AAA Grades Hybrid Cars

Most people, when considering buying a hybrid, look to fuel economy first and foremost. But that's not all there is to buying a car and AAA knows it. So they put together a report on four different 2008 model hybrid cars (pdf): the Toyota Prius, Honda Civic Hybrid, Ford Escape Hybrid and Lexus RX 400h.

The Prius and Civic are smaller, more fuel economic choices, while the Escape and RX are SUV vehicles. The only true luxury vehicle on the list is the Lexus RX 400h, but all hybrids tend to come with amenities.

AAA rated the vehicles on emissions, fuel economy, crashworthiness, braking, acceleration, handling, cargo carrying capacity, ride quality, interior noise, ease of entry and exit, maneuverability, and roominess.

The Prius and Civic were praised for their fuel economy, while all four scored very well for their emissions. The emissions is based on class, which is why the RX 400h gets a high rating for emissions, but not for fuel economy, which is compared across all vehicles. Not surprisingly, they all scored poorly for interior space and luggage room, but you may not have realized how well they do on ease of entry and exit.

One thing I think I really need to point out is the RX 400h is a luxury vehicle designed for performance, not necessarily fuel economy. While it does better than others in its class, it's not really designed the same way as the other hybrids being shown.

Here's a breakdown of the strengths and weaknesses from the AAA report:

2008 Ford Escape Hybrid
Strengths:
-Extremely low emissions (near zero)
-High mpg and performance
-Good headroom
-Ample room for cargo

Weaknesses:
-Difficult entry due to high door sill
-Mushy feeling brake pedal
-Engine and road noise
-Rear window does not open fully

2008 Honda Civic Hybrid
Strengths:
-Extremely low emissions (near zero)
-Excellent fuel economy
-Easy to see warning lights
-Sound system features XM radio

Weaknesses:
-Noisy at high speed
-Slowest car tested
-Small sun visors
-No rear center armrest or rear cupholders

2008 Lexus RX400h
Strengths:
-Good fuel economy in SUV this size
-Powerful, good acceleration
-Roomy, comfortable interior, fit & finish
-Auto dimming mirrors, adaptive HID headlights

Weaknesses:
-Requires premium grade fuel
-Torque steer. pulls to one side
-High purchase price
-Limited rear visibility, tire & wind noise

2008 Toyota Prius
Strengths:
-Extremely low emissions (near zero)
-Excellent fuel economy
-Good handling
- High tech styling & layout

Weaknesses:
-Small sun visors
-Lacks power, especially for passing
-Unusual controls
-Rear visibility

On a scale of 10, each of the 10 test criteria were checked off. Not surprisingly, they all scored well since they all had very high ratings for fuel economy, which gives them high ratings for emissions. But that tended to be offset by low scores in interior space and luggage room

Test Criteria									Ford Escape Hybrid FWD							Honda Civic Hybrid						Lexus RX 400h						Toyota Prius
EPA Emissions Score									10.00							10.00						9.00						10.00
Braking									5.33							6.78						3.90						5.09
Crashworthiness									7.36							5.19						8.92						6.34
Visibility									7.90							7.00						8.00						7.20
Slalom Handling									6.61							7.11						2.24						9.65
Ride Quality									7.50							7.71						7.50						7.00
Fuel Economy									6.31							8.86						2.66						10.00
Interior Noise									4.76							1.61						5.53						3.86
Acceleration									6.06							0.00						9.92						4.72
Ease of Entry and Exit									7.04							7.10						7.66						7.15
Interior Size									4.92							3.44						3.72						3.42
Turning Circle									6.60							7.90						6.56						8.71
Luggage Capacity									2.89							0.22						4.51						0.83
Total									83.28							72.92						80.12						83.97