Comparing Hybrids – Top Five Things to Keep in Mind when Choosing Yours

There are many important things to think about when making the choice, initially--to buy a hybrid. Now that there are more than 2 models available from which to choose, making a final selection is almost as difficult as deciding to go for a hybrid in the first place. Here are some helpful hints to make your final decision.

Remember why it is that you decided to go for a hybrid in the first place. If your heart is truly set on paying less for gas, and the hybrid model that's calling your name is an SUV, call yourself back to reality. While hybrid SUVs do, indeed, have better gas mileage than traditional SUVs (for example the Ford Escape at 33 city mpg and 29 highway mpg), they don't get anywhere near the mileage rating of a hybrid sedan car (up to 68 mpg). If you want to pay less for gas by trading in your sedan for a hybrid SUV, you will be hugely disappointed; this is not a recipe for using less gas or paying less for your total gasoline bill. If you want to pay less for gas, you should be looking at the hybrid sedans, specifically at their recorded miles per gallon.

If you're in the market for a hybrid because you want greater fuel economy, you might have found the way to do it. At the top of the chart is the Honda Insight, rated at 61 city mpg and 68 highway mpg. There is no traditional car that will give you that kind of a result. The least fuel-efficient are the Lexus models. Any way you slice it, you will find better fuel economy in a hybrid than in a traditional car; the trouble is, you have to be comparing similar makes and models. As above, trading your 2-door standard shift hatchback for a hybrid truck is not going to improve your fuel economy. If fuel economy concerns you, take a good hard look at the mpg your current car gets and the mpg of the hybrid you've got your eye on. Use calculators online to keep it all in perspective.

If you currently drive an SUV, and love the way it handles and how much room you have in it, but would like to cut down on environmental impact and cost in gas for yourself, replacing a traditional SUV with a hybrid SUV will effectively reduce the amount of gas you put into your car. However, if you want to reduce overall cost of owning and operating a vehicle this way, know that it will take several years of paying less at the pumps to make up for the additional cost you took on when you bought the hybrid instead of the hybrid's non-hybrid counterpart. To save money by buying a hybrid takes many years of operation.

If you want to be green; if you want to be kind to the environment, do your research before you choose. Don't choose any old hybrid that you like just because it's a hybrid. Do your homework. The range in miles per gallon is drastic, from Honda's 65 mpg to Lexus' 26 mpg. The difference is more than significant. Another hot topic for the environment is materials that make up the batteries used in hybrid cars. Hybrid car batteries use nickel instead of lead, a vast improvement, and research is being done on the newest possibility: lithium. The name of the environmental game is Progress. Choose a hybrid car that is a step above your current car. Honda and Toyota give a refund for bringing in an old hybrid battery to be recycled; it's like bottle deposits … on a much larger scale.

The last thing to consider when choosing your hybrid vehicle is resale value. Hybrids are selling on the used market at almost market price. Is this a function of supply and demand or a function of serious quality that doesn't quickly devalue? Probably a little bit of both. In any case, take a look at buyer trends and if you think you'll be in the market to sell your hybrid within a few years, make sure you choose a model that is tried and true, not the newest hybrid on the block.

Take your time in making this decision; it is not a decision to be lightly made. Most likely, your hybrid car will be with you for many years to come, so choose one that truly meets your criteria. Be realistic in your expectations and optimistic in approach--not for the car's sake, but for yours.