If you were to mention American hybrid vehicles, the same person might think that hybrid SUVs are the extent of American hybrid vehicles that are available.
What might not be as obvious is that American made hybrid cars compare fairly well to foreign hybrids overall. If you were to look at Car and Driver Magazine’s top 10 vehicles for 2010, there are several foreign vehicles on the list. However, the one hybrid vehicle on the list is the Ford Fusion Hybrid. Hybrid American cars are fast overtaking foreign hybrids in popularity, and not just with SUVs. Some who want hybrid vehicles are using price as the final decision maker in which vehicle they choose. Some American hybrid cars are less expensive than the more popular hybrid imports. However, those who choose by price aren’t settling for lower quality vehicles.
Fuel Economy In American Made Hybrid Cars
The Toyota Prius gets an EPA estimated fuel economy of approximately 50 miles per gallon. The estimated EPA fuel economy for the Ford Fusion Hybrid is approximately 10 mpg below that number. Though this may seem like a large difference in the fuel economy, overall, both EPA estimates are a major improvement over similar size traditional gasoline powered vehicles.
When comparing fuel economy, you’ll find that some American made hybrid cars have achieved better fuel economy than a comparable size foreign model. For example, the Ford Escape hybrid gets an EPA estimated 28 to 32 miles per gallon. Yet, the Toyota Highlander hybrid gets an EPA estimated 26 mpg. Though this isn’t a large difference overall, it shows that American automakers have worked to increase their fuel economy and develop better hybrid electric motors.
Acceleration Power, Extras, And American Hybrid Cars
American automakers know that many Americans don’t want to settle for slower vehicles even when they are purchasing hybrid vehicles. This may be part of the reason that American hybrid cars don’t get quite the fuel economy offered in foreign hybrid vehicles. However, this also means that American made hybrid cars are more fun to drive than their foreign counterparts. Additionally, these vehicles have several options that aren’t available in the foreign hybrid cars.
General Motors vehicles come with OnStar®. Not only does OnStar® help you when you’re lost or simply looking for a place to eat in a strange city, OnStar® can help if your vehicle is stolen. Additionally, it is possible to mix satellite radio with the OnStar® system to allow you to avoid traffic jams by finding alternate routes. This isn’t a fuel saving tactic so much as one that’ll help you save time on the road and hopefully prevent a lot of hassles on your daily commute.
Don’t think that Ford vehicles don’t have extra gadgets that make them more attractive as well. Ford vehicles come standard with the Ford Sync system. This system combines several electronics with voice control, allowing you to access your iPod and Bluetooth® technology with voice commands. Additionally, the Ford vehicles come standard with satellite radio. If you purchase the Fusion hybrid and upgrade to the “Moon and Tune Value Package,” you even get real-time traffic updates and weather information with the Sirius Travel Link system. The Car and Driver Magazine website at http://www.caranddriver.com has more than reviews for hybrid American cars; the website offers a list of available packages and options offered for each vehicle.
Choosing American Made Hybrid Cars
If you are choosing your hybrid vehicle solely on the basis of fuel economy, you can compare several hybrid vehicles at the government’s fuel economy website, http://www.fueleconomy.gov. On this website, they have a separate section for hybrid vehicles. You can choose one or several vehicles to compare to be sure that you choose the one with the best EPA estimated fuel economy.
However, if you aren’t as worried about fuel economy as other factors, you can get information on the various hybrid vehicles from several websites. You should decide what you’re looking for in a car, and then visit these websites to read the reviews for the various cars. Whether you choose an American hybrid car or a foreign hybrid car, you can visit the Edmunds.com website at http://www.edmunds.com and read the editor’s reviews for the different vehicles. Additionally, you can read reviews from other consumers, allowing you to get more than one opinion.
You may find that you’re still not sure which one of the hybrid American cars you’d prefer. At that point, you can go to one of several other websites for more information. If you’d like vehicle safety information, you can go to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website at http://www.safercar.gov. On this website, you can find the test results from the government safety testing for each vehicle for sale in the United States. More safety testing information can be found at the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety website at http://www.iihs.org. Both agencies publish data from crash tests for all vehicles. If you’re interested in a vehicle that received less than stellar ratings in the tests, then you may decide not to purchase that vehicle.
Recent Recalls In Foreign Hybrid Cars
Recently, Toyota recalled several hundred thousand Prius models because the braking system wasn’t working correctly. Many hybrid vehicles charge the battery with power recovered when the car slows down. However, in recent years, there have been complaints about the quality of many Toyota products. It’s thought that the recent recalls of Toyota vehicles were the result of Toyota pushing to get the highest portion of the market share without spending adequate time working on quality.
Though less talked about, Honda found a problem with their air bag system. The company recalled several hundred thousand vehicles as well. Included in the recall are hybrid and traditional gasoline powered Honda Civics from as far back as the 2001 model year.
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