By Derek Mau

Pros

• Excellent for around town driving and taking care of all the necessary family functions
• The benefits of a hybrid without sacrificing luxury amenities
• Conservative styling upgrade easily blends in with the thousands of other Lexus RX’s on the road today
• More technology gadgets but with less driver distraction

Cons

• Batteries and electric motors add up to a serious weight penalty with regards to braking and cornering
• Electronic steering control is good for mothers on their way to PTA meetings, but not so good for relaying feedback from the road
• Horrific blind spot
• No towing capacity

The new generation Lexus RX blends the geekiness of high technology with the green consciousness of driving a hybrid car. Launched in the summer of 2009 as a successor to the RX 400h, Lexus’ new RX 450h builds on the success of the company’s first luxury hybrid SUV. Visually similar to the RX 350, the 450h has a few of its own unique styling features, including an exclusive grille, hybrid badging with blue-trimmed Lexus logos, unique front bumper, special 19-inch wheels, blue-tinted headlamps and taillamps, and optional LED headlamps.

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You can call this a good news/bad news sort of thing. The bad news is that Chrysler’s two-mode hybrid joint development program has been disbanded, and the good news is that the hybrid Ram pickup is coming in 2010.

The joint development program, which was a very big deal for a while, was created several years ago between Chrysler, General Motors, Daimler, and BMW to work out a two-mode hybrid system for light duty vehicles, is now effectively over. The four automakers involved have either launched or are about to introduce versions of the two-mode hybrid system, so the program is being wound down and the engineering office will be closed by the end of this year.

But the Ram pickup hybrid should be in dealerships by 2010.

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By Greg Gaillard

Hybrids Come of Age

Just 10 years ago Honda released the Insight as the first US mass market hybrid combustion/electric car.  Its two seat aerodynamic teardrop shape, light weight and focused engineering delivered spectacular fuel economy that generated quite a bit of media attention.  In the real world however, the Insight represented significant compromises in terms of utility, performance and perceived safety.  Launched at the height of the SUV boom alongside inexpensive gasoline, sales weren’t significant and to many people the Insight was another Honda engineering experiment; a car that Honda’s Asimo robot might drive, but not something American families would put in their garage.

What a difference a decade makes.  Last week the EPA released its annual Fuel Economy Guide for 2010 and hybrids swept the podium with 9 out of the top 10 MPG scores.  At least in terms of EPA ratings, hybrids are the drivetrain technology of the moment.  Perhaps more important than MPG is how the technology has evolved into a variety of solutions that can be used across a range of body styles without many of the original Insight’s compromises.

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Mitsubishi, a niche car company long popular with the import tuner crowd, is rumored to be finally jumping into the hybrid game. And, supposedly, they will be doing what Toyota and Honda have not been able to do. Namely, build and sell a plug-in hybrid from the get go.

The more the merrier, I say. Of course, it would be even better if some car manufacturer were to make a performance hybrid of some sort. And Mitsubishi, starting with a clean sheet and given their performance background, could be a good company to do it.

Mitsu is will be rolling out a plug-in hybrid concept Outlander-based SUV at this month’s Tokyo Motor Show. In addition to the hybrid Outlander, there are persistent rumors that Mitsubishi could be planning to use the green tech from the upcoming hybrid SUV in the next-generation of its top performance car.

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A bit of power with your social consciousness? Infiniti says it can deliver both with its M35 hybrid to go into production on its 2012 model due for arrival in spring 2011. Based on Infiniti’s luxury performance sedan “M” series, the hybrid has a proprietary system by which the 3.5-liter V6 and electric motors are connected to the engine’s output shaft, and the implication is that the flow of power to the transmission would make Danny and Kenickie from Grease happy. Okay, maybe it would make the 40-year-old versions of them (replete with a PTA wife and ungrateful kids) happy, but still, Infiniti is obviously trying to make the M35 less like its hybrid counterparts that tend to lurch when they transition between gas and electric modes as well as quietly creep up on you all spooky-like.

The other Nissan-specific technology of note is this new “laminated” lithium-ion battery pack. No bigger than a standard battery, it lasts longer and the lamination bolsters the battery’s cooling abilities, making it more reliable, which would probably bring comfort to Danny’s bakesale-committee wife. But what about the greenies? Where are they on the “buy an old car to avoid using resources to make new products” vs “we need to transition at some point” argument?

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The 2010 Nissan Altima hybrid, which goes on sale this coming Monday, will have an MSRP of $26,780. This is the fourth generation Altima, and apart from the hybrid drivetrain, it is only slightly tweaked from last year’s model. Speaking of drivetrains, the 2010 Altima will use a 2.5 liter four-cylinder with and electronically-controlled CVT tranny that cranks out 198 hp. Nissan says the new Altima hybrid will get an estimated EPA rating of 35 mpg in the city and 33 mpg on the highway.

Curiously, these figures aren’t all that much different form the 2009 model. Although the 09 also had a 2.5 liter inline four engine, it only put out 158 HP, and the fuel economy numbers of 35/33 city/hwy mpg were identical.

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Good news if you’re into green cars and have a lot of money: That Mercedes-Benz S Class BlueHYBRID you ordered is on its way to your dealer’s showroom as we speak. Or if you’re just green and into the full on coveting mode, then that means you can soon swing by the Benz shop and desire.

This is Mercedes’ first production hybrid vehicle and the S 400 runs a mild hybrid system that M-B developed in combination with BMW. While the Bavarians are being performance oriented with their ActiveHybrid 7 Series, the three-pointed star gang is aimed for more efficiency. The Stuttgart boys have gone with a 3.5-liter V6 mated to the hybrid system, and have also used lithium ion batteries. This is the first time lithium ion batteries have been used in an automotive application.

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What you see here is the Toyota Estima Hybrid minivan. It has a great combination of features, and it’s probably about as practical and environmentally friendly a ride as Toyota can make (which is saying a lot right there). There’s just one problem. Toyota isn’t selling it in America. The Toyota Estima Hybrid Minivan has just gone on sale in Malaysia. I read about it on Paul Tan’s great blog about being a car guy in Malaysia (do you see how far and wide I search to get you people this info?), and I got to say I’m bewildered that Toyota hasn’t brought it here yet.

Sure, I can imagine one reason why not: A lot of Americans are stupid enough to actually believe that they actually need an SUV to drive kids to band practice and get groceries. But if Toyota was smart, they could market around that sad misconception.

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Hmmmm, another re-branding effort. I’ve always found that an interesting trend for Japanese car companies. Outside of North America, there is no Acura, for example; everything Honda makes is just a Honda. It looks like Toyota, makers of the world’s best selling hybrid, the Prius, might be spinning off the Prius name into its own brand.

This has been a rumor for quite some time, but recently Toyota made it officially official when they confirmed that there will soon be more Prius models. The announcement came at a Las Vegas gathering of Toyota and Lexus dealers (see, Lexus as separate brand). According to sources, Toyota execs were careful to point out that the future Prius range will not be a full-fledged brand like Lexus or Scion.

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Orange oil-infused tires are the new green for saving the environment

Yokohama has introduced a new tire model that replaces 80% of the petroleum based products that used to make up a tire’s composition with non-petroleum based products. The new dB Super E-spec passenger tire uses Yokohama’s Super Nano-Power Rubber compound and Advanced Inner Liner to create a tire that is 80% petroleum free, performs better than conventional tires made of vulcanized rubber, and has ultra-low rolling resistance.

The new Yokohama orange oil-infused tire is their first product designed specifically for hybrid automobiles. Introduced in Japan in 2007, the dB super E-spec reconciles the conflict between low rolling resistance - key to delivering improved fuel economy - and superior grip in both wet and dry conditions while offering the quiet, comfortable ride that compliments the silent driving characteristics of hybrids. This translates directly into improved fuel economy as rolling resistance can account for up to 20 per cent of the friction that a vehicle must overcome when moving.

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By Gary Chan

Pros

• Good gas mileage
• Steering is tight and responsive
• Low-price

Cons

• Rear visibility
• Acceleration - slow and steady wins the race
• Noise, Vibration, Harshness (NVH)

Honda has a tough job playing catch-up to Toyota, who already built two-generations of the Prius, in the hybrid market . Sure Honda had the original Insight, but “practicality” was not used to describe the original version and the Civic Hybrid was never really compared to the Prius. How does the new Insight stack up as a direct competitor to the Prius?

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Finally, the aftermarket has gotten to modifying hybrids, and wouldn’t you know it, Honda gets in first. What we have here is Honda’s Prius fighter, the Insight. Honda’s latest entry into the hybrid game has been faulted here and there, but one of the main dings against it has been its looks. Although Honda denies it, plenty of people see it as looking very much like the car it’s trying to go head-to-head with: The Prius.

Perhaps a little aftermarket tweaking can help. Well, if it can’t help it in the looks department, it might be able to help with performance – a regime that hybrids have always put last on their list of things to do.

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By Twain Mein

Diesel: what’s old is new, only better
I’ve been unintentionally green for a few weeks now; my beloved 2000 Audi A6 is in the shop getting major surgery including a transmission rebuild, new power steering rack, and catalytic converters. So I’ve been cycling and train-riding to work for the past few weeks. Unfortunately, the train station is quite a ways from work, so I’ve been riding a minimum of 9 miles, and sometimes 40 miles a day (if I forego the train). You can imagine there are times I’m pretty tired.

Luckily, my backside got a welcome break with the chance to test the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta. But the “green” didn’t take a break with this frugal VW. It’s a fantastic car that offers plenty of room front and rear, fold down seats to easily fit the bike into the trunk, excellent handling, and a thoroughly entertaining diesel engine. Entertaining? Diesel? Yep-this sucker features a turbocharger that kicks in for some prodigious torque. While the 2.0 liter 4 cylinder has only 140 horsepower, it packs a whopping 236 foot pounds of torque. While it lags a bit off the line, at highway speeds, the torque makes passing a joy. It is an ideal highway cruiser. Even more impressive, despite my notorious lead-footedness (I infamously logged just 22mpg in the ‘08 Honda Fit), I averaged a stunning 37.5 mpg!

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By Derek Mau and Melody C. Yang

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You’d think you wouldn’t really need to run the numbers to make sure, but it turns out that some people have, and, as expected, it’s less expensive to own and operate either a diesel of a hybrid car than a gasoline fueled ride. Who knows what their motivation was, maybe it was that bogus study that showed a Hummer has less environmental impact than a Prius, but the numbers, which do look very good, are laid out after the jump.

For the fourth year running, IntelliChoice.com has released its annual survey of eco-conscious rides and it shows what anyone who has bought a car for long term use has found out first hand: Gas cars are cheaper in initial costs, but over the years of ownership, diesels and hybrids take less from your pocket.

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