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Hybrids
The original version of the Honda Insight, sold between 2000 and 2006, was odd-looking. But as the first mass-produced hybrid vehicle available in the United States, its unique status and strange appearance made it cool. When the Insight departed, the Toyota Prius took over hybrid dominance, and Honda hasn't been happy since. The Insight returned in 2009 as a 2010 model and Honda is ready to go head-to-head with the Prius by offering its new base model Insight for less than $20,000. It's the country's least expense hybrid. 
The Prius, which means "to go before" in Latin, has come a long way since 1997 when Toyota introduced it as the world's first mass-produced hybrid. But with several more manufacturers now offering quality hybrids, Toyota redesigned and upgraded the hybrid industry-leading Prius for its third generation in 2010. The standard and optional changes are substantial — the redesigned exterior, better gas mileage (the first legitimate 50 mpg EPA estimate) and Intelligent Parking Assist (IPA). The Prius is now among the top-20 best-selling cars in the country. Yet, it's still a work in progress.
When it debuted in 2006, it could have easily been considered an oxymoron — a luxury, hybrid sport utility vehicle? But with its upgrades, the newly named Lexus RX 450h has become even more mainstream in its short tenure. The RX 450h no longer attracts a "wow-factor" response because it initiated a new vehicle segment. Instead, it garners attention for the same reasons as its siblings — class. In short, it deserves the manufacturer's luxury brand high praise reputation.
The Honda Civic hybrid, in its runner-up status to the Toyota Prius among eco-popular cars, has no reason to feel inferior. Its gas mileage averages are lower than the Prius and it doesn't have, for whatever reason, the same "green appeal" as its rival. But the 2009 Civic hybrid has a refreshed exterior design and more interior space and is far more attractive than its biggest competitor. Still, the new and improved Civic hybrid isn't an overt bargain.
Green Car Journal has built a strong reputation in the industry, and the publication has again just announced the five finalists for its 2010 Green Car of the Year award. The list includes two diesels and three hybrids, one obvious choice, another not so much.The criteria for the award is simple. Eligible cars must available in the United States and honorees must fit in the scope of the magazines philosophy: "the intersection of automobiles, energy and the environment."
What do you get when you cross a hippie with a rapper?
The Cadillac Escalade Hybrid of course.
I remember when my dad, after emigrating to Chicago from Europe and after countless hours of toil, finally made it in America.
The first thing he did was reward himself by buying a massive Cadillac Eldorado. 
Now entering its third year as a rare luxury sport sedan hybrid, the 2009 Lexus GS 450h is a desirable automobile that just happens to be a hybrid. There's little, if any, consolation to its “green status” in any area of the car — acceleration to braking, handling to design. It's a hybrid alright, with its small hybrid nameplate is so subtly positioned, how would anyone really know? It's a heavy heavyweight in the premium sedan market. It features extraordinary technology, including features other hybrids don't offer. The GS 450h operates in gas-only or electric-only mode or a combination, for example, with little difference in performance but plenty eco-friendly ambition.
A decade ago, your
quirky “green” neighbors down the street may have driven a Honda
Insight, but hybrid vehicles largely existed on the fringe. Today,
owning an eco-friendly car has become mainstream—the same family down
the street may still have their odd-looking hybrid, but the fraternity
now includes soccer moms, bank executives and college students.
The 2010 Honda Insight will be available sooner than previously announced, according to the New York Times. The gas-electric hybrid will be available beginning March 24 at a starting price for the base LM model of $19,800. According to the newspaper, the total price (with destination charge)
will be $20,470 or about $2,250 less than Toyota Prius, the
best-selling hybrid in the United States.
Far too few new American cars average more than 30 mpg. But the 2008 Nissan Altima hybrid is in the small fraternity and that means it warrants extended consideration. A midsize sedan with strong competition among hybrid and non-hybrid family vehicles, the Altima hybrid offers surprising versatility and holds its own in many areas against non-hybrid leaders Honda Accord and Toyota Camry.
Copyright 2009 The Weekly Driver. All rights reserved.
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