Saturn Aura Hybrid Price Tag

The Saturn Aura Green Line (Hybrid) is going on sale in April at $22,045. While this price is only slightly ($1,700) above the conventional 2007 Aura price, it's $4,000 below the Toyota Camry Hybrid starting price. It's also cheaper than the Nissan Altima Hybrid ($2,000) and almost $9,000 less than the Honda Accord Hybrid. The Toyota Prius, on the other hand, has an MSRP of $22,175.

The Saturn Aura did just win the 2007 North American Car of the Year at the Detroit Auto Show. But at 28/35 mpg, you're not getting the wow! factor for mileage you would expect from a hybrid. That's because the 2007 Aura Hybrid is what's being termed a mild hybrid. The electric motor/generator is tied into the 2.4L Ecotec-based engine as an assist, not as a full partner in powering the car.

So, although the Aura Hybrid gets similar numbers to the Accord Hybrid, the Accord was built for performance, not fuel economy. The other hybrids listed here are rated for more than 40 mpg city.

In other words, this is a case of getting what you pay for.