2005 Hybrid Comparison

The tricky thing about hybrids –- aside from all the gears and spinners –- is how the rest of the car handles it all. There are motors, gears, batteries and more, and all of it must be accounted for with minimal intrusion to passengers in ride quality, safety or convenience. For example, virtually all hybrids regenerate and store energy from the act of braking –- an act that changes how it feels when you put your foot on the pedal. There is also extra weight to be managed, and the design must also include battery storage and cooling. Put it all together, and the development of a hybrid vehicle is much more complicated than simply bolting an electric motor onto a four-cylinder engine. If you are shopping hybrid, it comes down to how effectively you save gasoline and lower your emissions. If that’s the only criteria, however the best hybrid on the market is clearly the Honda Insight. But you’ve grown up since the Insight was the new boy in town, and now you want that same kind of powertrain result without the sacrifice.

Well – maybe not so much of the sacrifice.
Today’s new hybrids must perform close to the standard of expectations set by their internal combustion brothers, and they must achieve the results expected of a hybrid. If not –- then why buy? It’s a tough goal, but it is what it is: Hybrids must do the thing they do and must perform on the road. The goal –- to make the technology transparent –- is an ambitious endeavor. Few make it. Most fail in one way or another, with the key differentiator being how, what, and where the technology weasel pops up and says hello to an unsuspecting driver. Between these three hybrids, that little weasel popped most often in the Ford Escape Hybrid, while the Toyota Prius performed competently and the Honda Accord –- well, let’s just say that this particular technology weasel has got some mighty sharp teeth.