By Keith Turner

Every week, the news about gasoline prices seems to get more and more discouraging. First it was $3 per gallon for regular (remember that?). Then news sources told us we could expect to reach $4 per gallon by summer.
Now comes the stunning revelation that one station on the California coast is already charging $5 per gallon. That’s for regular, not premium or super premium or super-duper-make-your-whole-life-run-smoother, but regular. When it comes to fuel prices, the future indeed looks bleak.
But there is good news in the automotive world. The best way to get better fuel mileage is to drive a more fuel-efficient vehicle. Today, the best way to do that is to get a hybrid.
Hybrid technology marries the vehicle’s gasoline-powered engine with one or more electric motors in a computer-choreographed dance that maximizes mileage by limiting the amount of gas used. This is done by automatically shifting power from one motor (gas) to the other (electric) in order to reduce gasoline intake without sacrificing performance. When it comes to fuel-efficient hybrids, the future is especially bright—and it is now.
Here’s a look at some of the top hybrids on the market today with their average EPA mileage ratings and bottom-line base prices:

Small Sedans
The Toyota Prius (51-60 mpg / $22,175) is the most distinctive-looking of all today’s hybrids and it symbolizes the hybrid revolution. Now in its second generation, the Prius features Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive, which has proven to be the benchmark for all other hybrid technology. The Prius and the Honda Civic (49-51 mpg / $22,600) have been the trailblazers for all other hybrids on the market today. However, unlike the Prius, the Civic’s look and design blends in with standard automobiles on the road, with only the nameplate indicating the hybrid engine beneath its hood.

Medium Sedans
This is the category that has seen the biggest hybrid growth over the past couple of years. The Toyota Camry Hybrid (38-42 mpg / $25,200) offers a V-6 engine coupled with an electric motor to reduce fuel consumption. For 2008, Toyota dropped its base price on the Camry Hybrid to place it between the four-cylinder and the six-cylinder automatic models.
Toyota is spreading its happy hybrid technology to the Lexus GS 450h (20-22 mpg / $55,665), a small and sporty sedan that has the look and feel of a higher-priced luxury import. Nissan’s lone hybrid, the four-cylinder Nissan Altima Hybrid (36-42 mpg / $24,400) is only available in a handful of states (including California) and has the ability to operate in electric-only mode at low speeds.
General Motors has come out with a series of sedans featuring “mild hybrid” technology designed to add a power boost rather than great fuel economy to vehicles. One of these is the Saturn Aura Green Line (24-32 mpg / $22,790), which uses the electric motor to improve thrust. Another is the Chevrolet Malibu. Its dramatic redesign for 2008 has garnered plenty of attention, bringing the GM product out of the shadows of a previously dull design. But the “mild” hybrid version is nothing to boast about, adding only a couple extra miles per gallon over the non-hybrid version.

Full-Size Sedans
The luxurious Lexus LS 600h (20-22 mpg / $104,765) is the flagship of the Toyota/Lexus lineup, featuring a powerful V-8 engine mated with an electric motor and comfortable suspension that stands out as a true Lexus.

Compact SUVs
In 2004, the Ford Escape (29-32 mpg / $26,505) became the nation’s first hybrid SUV to hit the market, offering families the increased space and durability of a utility vehicle with the fuel efficiency of a small sedan. Honored as the North American Truck of the year in 2005, the Escape quietly saves gas and is lighter on the environment without shouting, “I am a hybrid!” to the neighborhood.
A year later, the Lexus RX400h Hybrid (27-33 mpg / $41,180) came on the scene as the world’s first luxury hybrid SUV. The RX400h is defined as a "full hybrid," which means that it is capable of operating in electric-only or gas engine-only mode as well as a mode that combines the power of the gas engine and electric motor. The Mercury Mariner Hybrid (31-34 mpg / $25,765) is a clone of the Ford Escape hybrid, rebadged to appeal to Mercury fans.
The Saturn Vue Green Line (25-32 / $24,795), like its Aura hybrid sibling, features a hybrid system that puts more emphasis on power enhancement than fuel economy.
The Toyota Highlander Hybrid (25-27 mpg / $32,490) has been redesigned in 2008 and is the only fuel-sipper to offer families three rows of seats for seven passengers, with all rows capable of folding flat to accommodate dogs and extra cargo. The Mazda Tribute Hybrid (28-32 mpg / $28,630) is basically a Ford Escape Hybrid in Mazda clothing and has the ability to move in electric-only mode at low speeds.

Full-Size SUVs
Named Green Car Journal’s 2008 Green Car of the Year®, the Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid (22-24 mpg / $49,590) is a full-sized SUV with improved fuel efficiency of up to 30 percent. So, if you must drive a full-size SUV (hopefully not for routine trips to the grocery store), the Tahoe Hybrid at least offers a carbon footprint in the right direction.

More Benefits for Your Family
Aside from saving you money at the pump, choosing a greener car the next time you’re in the market means sparing the air our kids breathe (not to mention the groundwater). You’ll also help decrease the demand for oil and increase demand for green technology, making the future a little brighter not just for your own family but for everybody on the planet.

About the Author
Auburn resident Keith Turner is a syndicated automotive writer and father of two. He can be reached at carguy@hotmail.com. His reviews can be found at www.thefamilycar.com and www.dogcars.com.