Five Reasons Hybrid Cars Are Finally Sexy Page 2

By Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield

Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield

Contributing Writer BIO

Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield is a self-confessed petrol head. She grew up in a carless family but was able at a very early age to name cars passing her on... More

LATEST ARTICLE
Volvo S60 KERS Hybrid Prototype: Brief First Drive
Can you really improve fuel economy and performance just by taking a production car with a... Read More

• #13LEADERBOARD RANK
• 1409ARTICLES CONTRIBUTED
• 22COMMENTS POSTED

1,398 views Dec 14, 2011

Follow Nikki

Add to circle

Gas pump

Enlarge Photo

Hybrids Save You Money

Back when the Toyota Prius first hit the U.S., many early adopters could easily afford the hefty price premium that came with it. To them, owning a hybrid wasn’t as much about a political statement as it was a fiscal one. 

But in tough economic times, drivers welcome any opportunity they can to save money at the gas pump.  And if that means spending a few thousand dollars more at the dealer to save themselves huge fuel bills, they’ll buy a hybrid. 

And because hybrids have been on sale in the U.S. for more than ten years, used hybrids are now offering those who can’t afford a new car the chance to save money at the pump. 

Some Hybrids Are Extremely Desirable

While a plug-in hybrid that only gets 52 MPGe combined might make hardened Toyota Prius fans laugh in derision, the 2012 Fisker Karma luxury sports sedan is the first plug-in hybrid many car drivers would want to own. 

Combing a throbbing 260 horsepower, 2.0 liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine and twin 150-kilowatt electric motors, the $106,000 sports sedan certainly scores highly in the performance stakes. 

And while it won’t win many fans among hardened electric car fans that prefer the super-silent charms of the 2012 Tesla Model S Sedan, the Fisker Karma is living proof that putting a hybrid badge on a car makes it seem better somehow -- at least to the general public. 

2012 Fisker Karma EcoSport

Enlarge Photo

Not only that, but the 2012 Fisker Karma has even got its own cameo part on popular sitcom Two and a Half Men. As is often the case, the more publicity something gets, the more people want to own it. 

What About You?

We’re convinced that hybrid cars are finally coming of age, and replacing the dowdy exterior of days gone by with a fitter, leaner image. 

But will hybrid sales continue to rise, or will fuel-frugal, 40 mpg or better cars like the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic steal the limelight as regular gasoline cars become more fuel efficient? 

Or perhaps you think electric or hydrogen fuel cell cars will take over in terms of desirability?

Let us know in the Comments below. 

+++++++++++

Follow GreenCarReports on Facebook and Twitter.