(Photo by Patrick Boury)
The top hybrids on the market in 2008 possess the mixture of affordability, gas mileage and special features that make buyers look past traditional vehicles. My selection of top hybrid on the market today is the Toyota Prius. Thhe Prius is an obvious choice since it is priced at a reasonable $21,100 MSRP and gets an impressive 48 miles per gallon (MPG) in the city. The underlying reason for my choice of the Prius is the expansive seating area that deflates the myth of the compact hybrid.
The Honda Civic Hybrid is a close runner-up to the Prius, demonstrating the closing gap between Toyota and its competitors in the green vehicle market. The Civic Hybrid gets 40 MPG in the city and costs $23,550 base before special features. Honda offers three versions of the Civic Hybrid priced up to $26,750 with leather seating and navigation to create a luxury experience without the gas-guzzling guilt.
Toyota holds the third spot on the top five hybrids with its Camry Hybrid sedan. The Camry Hybrid is priced $26,150 MSRP, seats five passengers and uses 33 MPG in congested areas. Toyota’s dominance in the hybrid market is apparent in this newer version of the Camry which converts a popular sedan into a green machine.
While the news hasn’t been good lately for American automakers, Ford’s Escape Hybrid front-wheel drive has won its way into my heart. The introductory make of the Escape Hybrid is priced at $29,305 and gets 34 MPG in the city to please drivers who want to buy American. The four-wheel drive version costs $2,000 more and gets five MPG less in the city than its two-wheel drive compatriot. Ford may need to cut back on the Escape Hybrid’s body weight to increase fuel efficiency and rise up the list in the future.
The fifth place holder on this list was difficult to pick with the glut of sub-30 MPG hybrids on the market. The Lexus RX 400h was able to beat out models by Toyota, Saturn and Chevrolet due to its mixture of good value and luxury elements. While the RX 400h retails for $42,000, it gets a surprising 27 MPG considering its SUV frame. The 268-horsepower engine produces nearly twice the power of the Ford Escape Hybrid but gets similar mileage to Ford’s all-wheel Escape.
