Top Hybrid Cars: A Complete Guide

Hybrid gas-electric cars really aren't that complicated. Add an electric motor and rechargeable batteries to the conventional gas engine—and see your efficiency increase by as much as 50 percent. The onboard computer does all the hard work of switching between gas and electric power.

How Hybrids Work

List of Hybrid Cars

Name	Combined MPG	Type	MSRP	Available	Description
Toyota Prius	50 MPG	Sedan	$22,400	Now	The number-one selling hybrid car. The Prius is nearly synonymous with "hybrid."
Honda Civic Hybrid	42 MPG	Sedan	$22,600	Now	Fuel efficiency, full-hybrid system, and a sleek design.
Honda Insight	41 MPG	Sedan	$19,800	Now	The new Honda Insight combines practicality, affordability and top-of-the-charts fuel economy.
Ford Fusion Hybrid	39 MPG	Sedan	$27,300	Now	A full-size sedan that achieves 41 mpg in the city.
Mercury Milan Hybrid	39 MPG	Sedan	$27,500	Now	The Milan Hybrid, close cousin to the Fusion, almost doubles the city efficiency of the non-hybrid Milan.
Nissan Altima Hybrid	34 MPG	Sedan	$26,800	Now	The Altima Hybrid is basically a Toyota hybrid wrapped in Nissan’s attractive packaging.
Lexus HS 250h	34 MPG	Sedan	$34,200	Now	Think of it as a luxury Prius with a trunk.
Toyota Camry Hybrid	33 MPG	Sedan	$25,500	Now	The hybrid version of the Camry beats the fuel efficiency of the V6 version by 10 mpg.
Ford Escape Hybrid	32 MPG	SUV	$29,300	Now	The overall most fuel efficient SUV.
Mercury Mariner Hybrid	32 MPG	SUV	$29,800	Now	Slightly upscale version of the Ford Escape Hybrid.
Mazda Tribute Hybrid	32 MPG	SUV	$29,900	Now	The Mazda Tribute Hybrid is basically a re-skinned Ford Escape Hybrid, using the same powertrain and many of the same interior bits.
Lexus RX 450h	28 MPG	SUV	$41,700	Now	Updated version of the luxury SUV with green stripes.
Toyota Highlander Hybrid	26 MPG	SUV	$33,700	Now	More affordable than the Lexus RX400h, more powerful than Ford's hybrid SUVs, and more efficient than GM's full-size SUV hybrids.
Lexus RX 400h	25 MPG	SUV	$42,000	Now	Everything a luxury SUV buyer seeks—in a greener package.
Lexus GS 450h	23 MPG	Sedan	$54,900	Now	Race-car-like acceleration, luxurious appointments, and half-way decent fuel efficiency.
Mercedes ML 450 Hybrid	22 MPG	SUV	n/a	Now	The Mercedes-Benz version of the Two-Mode system combines a 275-horsepower, 3.5-liter V6 gasoline engine and two electric motors.
Mercedes S400 BlueHybrid	22 MPG	Sedan	$89,000	Now	This eco-chic luxury sedan could be the first production vehicle with a lithium ion battery.
Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid	21 MPG	SUV	$50,500	Now	A new breed of full-size SUV that is significantly greener than its gas-powered counterparts
Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid	21 MPG	Pickup	$39,000	Now	GM phased out the ultra-light hybrid pickups that produced a 10-15 percent increase in fuel economy to make room for a full-hybrid version of the Silverado.
Lexus LS 600h L	21 MPG	Sedan	$104,000	Now	Lexus's 5-liter, V8, 430-horsepower luxury sedan hybrid.
GMC Sierra Hybrid	21 MPG	Pickup	$39,400	Now	Breaks the 20-mpg mark to become the most efficient full-size pickup.
GMC Yukon Hybrid	21 MPG	SUV	$50,500	Now	The sister vehicle of the Chevy Tahoe Hybrid. Same gas-saving improvements to the XXL platform.
Cadillac Escalade Hybrid	20 MPG	SUV	$70,000	Now	The first eight-passenger luxury SUV hybrid. An odd mix of self-indulgence and green.
Honda Global Subcompact Hybrid	n/a		n/a	2009	A small, practical, affordable and entirely new hybrid-only model from Honda.
Hyundai Sonata Hybrid	31 MPG	Sedan	n/a	2010	Hyundai's first hybrid could offer efficiency above 30 mpg, for thousands below the competition.
Saturn Vue Green Line Two-Mode	30 MPG	SUV	$33,000	2010	The Two-Mode Hybrid version of the Saturn Vue is a solid high-efficiency V6 SUV.
BMW X6 Hybrid	18 MPG	SUV	$90,000	2010	An SUV that has crossed over into sports car territory.
Hyundai Accent Hybrid	n/a	Sedan	n/a	2010	Hyundai delayed development of its $15,000 45-mpg subcompact until 2009, at the earliest.
Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid	n/a	SUV	n/a	2010	The Porsche Cayenne Hybrid achieves better than 24 miles per gallon compared with less than 18 mpg for the conventional model.
Honda Fit Hybrid	n/a	Sedan	n/a	2010	The hybrid version of the Honda subcompact could become the leader of the pack on fuel efficiency.
Honda CR-Z Hybrid	n/a	Coupe	n/a	2010	Can a hybrid compact car be sporty and speedy? Honda will try.
Dodge Ram Hybrid	n/a	Pickup	n/a	2010	Chrysler's hemi-powered hybrid system applied to the Ram pickup.
BMW ActiveHybrid 7	n/a	Sedan	n/a	2010	The fastest-accelerating hybrid sedan in the world
Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid	n/a	SUV		2011	Combines a direct injection engine and hybrid gas-electric system for maximum benefit.
Infiniti M35 Hybrid	n/a	Sedan	n/a	2011	Infiniti's first hybrid offers a compelling combo of luxury, performance and fuel efficiency. Due in 2011.
Ford Reflex	n/a	Coupe	n/a	Concept	Concept sports coupe marries 1.4-liter turbo-diesel engine with Ford's hybrid drive.
Mercury Meta One	n/a	Van	n/a	Concept	A hybrid transmission with a twin-turbocharged V-6 diesel engine calibrated to run on biodiesel.
Toyota Volta	n/a	Coupe	n/a	Concept	Before the Chevy Volt, there was the Toyota Volta—a super-hip and speedy concept hybrid from Toyota.
Toyota Sienna Hybrid	n/a	Van	n/a	Concept	Toyota offers a hybrid minivan in Japan. Thousands of families are waiting for that option in the United States.
Toyota Hybrid X	n/a	Sedan	n/a	Concept	The Hybrid X is a design exercise indicating the general visual direction of Toyota's hybrids.
Saab BioPower Hybrid	n/a	Sedan	n/a	Concept	Saab's kitchen sink approach to solving environmental problems in cars.
Volvo 3CCC	n/a	Coupe	n/a	Concept	Rocket-shaped three-seater can accommodate the full range of power systems and fuels.
Toyota A-BAT Concept Hybrid Pickup Truck	n/a	Pickup	n/a	Concept	A kinder, gentler, and weirder vision for a pickup truck. And it's a hybrid.
Audi Q7 Hybrid	n/a	SUV	n/a	Concept	Refined and opulent, and now the hybrid version offers slightly better fuel efficiency.
Dodge Grand Caravan Hybrid	n/a	Van	n/a	Concept	At this stage, it's more of a rumor than a definite release. But it makes sense for Chrysler.
Chrysler Aspen Hybrid	19 MPG	SUV	$44,700	Discntd.	A hulking 5.7-liter V8 Hemi hybrid.
Dodge Durango Hybrid	19 MPG	SUV	$44,500	Discntd.	Chrysler discontinued its hemi hybrid.
Honda Accord Hybrid	n/a	Sedan	n/a	Discntd.	The Honda Accord Hybrid emphasized power over efficiency. Honda's experiment failed, and the vehicle was discontinued in 2007.