I don't have to tell you that the price of gas is on the rise, and could hit $4.00 a gallon by summer! The ever creeping price of gas has many a commuter rethinking their driving choices; those plush SUV's that looked so inviting just three years ago are now gas swigging albatrosses many would do anything to get rid of. Suddenly, hybrid cars are looking very attractive to a broad cross section of American consumers, but which one is right for you and your family? And from which car manufacture; it seems they are all getting into the business of building hybrid cars and trucks?
Let us help you with your hybrid vehicle research and eventual purchasing decision by doing most of the leg work for you. We read countless online consumer reviews from everyday users; we looked at hybrid car ratings, put hands on trade magazines, and read what the professionals and experts alike had to say. The result: a consolidated summary, a Product Guide if you will, on Hybrid Cars and Trucks. We are confident this Product Guide will prove instrumental in saving you time, effort, and perhaps money, in your quest for the hybrid vehicle with the BEST GAS MILEAGE on the market.
What you need to know when purchasing a hybrid car or truck
Let's start with the basics, namely what is a hybrid? At a base level a hybrid car or hybrid SUV is one that uses two or more distinct power sources to propel it, or provide locomotion. The use of two power sources results in greater gas mileage, or overall vehicle range. Note: this does not include flex-fuel or E85 vehicles.
(TIP: If you don't care about the Hybrid Technology, SKIP THIS SECTION!)
Hybrid vehicles typically achieve greater fuel economy and lower carbon emissions than conventional Internal Combustion Engine Vehicles (ICEVs). Most hybrids share four design elements that help them realize gas and environmental savings:
- They recapture the energy normally wasted during vehicle braking;
- have considerable battery storage capacity, which enables the vehicle(s) to store and reuse recaptured energy and propel the vehicle without using the ICE;
- have the ability to shut down, or partially shut down the gasoline or diesel engine during traffic stops, while cruising at highway speeds, coasting, or other idle periods;
- they rely on both the gasoline (or diesel engine) and the electric motors for peak power needs, such as acceleration, or towing, resulting in a smaller gasoline or diesel engine sizes, but there are exceptions.
The above detailed features make hybrid vehicles particularly efficient for city traffic wherein there are frequent traffic stops, braking, coasting, and idling periods. Hybrid cars have the added benefit of reducing noise pollution (in comparison to ICEVs), particularly at idling and low operating speeds when the ICE is off and the vehicle is running on battery power, and or electric motor alone.
All of the principle car and truck manufactures-General Motors, Ford, Toyota, Nissan, Chrysler, and Honda, market hybrid cars of some sort. The world's largest car maker, General Motors appears to offer the most choices and is committed to presenting the consumer a hybrid choice of most of its vehicle line by the year 2020, or thereabouts.
A Word (or two) about Flex-fuel E85 technology
Flex-fuel (FFV) or E85 vehicles were all the rage as little as a year ago, but the shine has slowly worn off the gem of the technology as consumers learn that FFV vehicles do not offer increased gas mileage, but indeed typically get worse fuel economy than traditional gas or diesel powered vehicles. About one-third of all gasoline sold in the United States contains some alcohol-based ethanol, typically in a ratio of 90 percent gasoline and 10 percent ethanol; in Illinois that ratio is 95:5. E85 gets its name from the way it inverts that formula, using 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent conventional gasoline in its mix.
The key selling point of FFV vehicles is the benefit to the environment in the decrease of carbon emissions. And FFVs experience no loss of performance when using E85 fuel, however as I touched on above a gallon of ethanol contains less energy than a gallon of gasoline, therefore FFVs typically get about 20-30% fewer miles per gallon when fueled with E85. Not exactly what a consumer wants to hear in this year of rising fuel costs that are likely to stay above $3.00 a gallon in he near term and even approach $4.00 a gallon in the foreseeable future.
For instance according to the according to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates, a V6-powered Chevrolet Impala running on gasoline will get some 21 miles per gallon in the city, and 31 on the highway. Replace the traditional gasoline with E85 and the Impala's EPA numbers shrink noticeably to 16 mpg city, 23 highway. Not exactly fuel efficient, but better for the environment because E85 runs cleaner.
The Hybrid Mix of Technology
The world of hybrid car technology is not monolithic, nor is it static; the engineering behind the various hybrid vehicles already on the market and those coming on-line in the future offer a compelling, if not dizzying mixture of locomotion choices. Do you want an electric/ICE combination, or is a hydrogen fuel-cell/battery/electric motor vehicle more to your liking? Large engine or small, lithium-ion batteries or nickel hydride; engine driven gas savings or transmission? These are all choice being offered, or under development by the leading car makers, most in multiple combinations.
Of course there is more than just increased gas mileage behind the hybrid push, there are also environmental concerns; that is where hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicles come into play, an indeed show the most promise from a purely environmental stand-point. In addition to bring to the environmental table no carbon emission whatsoever (the only emission from burning hydrogen is water vapor), hydrogen fuel-cell powered vehicles can tap into the most abundant energy source in the known Universe: hydrogen. Water, that liquid that covers 2/3's of our plant is 2 parts hydrogen after all, and there is considerable power in those two molecules. The problems lie in the handling and distribution of hydrogen; the gas and or liquid is after all somewhat volatile, but it has been used for decades by the military and NASA to power all manner of vehicles, such as rockets and missiles, so adapting the technology for civilian use has not proved daunting.
Despite the distribution and handling challenges, hydrogen fuel-cell powered vehicles are starting to appear on America's streets mostly in the form of buses, and other large vehicles. But Ford has plans for a hydrogen fuel-cell/electric hybrid passenger SUV in the guise of the Edge Htbrid. The company is already testing, the vehicle which uses a hybrid technology called HySeries Drive. HySeries Drive is a plug-in series hybrid system that uses a 336V lithium-ion battery pack to drive the electric motor. Ford claims that this makes the Edge with HySeries Drive the world's first drivable hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle with plug-in capability. That's right the on-board batteries can be recharged via a standard 120 volt electrical cord.
Ford states that the full range of the Edge on battery and hydrogen is 225 miles with the first 25 available on battery exclusively however, some drivers report a range as high as 400 miles. You can read more information about this exciting hydrogen fuel-cell based technology here.
GM, Daimler-Benz, and Bavarian Motor Works (BMW) have collaborated on a new two-mode (transmission) hybrid system for their suite of new hybrid vehicles. The three automakers jointly started a corporation called the Global Hybrid Corporation to jointly develop the two-mode for passenger cars and trucks.
The full-hybrid system is called a two-mode hybrid because of its low/high-speed electric variable transmission (EVT) modes of operation. The design also incorporates (4) fixed-gear ratios into the transmission for high efficiency and power-handling operations. And yet some of the functionality is the same as that found on more (conventional) hybrids offered by Ford and Toyota; e.g. the vehicle motor shuts off when the car is at a standstill; the car's batteries charge during braking, and; the vehicle can be powered/propelled by either electric motor, ICE (gasoline or diesel), or a combination of both engine types.
GM claims that the two-mode helps improve fuel economy not only in stop-and-go traffic, but at highway speeds as well, because the system utilizes V8 ICEs that use cylinder cut-off technology, wherein 2 -4 cylinders are shut down until needed for power intensive operations like acceleration or towing. GM claims that the system is expected to increase fuel economy by some 25 percent; e.g. a 5,200 pound Chevrolet Tahoe or GMC YukonSUVs could realize highway fuel economy of nearly 26 miles per gallon (MPG)! An added plus is the ability of the vehicles to use either conventional gasoline or E85.
Following on the footsteps of the GM SUVs, Chrysler announced that it will introduce the same two-mode technology in the Dodge Durango and Chrysler Aspen in late 2008 (see below). Neither BMW, nor Daimler Benz has as yet announced plans to market vehicles with the new technology.
Who makes hybrid cars and hybrid SUVs?
Although Toyota Hybrids have made the biggest splash with its much talked about Prius, starting at $21,100, GM has been making up for lost time of late offering up no fewer than five hybrid cars and trucks in the 2008 model year. They are: 2008 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid , 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid, 2008 GMC Yukon Hybrid, 2008 Saturn VUE Green Line Hybrid, 2008 Saturn AURA Green Line Hybrid).
Of course Toyota has not been asleep at the hybrid wheel, rolling out the 2008 Toyota Camry Hybrid in both conventional and hybrid sheet metal, while its Lexus division has introduced the Lexus Hybrid: Lexus GS 450h (h=Hybrid) for the 2006 model year, and the Lexus LS 600h for the 2007 model year, and the Lexus RX Hybrid for the 2008 model year.
Nor has Honda been slumbering, the auto company continues the Honda Civic Hybrid for the 2008 model year, but has dropped plans for a hybrid Accord model. Nissan has also been busy; the company will market to versatile Altima Hybrid for the 2008 model year.
Ford Motor Company markets only one hybrid vehicle, the 2008 Escape Hybrid, but is testing a hydrogen fuel-cell-powered Edge (see above). And over at the company's Mazda division the Tribute is offered in both conventional and hybrid models.
Chrysler, though slow off the mark has also recently gotten into the fray, offering the Chrysler Aspen/ Dodge HEMI® Durango hybrids. Both SUV's will be available in the autumn of '08, probably as 2009 models.
In future model years more and more players will undoubtedly enter the marketplace, especially since it appears as though gasoline prices north of $3.00 a gallon are here to stay. Look for hybrid vehicles from Cadillac(Escalade Hybrid), Chevrolet(Silverado), Ford (Fusion/Mercury Milan), Hyundai(Accent/Kia Rio), Daimler/Benz (Mercedes C-Class), Audi(Q7 midsize SUV), and Porsche(Cayenne SUV) to mention a few.
Best Bets - Best Hybrid Car Buys
Like any car only you can evaluate whether or not a given car is right for you. And, the good news if that you have a lot of good options. The hybrid marketplace that once belonged to one is now full of choices in cars, trucks, and SUVs. So, we suggest that you do some research and then test drive the ones you have interest in.
To get you started on your search, here is a sampling of cars with the best gas mileage (one of the biggest decision points for hybrid buyers and owners):
- The Toyota Prius(starting at $21,000 MSRP) is the mileage king sporting 48 city/45 hwy. The Prius is followed closely by the Honda Civic Hybrid, (starting at $22,600 MSRP), getting a very respectable 40 city/45 hwy.
- Next up is the new to the field Nissan Altima Hybrid(starting at $25,170 MSRP); it checks in at 35 city/33 hwy, while the Ford Escape Hybrid(starting at $26,640 MSRP) is close behind at 29 city/27 hwy. The Escape's cousins, the Mazda Tribute 2WD, and Mercury Mariner Hybrid FWD(starting at $29,090 MSRP), get the exact same mileage; no surprise there since they are essentially the same compact SUV.
- The Toyota Highlander Hybrid 4WD(starting at $37,870 MSRP) comes in next with a rating of 27 city/25 hwy, followed closely by her cousin the Lexus RX 400h AWD (starting at $42,680) at a rating of 27city/24hwy.
- The lovely Saturn Vue Green Line Hybrid (starting at $24,795 MSRP) follows closely with a rating 25city/32hwy. The new Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid (starting at $22,790 MSRP) is up next rated at 24city/32hwy; the Saturn Aura Hybrid (starting at $22,790 MSRP) shares the same mileage ratings as the Malibu.
You can find the complete mileage rating here- an impartial source run by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Below are some relevant reviews on Hybrid vehicles from Viewpoints.com members:
Relevant Professional reviews - Edmunds.com:
Additional Sources for more information on Hybrid Cars
There are number of places to gleam information on hybrids. Most of these reside on the Internet, but other information can be gleamed from off-line sources such as Automobile, Car& Driver, Auto World, and Road & Track magazines. Other great sources on hybrid technology include Popular Mechanics, Popular Science, and Consumer Reports magazines.
On-line sources for more consumer reviews on hybrids:
- Wikipedia.org: this a great place to do general research on hybrid vehicles, their functionality, as well as terms you might want to become familiar with before starting your search for a vehicle that suits your needs.
- Fuel Economy.gov: operated by the U.S. Department of Energy, this is the place to find the fuel economy of any vehicle not just hybrids.
- HowStuffWorks.com
- Hybrid Center.com: Hybrid vehicle timeline.
- Autoblog Green: Excellent source for all thing green in the auto industry.
- CNET Reviews: Autos
- All Major consumer review sites.
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