Hybrid Automobiles May Keep Guzzlers Running

Good news! New Hybrid SUVs are better at offering lots of miles per gallon!

> Win a Brand New Lexus Hybrid – enter here.

I found repeatedly mentioned on the Internet reveals that for “…every Ford Escape Hybrid bought from the hybrid auto market, car manufacturers makes room for a Lincoln Navigator�.

Yes, that’s inconveniently right. And you can guess what would that mean, that well meant people who bought hybrid cars for the sake of positive externality and such, such as the nation saving on gas; they are only passing the right to use gasoline for somebody else. Read more »

Need a very fuel efficient and affordable car? Check out the 2008 Toyota Prius Hybrid. The 2008 Toyota Prius is a full-featured midsize car that just so happens to be the most fuel-efficient car on the market. The fact that it now starts at less than $21,000 is icing on the green-colored cake.

MSRP: $21,500 – $23,770

Invoice: $20,210 – $21,816

MPG: 48 City / 45 Hwy

The Prius is first and foremost a hybrid — and the benchmark upon which all others are based. Capable of running on electricity alone or in concert with the small gasoline four-cylinder engine, the Prius is capable of fuel economy that no current mainstream car can match — even with the lower, revised 2008 EPA estimates. Like most hybrids, the 2008 Toyota Prius is best suited to drivers whose travels rarely take them farther than the city limits. Around town and in stop-and-go traffic, the Prius’ electric motors and regenerative braking are optimized to provide superior fuel economy and optimal power delivery. It’s OK on the freeway, but without consistent braking or coasting, the battery runs down, forcing the anemic four-cylinder engine to carry most of the load.

One disadvantage of the Prius and all other hybrids is their winter performance. Cold temperatures decrease battery capacity, just as they do for the average 12-volt battery. As a result, the engine must run at first to top off the battery and then more often throughout use to keep it charged. The mileage hit is not small. We’re talking several mpg on average. Chicago’s maddening weather actually came in useful in this test because I drove for days in temperatures below freezing and at times near 0 degrees. The trip computer said I was getting between 30 and 40 mpg in mixed driving. Then the temp shot up close to 60 degrees, and suddenly I was getting more than 50 mpg without even trying.

But all in all the Toyota is like any other car but somehow more fuel efficient and comes with in a very low price.

The 2008 model of the Civic Hybrid carries over from 2007 model virtually unchanged, save for a new feature, the tire pressure monitoring system. The 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid receives solid praise for its fuel-efficient value, sleek, futuristic redesign and fuel-sipping habits. The sedan achieves positive criticisms on its conventional exterior style, its high-quality cabin and for its outstanding safety. However there are also lots of not so good criticisms for this Honda Civic Hybrid. They said that its performance is underwhelming — even as a hybrid vehicle, it does not give as much power on the highway as expected.

Read more »