Hybrid Car

You are concerned about the environment enough to consider purchasing and driving a Hybrid car. But what Hybrid should you purchase? You are already aware of the tax credit benefits of owning a hybrid cars. You are aware of the gas saving potential of driving a hybrid. However, you may not be aware of the high repair cost of a hybrid car.

You made the right decision to do a little research before making your choices. Here is the Car and Driver Magazine had to say about the top vehicles:

Honda Accord Hybrid

The Accord was the first to exploit the double potential of hybrid technology: reduced fuel consumption combined with improved performance. Honda hybrids are engagingly simple and effective, making this the thriftiest of Accords, as well as the quickest Accord automatic. Highs: Added power, improved mpg, V-6 cylinder deactivation, dual air-conditioning system. Lows: Miniature hybrid operating gauges, electric motor assist limited by batteries, shrunken trunk, hybrid price premium.

Honda Civic Hybrid

This isn’t as overtly hybrid as its competition from Toyota, but its gasoline-electric system is simpler, which means fewer things to go wrong. Now in its second generation, the hybrid Civic is more powerful than the first edition and also more fuel efficient. Highs: Rakish new exterior styling, high quality fit and finish, elegantly simple hybrid system, more performance and mpg. Lows: This hybrid is better than its predecessor, but its fun factor lies not in driving but in monitoring mpg.

Toyota Prius Hybrid

The Prius has been a huge success for Toyota. It appeals both to environmentalists and people who are concerned with fuel economy. While it gets gas mileage comparable with that of a subcompact, it has the interior capacity of a mid-size car. Plus, it also has a unique look. Highs: Superb gas mileage, especially in the city; futuristic styling; space-efficient interior. Lows: Costs a lot more than many smaller cars that give comparable highway mileage; boring to drive. It also has mediocre dynamics, with slow, numb steering and hard-to-modulate brakes. Its skinny tires are a letdown.

Toyota Camry

If you want to be green but don’t want to announce it to other road users, the Camry hybrid is the perfect car for you. It uses the same system of a gas engine and electric motors as the Prius. Gas mileage is improved over a four-cylinder Camry, but it costs MUCH more. Highs: Terrific gas mileage; smooth, seamless power between electric motors and gas engine; excellent interior craftsmanship. Lows: Significant price premium over the non-hybrid Camry; not exciting to drive.

Ford Escape

The additional electric motors and batteries of the hybrid Escape and Mariner do not degrade the vehicles’ basically terrific packaging. In our hands, a hybrid Escape delivered a respectable 25 mpg, but it’ll take years to save enough gas to pay the $3000 premium over the gas version. Highs: Very good fuel economy for an SUV. Useful and roomy interior. Lows: Slow, turtle-like acceleration thanks to heavy curb weight. It’s big, and carries an extra $3000 Hybrid charge.

Making your decision on a Hybrid is a natural concerned choice. Now go Green and pick your options.

Hybrid Cars

How hybrid cars work

Hybrid cars are constantly in the news right now, and for a good reason – they get great gas mileage. But have you ever thought about where the great mileage comes from? Last week I received a question from a reader that gets at the essence of hybrid car technology. The question was, “how can a hybrid car be any more efficient than a normal car, given that the engine has to charge the batteries?” In other words, since the engine has to burn gas to charge the battery anyway, why doesn’t the mileage of a hybrid car work out to be the same as a normal car?

To understand the full meaning of this question, it is helpful to explore the technology of hybrid cars for one minute. We can use the Toyota Prius as an example. The Prius has both a small gasoline engine and an electric motor. There is also a battery pack for the motor, a special transmission that lets the engine and the motor work together, and a computer that controls the whole thing.
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Hybrid Cars

About the Toyota Hybrid Car

There is nothing better than going down the highway in a car that is gorgeous and gives you great style and excellent gas mileage. The elegance and sleek styling of the Toyota brand is distinctive and gleams with craftsmanship from bumper to bumper. The style that this car brand offers automobile buyers is radiant and can be distinguished from any other on the road, as it zooms down the highways and back roads of America.

There is a new breed of the stylish and elegant Toyota automobile on the market today, and the difference that it offers will only emerge at the gas pumps. The outside appearance of these vehicles look no different than any other automobile on the market today if the Toyota styling was not in place. The difference is in how the car was designed and what mechanisms are under the hood that were specifically engineered to save the consumer money.

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Hybrid Cars