Hybrids

2010 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid Four-Wheel Drive

What it Is: A full-sized body-on frame SUV, with a hybrid powertrain.
Who it's For: Those who need to haul people, things and a boat, but with the best possible fuel economy.
What's Hot: Fuel economy is very good for such a large vehicle.
What's Not: A very high price.
How It Got Its Score: The Tahoe seats up to eight, has lots of cargo space and offers very good fuel economy. If the price were lower, the score could be much higher.

Quick Specs

Family Friendliness: 8.2

2010 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid Rear-Wheel Drive

What it Is: A full-sized body-on frame SUV, with a hybrid powertrain.
Who it's For: Those who need to haul people, things and a boat, but with the best possible fuel economy.
What's Hot: Fuel economy is very good for such a large vehicle.
What's Not: A very high price.
How It Got Its Score: The Tahoe's eight seats and plentiful cargo space combine with very good fuel economy, giving it a score higher than all non-hybrid Tahoes.

Quick Specs

Family Friendliness: 8.3

2010 Ford Escape Hybrid All-Wheel Drive

What it Is: A hybrid all-wheel drive five-passenger crossover.
Who it's For: Those who need crossover room, but are willing to pay extra for better fuel economy.
What's Hot: Hybrid drivetrain gives the Escape best-in-class fuel economy.
What's Not: Base price of more than $31,000 is hard to justify.
How It Got Its Score: While the Escape Hybrid's utility and fuel economy are both very good, its price is far more expensive than many other vehicles.

Quick Specs

Family Friendliness: 7.9

2010 Ford Escape Hybrid Front-Wheel Drive

What it Is: A hybrid front-wheel drive five-passenger crossover.
Who it's For: Those who need crossover room and are willing to pay extra for better fuel economy.
What's Hot: Hybrid drivetrain gives the Escape best-in-class fuel economy.
What's Not: Base price of nearly $30,000 is hard to justify.
How It Got Its Score: While the Escape Hybrid's utility and fuel economy are both very good, its price is far more expensive than many other vehicles.

Quick Specs

Family Friendliness: 7.9

2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid

What it Is: A midsize sedan with a fuel-efficient hybrid engine.
Who it's For: Families who need no more than two LATCH positions, and not much cargo space.
What's Hot: Hybrid engine is very fuel efficient, and the price is reasonable.
What's Not: Battery pack significantly reduces trunk space.
How It Got Its Score: Like most sedan-based hybrids, the Fusion Hybrid scores very high on fuel economy, but takes a penalty in utility because of its small trunk.

Quick Specs

Family Friendliness: 7.7

2010 Honda Civic Sedan Hybrid

What it Is: A four-door compact hybrid sedan.
What's Hot: Great fuel economy and decent passenger room.
What's Not: Fuel economy lags other hybrids.
Family Friendly Options: Navigation, Bluetooth, USB port.
How It Got Its Score: The Honda Civic is already at a disadvantage because of its small size and limited cargo room. The Civic Hybrid's added cost and reduced cargo space only reduce the score.

Quick Specs

Family Friendliness: 7.4

2010 Honda Insight LX

What it Is: A five-door, five-passenger compact hybrid.
What's Hot: Excellent fuel economy, low price for a hybrid.
What's Not: Fuel economy pales next to Toyota Prius.
Family Friendly Options: Navigation, USB port.
How It Got Its Score: The Insight is a small hatchback with moderately good cargo space. Fuel economy is good, but not good enough to fully offset a few four-star crash test ratings.

Quick Specs

Family Friendliness: 7.4

2010 Lexus RX 450h All-Wheel Drive

What it Is: A five-passenger, hybrid, all-wheel drive luxury crossover utility vehicle.
Who it's For: Families who need no more than two LATCH points, need all-wheel drive, and are willing to pay extra for luxury and superior fuel economy.
What's Hot: Joystick-controlled navigation system, excellent fuel economy.
What's Not: Prices climb quickly when you start checking options.
Family Friendly Options: Navigation, back up camera, rear-seat DVD system, Bluetooth
How It Got Its Score: Despite its $45,000 price tag, the all-wheel drive Lexus RX 450h outscores crossovers costing half as much thanks to excellent safety features and crash test scores, and great fuel economy.

Quick Specs

Family Friendliness: 8.4

2010 Lexus RX 450h Front-Wheel Drive

What it Is: A five-passenger, hybrid, luxury crossover utility vehicle.
Who it's For: Families who need no more than two LATCH points are willing to pay extra for luxury and superior fuel economy.
What's Hot: Joystick-controlled navigation system, excellent fuel economy.
What's Not: Prices climb quickly when you start checking options.
Family Friendly Options: Navigation, back up camera, rear-seat DVD system, Bluetooth
How It Got Its Score: The Lexus RX 450h outscores the non-hybrid RX 350 thanks to its fuel economy, which is very good for this class of vehicle. Great crash test scores and plenty of safety equipment help, too.

Quick Specs

Family Friendliness: 8.4

2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid

What it Is: A midsize, five-passenger sedan with a fuel-efficient hybrid engine.
Who it's For: Families who need no more than two LATCH positions, and not much cargo space.
What's Hot: Hybrid engine is very fuel efficient, and the price is reasonable.
What's Not: Battery pack significantly reduces trunk space.
Family Friendly Options: Navigation, Bluetooth, USB port.
How It Got Its Score: While the Mercury Milan scores well on fuel efficiency, it takes a hit in trunk space thanks to the battery pack located behind the rear seats.

Quick Specs

Family Friendliness: 7.6

2010 Nissan Altima Hybrid

What it Is: A five-passenger four-door hybrid sedan.
Who it's For: Families who need no more than two LATCH points and emphasize fuel economy over cargo space.
What's Hot: Excellent fuel economy.
What's Not: Small trunk, not available in all markets (see below).
How It Got Its Score: All three mid-size sedan hybrids score the same, thanks to prices near the $27,000 mark and similarly small trunks.

Quick Specs

Family Friendliness: 7.7

2010 Toyota Camry Hybrid

What it Is: A four-door, five-passenger hybrid midsize sedan.
Who it's For: Families who need no more than two LATCH points and value fuel economy over cargo space.
What's Hot: Excellent fuel economy for a midsize four-door sedan.
What's Not: Hybrid powertrain eats up a large portion of cargo space.
How It Got Its Score: The Camry Hybrid gets a big boost in fuel economy, but like the midsize hybrid sedans from Ford and Nissan, is knocked down by its higher price and limited cargo space.

Quick Specs

Family Friendliness: 7.7

2010 Toyota Highlander Hybrid

What it Is: A seven-passenger five-door midsize hybrid crossover.
Who It's For: Families willing to pay extra for great fuel economy and need no more than two LATCH points.
What's Hot: Very good fuel economy for a crossover; electric-only mode.
What's Not: Tiny cargo area behind third row.
Family Friendly Options: Navigation, bluetooth, back-up camera
How It Got Its Score: The Highlander Hybrid's primary advantage over its competitors is its hybrid powertrain, which gives it very good fuel economy. However, it's also expensive and has the Highlander's tiny cargo area behind the third row.

Quick Specs

Family Friendliness: 8.3

2010 Toyota Prius

What it Is: A midsize five-passenger hatchback hybrid.
What's Hot: Amazing fuel economy, futuristic styling.
What's Not: Gets expensive quickly, quirky dash and gauges.
Family Friendly Options: Navigation, collision avoidance, active cruise control, Bluetooth.
How It Got Its Score: The Toyota Prius would probably get an even higher Family Friendliness score with more five-star crash test ratings, but with its plentiful standard safety gear and excellent mileage, you still have a very family friendly hybrid.

Quick Specs

Family Friendliness: 8.1

2011 Chevrolet Volt

What it Is: A four-passenger extended range electric vehicle.
Who it's For: Small families who want to save a lot of gas, and make an environmental statement.
What's Hot: Gas engine gives Volt the same range as a gas-powered car.
What's Not: Electric-only range of about 40 miles.
Family Friendly Options: Navigation, Bluetooth, USB input, OnStar
How It Got Its Score: The Volt's primary handicaps as a family car are its four-passenger seating configuration and its 10.6 cu.-ft. of cargo space. Note that the high price listed here doesn't take into account tax incentives, which can total more than $7,500.

Quick Specs

Family Friendliness: 6.8

2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid

What it Is: A large four-door, five-passenger hybrid family sedan.
What's Hot: Hybrid more powerful than base engine, delivers stunning fuel economy.
What's Not: Battery pack takes big chunk out of trunk space.
Family Friendly Options: Navigation, heated rear seats, dual-panel sunroof.
How It Got Its Score: Thanks to its very good fuel economy and anticipated low price, the 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid ranks as the most Family Friendly hybrid we've seen.

Quick Specs

Family Friendliness: 7.9

2011 Kia Optima Hybrid

What it Is: A hybrid midsize four-door five passenger sedan.
Who it's For: Families who value fuel economy more than trunk space in a five-passenger sedan.
What's Hot: Low price, outstanding fuel economy, plentiful features.
What's Not: Narrow windows, limited rear visibility, tiny trunk.
Family Friendly Features: Navigation, backup camera, USB input, panoramic sunroof.
How It Got Its Score: The 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid boasts an inexpensive but very efficient hybrid engine that produces excellent fuel economy, but at a low base price. The biggest drawback is the small trunk.

Quick Specs

Family Friendliness: 7.9

2011 Nissan Leaf SV

What it Is: A five-passenger pure-electric vehicle.
Who it's For: City-bound families who value environmental friendliness.
What's Hot: Pure electric means you'll never buy gas.
What's Not:Range limited to about 100 miles.
Family Friendly Options: Bluetooth, navigation, USB input
How It Got Its Score: The Nissan Leaf offers five passenger seating and decent cargo space, and of course its fuel economy is otherworldly. However, its also expensive, even after $7,500 in federal tax breaks.

Quick Specs

Family Friendliness: 7.1