Hybrid Question...

[pipsqueak]

We are considering purchasing a Highlander hybrid as they are advertised at 35 MPG average. But do they really deliver and is it worth the extra $10,000.00 premium to pay for a hybrid???

[Leighcm]

This is a really complicated question, with lots of answers...where do I start?

Do they really deliver? Yes...and no. A lot of it depends on you, your driving habits, your climate, and more. If you have the patience to follow the instructions on the Toyota website about how to optimize your gas mileage, you can get pretty close to the listed mileage. However, don't plan on getting the mileage for the first few thousand miles as it takes time to break it in properly. If you live in an area with temperature extremes, you'll need to run the motor more to power all your accessories, like air conditioning, and this will take your gas mileage down. If you are looking for performance, it's got it...but you'll lose mileage if you drive for performance.

The ideal situation for a hybrid is if you live in a large metro area, and you do a lot of stop and go driving. Do not buy the hybrid for a commuter car as that's absolutely not what it's made for. Half of the hybrid benefits come from the fact that the gas engine will shut off when not needed...and it's almost always needed when you're driving at highway speeds. You will be wasting your money if you purchase a hybrid with highway fuel savings in mind.

What it does deliver:

Taxes: I believe there's still an income tax savings available. Check www.irs.gov for more information, but do it soon. I believe the tax credit/write-off is only available for a few more months for Toyota hybrids.

Emissions: the Toyota/Lexus hybrids are SULEV (super ultra low emissions vehicles). This means that a hybrid in LA will actually have cleaner air coming out of the tailpipe than going into the engine. Pretty cool, huh?

Brakes: reduced brake pad wear because the nature of the hybrid system uses something similar to engine braking to stop the vehicle until you get under about 15 mph. As a result, your brakes last significantly longer.

Handling: okay, this might just be me. However, I found that hybrid versions of Toyota and Lexus products seem to handle better than the gas versions. The hybrids are slightly heavier, and have responsive electric steering. They feel a bit more like a European car to me.

Noise & vibration: the hybrid is much quieter than the gas model. It's because the gas motor kicks on and off as needed, so there's less engine noise & vibration. There's also no "shift shock" in the transmission because it's a CVT.

Carpool lanes: some of the major cities that have carpool lanes allow you to drive in the car pool lane if you have a hybrid car or electric car (or an actual car pool, of course.)

Really cool technology: at a bare minimum, you get an amazing piece of cutting-edge technology. Toyota has been making hybrids for almost 11 years, and have the hybrid drive down to an art form. And the hybrid components add some nice torque to the vehicle.

One last thing: take another look at that price tag. I think you'll find that the difference is closer to $4,000 more for a comparably equipped hybrid. The MSRP may be $10,000 more, but hybrids typically come with more high-tech equipment that would cost extra on a standard vehicle.