Wheels

Hybrid SUVs

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Big Space, Small Emissions
by Gary Lawrence

If the recent ups and downs of gas prices have taught us anything, it’s that Americans love their big cars. One good gauge of American buying habits is sales of the Toyota Prius. In April 2008, when gas prices soared toward $4 a gallon, Toyota couldn’t build Priuses fast enough. The company sold roughly 21 thousand Priuses in that month alone, with many people being forced to wait for months or more for their vehicle. But as fuel prices dropped, Priuses went from clogging city streets to clogging dealer lots — just 8,700 were sold in November — and sales of larger vehicles regained momentum. By the end of 2008, the Ford F-150 and Chevy Silverado series of trucks held the top two spots in terms of sales.

The message that Americans like ‘em big has been heard loud and clear by car manufacturers and they are responding in kind. Rather than trying to force people into gas-sipping cars that they don’t want to drive, automakers have begun to make the cars they want to drive sip less gas. The result; there are 10 hybrid SUVs on the market — from the likes of Cadillac, Ford, Lexus, Saturn and Toyota — and many more in the works — from Audi, Honda Mercedes and Porsche. So now you can haul the kids and their gear to soccer practice without feeling overly guilty about ruining the environment. Here is a look at some of the varied choices there are in the hybrid SUV market.

Affordability

When dealing with hybrids, the increased complexity means an increased cost. But that doesn’t mean that all hybrid SUVs are prohibitively expensive. The Saturn Vue Hybrid, despite being the cheapest of the bunch at $28,855, still returns a solid 25 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway. What’s more, the Vue’s hybrid system turns off the combustion engine completely when the vehicle is at a stop, which not only reduces emissions at idle but also makes the car quiet enough to hear the server at the local McDonald’s drive-up window.

Ford joined in the hybrid game by taking their Escape, already one of the country’s best selling small SUVs, and boosting its efficiency in city driving by more than 50 percent, from 22 mpg to 34 mpg. Unfortunately, along with a considerable increase in gas savings comes a considerable increase in cost — the Ford Escape hybrid starts at $29,305, nearly $9,000 more than the base gasoline model.

In the world of alternative vehicles, the words hybrid and Toyota are almost synonymous. The Prius was the first successful hybrid automobile, although not the first hybrid to be sold in America — Honda’s 2000 Insight holds that title — so it comes as no surprise that Toyota produces one of the nicer hybrid SUVs on the market. The Highlander’s stylish and roomy cabin — it can easily seat seven — comes wrapped in an attractive and sturdy package that earns a rating of 27 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway. At $34,700 it’s not the cheapest SUV in its category but it comes equipped with Toyota’s field-tested, driver-approved Hybrid Synergy Drive.

Luxury

If you’re looking for a high-end luxury hybrid SUV your limited to just two choices; the Cadillac Escalade Hybrid and the Lexus RX 400h. Like all hybrids, both vehicles are outfitted with a combination of electric motors and a standard combustion engine. Depending on the driving situation the vehicles use either the electric or gas engine, or both, to maximize efficiencies and decrease the amount of fuel needed. Just don’t go thinking that because your SUV is a hybrid you are going to experience Prius mileage figures. Even with conservative driving the RX 400h, with its impressively smooth shifting continuously variable transmission, gets just 24 miles per gallon in the city and 21 on the highway. The Escalade, and its 4-speed automatic, ekes out just 20 mpg in the city and 21 on the highway, although that’s a big improvement on the standard Escalade’s embarrassing 12 city/19 highway mpg figures.

As one would expect, these SUVs shower their occupants in luxury, with leather interiors, navigation systems, and high-grade cabin materials. Coupled with that, both vehicles earned 5-Star Crash ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. However, this fuel efficiency, luxury and safety doesn’t come cheaply, with the Lexus commanding a base MSRP of $43,480 while the Cadillac starts at a healthy $73,475.

Cadillac

Don Mackey Cadillac

815 W. Auto Mall Dr., 520.624.0481

Don Mackey Cadillac

860 W. Auto Mall Dr., 520.292.9898

Ford

Holmes Tuttle Ford

660 W. Auto Mall Dr., 520.292.3600

Jim Click Ford

6244 E. 22nd St., 520.747.2000

Jim Click Ford

1030 W. Duval Rd., Green Valley