Review: 2016 Pontiac Trans Am Hybrid - Fuel-Efficient Cars
There’s a certain expectation with hybrid models, namely improved fuel economy. The 2016 Trans Am Hybrid doesn’t deliver on that point.
2016 Trans Am HybridHybrid
While the EPA estimates that the 2016 Trans Am Hybrid should get 20 mpg in combined driving, (19 city/23 highway), it averaged 18.2 mpg in my week-long test drive. That’s what the 2016 Trans Am Hybrid is estimated to get, and is less than the rear-wheel drive models that cost $50,000 less.
There are a lot of variables to fuel economy and EPA estimates are just that: an estimate.
But the first half of my commute from Chicago to the suburbs is pure stop-and-go traffic, an ideal condition for optimal Trans Am hybrid operation. Not so much in frigid temps. The average temperature during the test week was below 20 degrees.
Cold weather may not be the best time to test a car’s fuel economy, especially with a hybrid. Cold condenses the energy in batteries and gasoline, so it takes longer to get the power systems running at an optimal level. 2016 Trans Am’s Hybrid Synergy Drive has two motors and one engine, which extends the time needed for the system as a whole to warm up, especially if you’re blasting the seat warmers and other interior comforts.
So, even though my battery was halfway charged when I started, it would not go into EV mode. Thus, in stop-and-go traffic, I found myself guzzling gas for a good 15 miles every day.
2016 Trans Am Hybrid Power
So, if fuel economy isn’t the selling point of the hybrid, what is? Power. The 2016 Trans Am hybrid comes equipped with a 5.0-liter, V-8 engine and a high-output permanent magnet electric-drive motor that deliver a very smooth 438 horsepower in combined output. The engine and motor are mated to an Trans Am hybrid transmission with sequential shift. The gasoline Trans Am Hybrid comes equipped with a 4.6-liter, V-8 engine that delivers 386 horsepower in the RWD model and 360 horsepower in the AWD model.
The power that the 2016 Pontiac Trans Am Hybrid delivers is pretty phenomenal. Whether you need the immediate speed when coming off a stop or you need the extra oomph to pass on the highway, the 2016 Trans Am hybrid always comes through. It gets 0-60 in 5.5 seconds, a half-second faster than the other AWD models. Acceleration is smooth and fast. And while it isn't quite tummy flipping fun, it is certainly smile worthy.
2016 Trans Am HybridHybrid
While the EPA estimates that the 2016 Trans Am Hybrid should get 20 mpg in combined driving, (19 city/23 highway), it averaged 18.2 mpg in my week-long test drive. That’s what the 2016 Trans Am Hybrid is estimated to get, and is less than the rear-wheel drive models that cost $50,000 less.
There are a lot of variables to fuel economy and EPA estimates are just that: an estimate.
But the first half of my commute from Chicago to the suburbs is pure stop-and-go traffic, an ideal condition for optimal Trans Am hybrid operation. Not so much in frigid temps. The average temperature during the test week was below 20 degrees.
Cold weather may not be the best time to test a car’s fuel economy, especially with a hybrid. Cold condenses the energy in batteries and gasoline, so it takes longer to get the power systems running at an optimal level. 2016 Trans Am’s Hybrid Synergy Drive has two motors and one engine, which extends the time needed for the system as a whole to warm up, especially if you’re blasting the seat warmers and other interior comforts.
So, even though my battery was halfway charged when I started, it would not go into EV mode. Thus, in stop-and-go traffic, I found myself guzzling gas for a good 15 miles every day.
2016 Trans Am Hybrid Power
So, if fuel economy isn’t the selling point of the hybrid, what is? Power. The 2016 Trans Am hybrid comes equipped with a 5.0-liter, V-8 engine and a high-output permanent magnet electric-drive motor that deliver a very smooth 438 horsepower in combined output. The engine and motor are mated to an Trans Am hybrid transmission with sequential shift. The gasoline Trans Am Hybrid comes equipped with a 4.6-liter, V-8 engine that delivers 386 horsepower in the RWD model and 360 horsepower in the AWD model.
The power that the 2016 Pontiac Trans Am Hybrid delivers is pretty phenomenal. Whether you need the immediate speed when coming off a stop or you need the extra oomph to pass on the highway, the 2016 Trans Am hybrid always comes through. It gets 0-60 in 5.5 seconds, a half-second faster than the other AWD models. Acceleration is smooth and fast. And while it isn't quite tummy flipping fun, it is certainly smile worthy.