Over the last two or three years, there has been a lot of talk about hybrid cars and the many benefits they seem to offer. It seems that hybrid cars may be the solution to the two main problems that we face in the United States today when it comes to transportation…

What are those two problems facing the United States when it comes to transportation?

1. Increase in oil prices

2. Concern for the environment

So how do you know which hybrid car to buy?

Compare your options and benefits.

Owning a hybrid car will offer you many, many benefits.

To name a few hybrid benefits:

1. Tax exemptions by many states and the federal government
2. Savings on fuel costs: hybrids use less fuel
3. Hybrid cars are better for the environment by producing fewer emissions

For these reasons and the never-ending rise in gas station prices, hybrid cars have seen a sharp rise in sales.

More and more car manufacturers are joining the hybrid vehicle arena with their own versions. Both old companies that have been around forever and many new “green car” companies are emerging to enter the hybrid car revolution. This is wonderful for those of you planning to buy a hybrid car, you now have so many options it’s almost unbelievable, that’s why you really need to compare hybrid cars to see which one would fit your needs perfectly.

In this article we will only compare two of the main manufacturers of hybrid cars in the world, Toyota and Honda of the Japanese giant.

Toyota and Honda are credited with producing many of the major innovations in hybrid technology, and their hybrid cars are the most popular and award-winning hybrid vehicles in the hybrid market today.

Here in this article we will compare the hybrid cars that they are offering for the year 2007, these will include the Honda Accord Hybrid, Honda Civic Hybrid, Lexus GS 450H, Toyota Camry Hybrid and Toyota Prius.

Your fuel efficiency can be compared through your average consumption per mile in different situations, such as; City driving – where traffic is constantly stopped, Highway driving – where the engine is free to operate at maximum level and its combined average usage.

Miles per gallon and average usage per gallon

• Honda Accord Hybrid – 28 MPG (city), 35 MPG (highway), and 31 MPG (average combined)
• Honda Civic – 49 MPG (city), 51 MPG (highway), and 50 MPG (average combined)
• Lexus GS-450H – 25 MPG (city), 28 MPG (highway), and 26 MPG (average combined)
• toyota camry hybrid – 40 MPG (city), 38 MPG (highway), and 39 MPG (average combined)
• Toyota Prius – 60 MPG (city), 51 MPG (highway), and 55 MPG (average combined)

Before you go out and choose the one with the highest average MPG, you need to consider one other thing.

Fuel type.

All of these vehicles use regular gasoline except the Lexus which uses Premium gasoline which is much more expensive per gallon.

You should also compare the size class of each hybrid car, as well as engine size and engine liters.

• The Accord Hybrid is a midsize car with a 3-liter, 6-cylinder engine.
• The Civic Hybrid is a compact car with a 1.3-liter 4-cylinder engine.
• Lexus GS 450H is another compact car with a 3.5 liter 6 cylinder engine.
• The Toyota Camry Hybrid is a midsize sedan equipped with a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine.
• The Toyota Prius is a compact car with a 1.5-liter 4-cylinder engine.

The bigger the car and the more powerful the engine, the more fuel will be consumed. Keeping all these aspects in mind and doing your homework can lead to a fantastic hybrid vehicle purchase.

You need to put all considerations on the table when looking for the best hybrid to buy.

So before you rush out to buy that shiny new hybrid car, shop around first and do your homework. Find the one that best suits your needs and your personality, and you’ll be on your way to helping save the environment and save some money on fuel.