Luxury Hybrid Vehicles

Hybrid technology breaks the link between great fuel efficiency and the stripped-down econobox of the 1970s. Thanks to hybrids, and plug-in models rolling out in the next year or two, car buyers with deep pockets no longer need to compromise on ride quality or luxury features in order to save fuel and protect the planet.

On the other hand, hybrid and electric car makers have a habit of emphasizing large engines and raw speed when thinking about luxury buyers. We've yet to see a hybrid or clean diesel car with great luxury features, but with a right-sized four-cylinder engine that could send fuel efficiency into the 40-mpg range. If it comes out, we'll add it to our luxury hybrid list.

The Lexus LS600hL marries a hybrid powertrain with a 5-liter V8 engine to grant 430 horsepower performance and mileage in the low 20s—all for the bargain price of $104,000.

List of Luxury Hybrids

Name	Combined MPG	Technology	MSRP	Available	Description
BMW 335d	29 MPG	Diesel	$44,700	Now	The 3-series with a 3.0-liter biturbo inline-six diesel powerplant.
Lexus RX 450h	28 MPG		$41,700	Now	Updated version of the luxury SUV with green stripes.
Mercedes E320 Bluetec	27 MPG	Diesel	$52,300	Now	The E320 Bluetec luxury sedan uses a modern diesel system to deliver efficiency and eco-friendliness.
Lexus RX 400h	25 MPG	Hybrid	$42,000	Now	Everything a luxury SUV buyer seeks—in a greener package.
Lexus GS 450h	23 MPG	Hybrid	$54,900	Now	Race-car-like acceleration, luxurious appointments, and half-way decent fuel efficiency.
Lexus LS 600h L	21 MPG	Hybrid	$104,000	Now	Lexus's 5-liter, V8, 430-horsepower luxury sedan hybrid.
Mercedes ML 320 Bluetec	21 MPG	Diesel	$48,600	Now	The most popular Mercedes SUV, available in fuel-efficient clean diesel version.
Mercedes GL320 Bluetec	20 MPG	Diesel	$59,200	Now	The biggest, bluntest, and heaviest clean diesel SUV from Mercedes-Benz.
Tango T600	n/a	Electric	$108,000	Now	First, throw away all the expected conventions about the appropriate size of your daily car. This all-electric vehicle is half the size, from side to side, of most cars.
Tesla Roadster	n/a	Electric	$109,000	Now	The Tesla Roadster is a screaming-fast, all-electric two-seater sports car built on the frame of the Lotus Elise.
Venturi Fetish	n/a	Electric	$400,000	Now	The Venturi Fetish, described by its maker as “the first production electric sports car in automobile history,” will set you back $400,000.
Lexus HS 250h	n/a	Hybrid	n/a	Now	Think of it as a luxury Prius with a trunk.
Fisker Karma	100 MPG	Plug-in Hybrid	$87,000	2009	The rear-wheel drive sporty plug-in hybrid from designer Henrik Fisker.
Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid	n/a	Hybrid	n/a	2010	The Porsche Cayenne Hybrid achieves better than 24 miles per gallon compared with less than 18 mpg for the conventional model.
Mercedes S400 BlueHybrid	n/a	Hybrid	n/a	2010	This eco-chic luxury sedan could be the first production vehicle with a lithium ion battery.
BMW Hydrogen 7	n/a	Hydrogen	n/a	Concept	The BMW Hydrogen 7— essentially a 7 Series sedan—burns sub-zero liquid hydrogen in its conventional V-12 engine.
Cadillac Converj	n/a	Plug-in Hybrid	n/a	Concept	An angular, sleek, luxury concept version of the Chevrolet Volt.
Volkswagen Touareg TDI	17 MPG	Diesel	$68,000	Discntd.	The Touareg TDI is defined by its powerplant, a mammoth 5-liter V10 turbo diesel engine that is engineered to cleanly burn today’s ultra-low sulfur fuel.