We’ve become an SUV loving country. After all what could be better than a vehicle that’s got plenty of room, goes just about anywhere, and makes you feel safe when you’re driving? The trouble is SUVs are gas guzzlers and they also aren’t great for our environment. However, that’s been changing over the past few years with the release of several models of hybrid SUVs. (Clean and efficient diesels are on their way too, but they’re not here yet.)

Here is the list of Hybrid SUVs available as of January 2008:
Chevy Tahoe Hybrid
Ford Escape Hybrid
GMC Yukon Hybrid
Lexus RX 400h
Mazda Tribute Hybrid
Mercury Mariner Hybrid
Saturn Vue Green Line
Toyota Highlander Hybrid

The Ford Escape – It is available as a FWD or 4WD unit. The 2WD gets 31 mpg in town and 36 mpg on the highway; while the 4WD gets 29 mpg in town and 33 mpg on the highway with a cruising range of 400 to 600 miles. Base price is $26,900 US.

A stock 2.3 liter, four cylinder engine is combined with a 65 kilowatt electric motor for a total of 155 HP. It has an electronically controlled automatic variable transmission; rack and pinion steering with electric power assist; and power assisted ABS 4 wheel disk brakes. Fuel capacity is 15 gallons/60 liters and it comes with 16” aluminum wheels.

Standard equipment includes air conditioning; ABS; roof rack; power windows, doors, and mirrors; AM/FM stereo with 6 disk CD; keyless entry; driver and front passenger air bag; intermittent wipers; and perimeter alarm.

The Lexus RX 400H 2WD – It gets 27 mpg in town and 31 mpg on the highway with a cruising range of 450 to 530 miles. Base price is $48,500 US.

The Lexus RX 400H comes with a stock 3.3 liter four cylinder engine, which is combined with permanent magnet electric drive motors for a total of 268 HP. It has electronically controlled automatic variable transmission; rack and pinion steering with electric power assist; and power assisted ABS 4 wheel disk brakes. Fuel capacity is 17.2 gallons/65 liters and it comes with 18” aluminum wheels.

Standard equipment includes dual zone automatic climate control, ABS, 8 speaker sound system with 6 disk CD, slide moon roof, power tilt, garage door transceiver, part time all wheel drive, voice activated navigation system, memory system, remote entry system, and accessory power outlet.

The Toyota Highlander – It is available as a FWD or 4WD unit. The 2WD gets 28 mpg in town and 33 mpg on the highway, while the 4WD gets 27 mpg in town and 31 mpg on the highway. Base price is $33,000 US.

It comes with a stock 3.3 liter double overhead cam V6 gas motor with 4500 rpm electric drive motors for a total of 268 HP. It has electronically controlled automatic variable transmission; electronic power steering; and ABS 4 wheel disk brakes. Fuel capacity is 17.2 gallons/65 liters and it comes with 17 1/2” five spoke aluminum wheels.

Standard equipment includes dual power tilt, moon roof with sunshade, roof rack, intermittent wipers, remote keyless entry, advanced airbag system, digital climate control system, power heated outside mirrors, and optional 4WD.

If you need a big SUV, then there are options available like the Chevy Tahoe Hybrid which gets a 25% fuel mileage improvement over the conventional gasoline powered SUV. Part of the savings come from the hybrid engine while part comes from the V-8’s ability to deactivate cylinders when not needed.

There’s quite a range in pricing between these hybrid SUVs; so you’ll want to do your research and find out which unit best meets your needs and provides the best value.

Did you enjoy this post? If so, why not subscribe to my RSS feed and be notified every time I make a new blog post.

Need an easy way to start saving money on gas right now? I recommend you get a gas card. They’re free, and the savings can really add up. Check out my gas cards page to find out which ones are recommended and which ones aren’t worth the plastic they’re printed on.

Have you signed up to get my free money saving report, “62 ways to save money on gas” yet? If not, click here to get it absolutely FREE!

400h Alternative Fuel Vehicles Fuel Technology gmc green line hybird hybrid lexus mariner mazda mercury suvs tahoe toyota tribute vue yukon