Hybrid Cars: Reviews

Updated June 2011

Remember when hybrid cars were novelty items that people laughed at in the age of cheap gas? That's over. Automakers have embraced hybrids wholeheartedly, and they're offered in vehicles as varied as miserly hatchbacks, mainstream family sedans, and six-figure luxury flagships. We weed out the pretenders and name the best available hybrid cars, based on expert reviewer feedback.

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Most fuel-efficient hybrid car

2011 Toyota Prius

Base MSRP: $21,650 to $28,790 Learn More

The Toyota Prius, the best-selling hybrid vehicle in the world, gets an impressive EPA-estimated 50 mpg in combined driving. No other vehicle that uses gasoline provides better EPA-rated fuel efficiency''. Its popularity… expandnot only stems from its efficiency and unusual earth-friendly image, but also from its well-appointed cabin and smooth ride quality. The Prius' hatchback styling provides both an instantly recognizable look and impressive cargo capacity. Crash ratings for the Prius are uniformly good and reliability has been excellent. After a redesign for the 2010 model year, the 2011 Prius remains essentially unchanged. The Prius has been the prototypical hybrid since its introduction and reviewers continue to call it the best all-around hybrid car available. collapse

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Expert & User Review Sources:

ConsumerReports.org: ConsumerReports.org ranks the 2011 Toyota Prius against many sedans, both hybrid and nonhybrids.

Edmunds.com: The editors of Edmunds.com say that "when it comes to high fuel economy, plenty of versatility, and a reasonable price, the 2011 Toyota Prius cannot be beat." Primary complaints include the potentially awkward driving position and slightly disappointing interior quality.

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety: Editors of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety names the Toyota Prius a 2011 Top Safety Pick, after the hybrid hatchback aced the organization's battery of tests.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: Crash test results from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration are impressive.

FuelEconomy.gov: The 2011 Toyota Prius simply has the best fuel economy available today, this side of fully electric vehicles.

ConsumerSearch.com: The 2011 Toyota Prius is unchanged from the 2010 model year, when it was redesigned.

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Best hybrid family sedan

2012 Ford Fusion Hybrid

Base MSRP: $28,600 Learn More

It's roomy, powerful, and very fuel-efficient, so it should come as no surprise that the 2012 Ford Fusion retains its position as the best-reviewed hybrid family sedan. A full hybrid, the Fusion Hybrid achieves better… expandfuel economy ratings (an estimated 39 mpg overall) than competing midsize sedans like the 2011 Toyota Camry Hybrid (Base MSRP: $26,675), although it (like everything else) still trails the 50-mpg EPA rating of the best hybrid car overall, the 2011 Toyota Prius (Base MSRP: $21,650 to $28,790). A nice interior, good predicted reliability and high safety ratings complete the Fusion's package. Initial feedback indicates that the Fusion Hybrid faces serious competition in the form of the new 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid (Base MSRP: $25,795), which is very stylish, spacious, and offers better highway fuel economy ratings, but inferior numbers in local and combined driving. collapse

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Expert & User Review Sources:

ConsumerReports.org: Editors of ConsumerReports.org test the Ford Fusion, and they use many criteria to compare it to other sedans.

Edmunds.com: Editors of Edmunds.com call the Fusion Hybrid "certainly one of our favorites," when it comes to hybrids, that is.

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety: The 2011 Fusion Hybrid receives the IIHS' Top Safety Pick designation, meaning it scored the highest rating of Good for all four crash test scenarios.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: The 2011 Ford Fusion Hybrid gets an overall safety rating of 4 stars out of a possible 5 from the NHTSA. Side crash protection and rollover resistance are given 4 star out of 5 ratings, while frontal crash protection is given 3 stars out of 5.

FuelEconomy.gov: This chart compares fuel economies for 2011 hybrid vehicles.

ConsumerSearch.com: The 2011 Ford Fusion Hybrid is unchanged from the 2010 model year.

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