Hybrid Car Review

Sizing up reviews for hybrid cars

This ConsumerSearch report covers hybrid sedans and hatchbacks. Hybrid SUVs are included in our reports on small SUVs, midsize SUVs and large SUVs.

Edmunds.com and Consumer Reports have the best and most consistent hybrid vehicle coverage, including ranking which cars best meet their standards. Consumer Reports does not compare hybrid cars against each other but rates and reviews them as individual vehicles along with their gasoline-powered counterparts. Editors also include a wealth of information including the results of annual reliability surveys.

We found well-executed comparison tests at Edmunds.com, including a head-to-head road test of the 2010 Honda Insight (*Est. $19,800 to $21,300) vs. the 2009 Toyota Prius (*Est. $22,000 to $24,270) and a separate comparison of the Insight vs. the 2010 Toyota Prius. Motor Trend also pits the newest hybrids from Honda and Toyota against each other in a comprehensive report. Car and Diver takes an in-depth look at four midsize hybrid family sedans.

We looked at some well-executed older comparison tests by Motor Trend and Automobile.com that include hybrid versions of the Toyota Camry (*Est. $26,150), Nissan Altima (*Est. $26,650) and Saturn Aura (*Est. $26,240). Although the test cars are 2007 and 2008 models, the results are still valid and useful because these particular cars have seen no significant changes for 2009. Several comparison evaluations provide interesting and insightful results of hybrid cars vs. fuel-efficient nonhybrids.

We examined publications and websites such as ConsumerGuide.com, Cars.com, Kelley Blue Book and others that provide rankings along with comprehensive reviews of all new vehicles including hybrid cars. We also found value-based vehicle rankings at IntelliChoice and Kiplinger.com, both of which seek to predict long-term cost of ownership. J.D. Powers and Associates provides data on initial quality and dependability after three years of ownership.

Hybrid power: the technology and alternatives

The popularity of hybrid cars rises and falls with the price of gasoline, but some consumers are turning to hybrids as a way to boost fuel economy, lower emissions and demonstrate their respect for the environment. More automakers are developing new hybrid cars to meet current and future demand. Technology varies and evolves, but the term hybrid refers to a vehicle that supplements a gas engine with an electric motor.

Hybrid cars combine a gasoline engine with one or more electric motors to achieve two primary goals: lower fuel consumption and reduced emissions. A key component is a battery pack to store electrical power to ease the load on the fuel-consuming engine. All hybrid cars will automatically shut off the gas engine under certain conditions, such as when the vehicle comes to a stop. Some hybrid cars can drive on purely electrical power, while others must always use the gas engine to propel the vehicle. These "mild hybrids" utilize the engine auto-stop feature, but cannot start off solely on electrical power. Mild hybrids are cheaper to engineer and therefore are available at lower prices compared to similar full-hybrid models. However, they don't offer the significant fuel-economy gains achieved with a full-hybrid system.

Examples of mild-hybrid cars are the Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid and Saturn Aura Hybrid. Full hybrids include all Toyota and Lexus hybrid sedans, the Nissan Altima Hybrid, and the new Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrid sedans. Full hybrids get the best fuel economy, led by the top-selling hybrid car on the market, the Toyota Prius, which delivers an Environmental Protection Agency-estimated 48 mpg city and 45 mpg highway.

Hybrid cars are not the only environmentally friendly, fuel-efficient vehicles available, however. A strong case can be made for choosing one of the many gas-sipping, conventionally powered economy cars that carry lower sticker prices than hybrid cars. For example, in a comparison test, Edmunds.com recommends the Honda Fit (*Est. $14,750 to $16,260) hatchback over the Honda Civic Hybrid (*Est. $23,650). They say the Fit "offers 80 percent of the 2009 Honda Civic Hybrid's fuel economy at 70 percent of its cost."

Diesel-powered cars get better fuel economy than similar gas-powered models, and some auto writers are touting diesels as a viable alternative to more expensive hybrid cars and SUVs. New diesel technology redefines them as exceptionally low-polluting, smooth and quiet -- and still high-mileage. Popular Mechanics and Edmunds.com both conduct comparison tests pitting the 2009 Toyota Prius against the diesel-powered 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI (*Est. $22,270), with its 30 mpg city/41 mpg highway EPA ratings. In both tests, editors selected the VW as the better choice for drivers seeking a fuel-efficient car, and Popular Mechanics achieved slightly higher highway mileage with the Jetta. Edmunds.com editors say the extra cost of the Prius test vehicle wouldn't be recovered for at least eight years.