Top Five Hybrid Cars
Top hybrid cars are fast, stylish and fuel efficient.
We discovered speed, fuel efficiency and cool styling in our quest for the best hybrid cars. Take a look at our top picks.
Just last year, you may not have thought about a hybrid car as your first choice when buying a car. But now, it seems, fuel efficiency may be the most important factor in your choice.With so many more choices in this year’s models, we tested out all hybrids on the market and picked the top five hybrid cars.
It’s not a cliché to vote Toyota Prius as the No. 1 hybrid car on the U.S. market today. Toyota Prius has it all: the best overall mpg (60 city/51 highway) of virtually any car on the road, exceptional acceleration and handling, a cozy and roomy interior and perhaps the auto industry’s best in-dash, push-button multimedia system.
And there’s also the rush-hour bonus: the yellow ribbon of glory that allows you to legally glide down the carpool lane at any time. Carpe diem, commuters!
The only drawback, in our view, is the exterior styling. Modern design is cool and everything, but today’s hybrids are looking more and more like all the other cards on the road.
For example, the new Toyota Camry Hybrid looks the same as any other Toyota Camry – except for the “hybrid synergy drive” emblem on its behind. The same goes for Honda’s Accord and Civic and the Lexus GS and RX series.
Yes, the Toyota Prius does give you instant “I am environmentally friendly” appeal, but do you really need to shout it out? The answer is a resounding “yes” to all those who want simply the best hybrid on the road and the ultimate luxury of driving in both the fast and carpool lanes.
The Prius engine -- a 1.4 liter, four cylinder DOHC, 16-valve, gas-electric wonder -- delivers speed, agility and handling with enough style for any taste. And while the interior has modern details (push button start, in-dash modular shift stick, space-age computer console), there’s enough classic design in there to satisfy even most traditionalists.
Beyond engine and styling, however, is the Prius’ built-in technology, which taken together could be this car’s best selling point. Is there any other mid-priced car out there that offers this much technology for the price?
The Prius, thankfully, houses Toyota’s outstanding GPS navigation system. There’s also voice-activated DVD, JBL AM/FM 6-disc CD changer with nine speakers, auxiliary audio jack, MP3/WMA playback capability, hands-free phone capability via Bluetooth and a rear back-up camera.
That’s a ton of technology for the $28,280 model we tested a couple of weeks ago. Given Toyota’s safety and reliability record, it’s no wonder the Prius is the world’s No. 1 selling hybrid vehicle.
Safety warning: The Prius earned a grade of “poor” from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety without the optional side curtain airbags. However, the car did receive a rating of “good” with the side curtain bags.
The Honda Civic Hybrid drives, costs and offers much of the same features as the Toyota Prius – except you’ll look like any other driver out on the road.
The zippy Honda Civic Hybrid seems like it belongs to a younger driver with its tight drive and very modern interior (racer-like steering wheel, sophisticated blue-and-red lighted gauges, computerized console in dash, deep in-dash dish for tech toys next to a MP3 player plug-in).
But at an estimated 49 mpg city and 51 mpg highway, Honda’s Civic Hybrid is a fuel-efficient powerhouse, which comes from its agile 4hp, 1.3 liter SOHC, 8-valve gas-electric engine. The engine has a distinct whine when accelerating fast and then whooshes into an airplane-like sound once the gas kicks in.
Honda’s usual excellent handing and maneuverability are ever present in the Civic Hybrid’s fun drive. Honda’s in-dash multimedia system has its drawbacks. The good thing is the Honda Civic Hybrid comes with a push-button screen for audio and navigation.
It is unfortunate, however, that Honda’s computer graphics look like something from the pong-and-Pac Man era. In comparison, Toyota’s computerized navigation graphics (as well as Jaguar/Land Rover, GM and Mercedes Benz) are like this year’s version of Madden football from EA Sports.
On the up side, Honda’s voice command navigation is perhaps the best in the industry. Honda’s guiding electronic voice gives out almost perfect commands to the driver, which we find to be more helpful than graphics when keeping your eyes on the road.
The cost of the Honda Civic Hybrid is certainly comparable to Toyota Prius at about $22,000 for the average sticker price. The Honda Civic Hybrid also has good safety crash test statistics.
Is there any doubt Toyota’s Camry Hybrid may overtake the market in the next decade as this nation’s No. 1 car? It seems quite the done deal when you know the Toyota Camry has been the best-selling car in America for the past four years and eight of the past nine years.
Now, Toyota has combined the styling, luxury and reliability of the Camry with its “hybrid synergy drive” to capture an estimated 40 mpg city and 38 mpg highway. (In our road test, we were disappointed to get an average 24 mpg).
Toyota’s Camry Hybrid runs on a super fast 147 hp, 2.4 liter, four-cylinder 2AZ-FXE Atkinson-cycle engine. But the engine seemed secondary to the inside of the bright red Toyota Camry Hybrid LXE we tested several weeks ago.
Sit inside the Toyota Camry Hybrid LXE and you are surrounded by the luxury of a well-designed vehicle. Everything seems placed in rather Zen-like fashion.
One of this car’s best features is the opaque plastic around the car’s excellent Toyota multimedia system. At night, the panel lights up a soothing and inspirational turquoise color.
While the Toyota Camry Hybrid LXE can cost almost $40,000, the average price is a reasonable $26,000, especially for such a refined and trusted vehicle. The Toyota Camry also received a top safety pick from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for its good crash test record.
So, you don’t want to sacrifice speed for fuel efficiency? Then go test out the Honda Accord Hybrid. Billed as America’s first V6 hybrid, the Honda Accord Hybrid certainly lives up to its speedy status. In our road test, we found the Honda Accord Hybrid to be a quick, responsive, agile and fuel efficient with an average 25 mpg.
The interior styling, however, seemed to lack some refinement for the $30,000 MSRP price. Lots of black plastic and shiny metal tends to dull the senses, rather enliven the driving experience. Honda Accord models received a top safety pick from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for their good crash test records.
The Lexus GS 450h has the distinction of being the world’s first luxury performance hybrid sedan. We were impressed on a recent test drive, when we picked the Lexus GS 450 as No. 2 in our review of Top Luxury Sedans.
Compared to its gas-powered, full-throated cousin, the Lexus GS, the 450h does seem to lag behind a touch in acceleration. Lexus, however, claims the GS 450h goes from zero to 60 mpg in approximately 5.2 seconds, which surpasses some competitive V8 vehicles.
