2010 Ford Fusion HybridFord
Transit, transit, transit; it's the hot topic for this year's Toronto mayoralty campaign. Better solutions are needed to move people around in an efficient manner.
But what sometimes gets lost in the conversation is that it's also better for the environment; fewer cars mean less pollution. With better public transit, we can get to our jobs faster, all while making the air cleaner.
However, let's face it, not everyone can afford to give up cars for public transportation. But you don't have to give up on saving the environment; if you're serious, maybe it's time for a hybrid. These cars combine a gas engine with an electric motor to get better fuel economy – and lower emissions – than a comparable gas-only car. Oh, but you also care about your bank account, so we can keep these choices priced less than $12,000.
Sensible
There's no denying that Toyota leads the hybrid-car segment. If you need more room, the Camry Hybrid is a mid-sized car with proven reliability. You'll find these in the 2007-08 range, which offered fuel economy ratings of 8.6 litres/100 km in the city and 8.3 on the highway; not bad, considering its ability to move five people and their cargo.
But the Camry is on the humdrum side to drive; if you want a bit more spirit – and a newer car – take a look at the 2010 Ford Fusion, the first year this mid-sized car was offered with a hybrid powertrain. The Fusion has also proven to have a good reliability record and is on the list of Consumer Reports' best hybrids, along with the Camry. But the Fusion gets better fuel economy than the Toyota, rated by the EPA at 6.9 litres/100 km in the city and 7.8 on the highway – the city rating is better than the highway number, an indication of how effective its hybrid motor does the job.
But if you don't need a large car, there are plenty of smaller hybrids with good fuel economy. Honda has a spate of hybrids, from its Insight – the one that started it all in 1999 – to its compact Civic and sportier CRZ. It's the Civic that you'll find the most plentiful and affordable, with models in the 2006-09 range available for our prices; plus, it looks like a normal car, if that's important to you. The four-door is rated at 7.6 litres/100 km city and 6.3 on the highway – also notice it uses more gas in the city than the larger Ford does. The hybrid version gives up some trunk space over the normal Civic because of the battery, but it does have a stellar dependability history; in fact, there are no recalls listed for these model years.
Indispensable
The one that tops everybody's best hybrid cars is the Toyota Prius. The Insight was the first hybrid, but the Prius made it mainstream; in fact, it's on Consumer Reports' list of best used cars, hybrid or otherwise, a telling indication of how far the Toyota hybrid has come. It's the same size as the Civic and is also found in the same year range but brings in fuel economy of 5.9 litres/100 km city/6.3 highway – though, as with all these hybrids, real-world numbers are probably higher, depending on how you drive. But nothing expresses green credentials more than having a Prius parked in your driveway. Of course, it did fall under that infamous Toyota recall for floor mats and stuck accelerators, but that fix is free.
Nonsensical
For 2008-2009, Chevrolet dipped its toe into the hybrid market with the mid-sized Malibu. But this was only a "mild hybrid", using a Belt Alternator Starter (BAS) system, which was basically the same start-stop system used on many cars today that aren't referred to as hybrids. It offered just a tick better fuel economy over the gas-only Malibus with a six-speed transmission at a higher price. So what's the point?
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