its quirkiness when driving can get annoying.

Almost all hybrids have a smaller gas engine because the car is also being powered by the electric motor but this is not true for the BMW ActiveHybrid 7. BMW made a decision to utilize the extra power generated by the electric motor to make the car go even faster instead of using it to reduce fuel consumption. Like the standard BMW 750i, the 2011 BMW ActiveHybrid 7 has a twin turbo direct-injection 4.4-liter V-8 engine. The only real variation is the addition of an electric motor than receives its power from a 120-volt lithium ion battery pack. The hybrid stores far more horsepower than a 750i and provides greater fuel economy.

Numerous hybrids are able to switch to all-electric mode however 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 shut down. As being a driver, you would not think the ActiveHybrid 7 is a hybrid up until you see a blue area on the fuel gauge indicating that electricity is being regenerated. When 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. In spite of the dimensions of the engine, the automobile starts up very smoothly when you take the foot off the brake pedal.

Even though the idle stop program works well at a long stoplight, it does not do so well in stop-and-go traffic. The vehicle will tend to shut down for 5 seconds at a time which can get irritating after awhile. The level of power is impressive but it does take some getting used to simply because the car will lunge forward even with a light touch on the accelerator. It might sound green calling this automobile a hybrid, even so the added horsepower and not fuel efficiency is what this hybrid system has done.

Any time you imagine a hybrid, you think of fuel efficiency, and even though the 2011 BMW ActiveHybrid 7 is more efficient that the standard BMW 7-series, it only gets around 20 miles per gallon. That is good mileage for a top quality luxury car but that is not really very good as a hybrid.

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