Two of America’s Favorite Cars Go Hybrid

Image Gallery The 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid achieves up to 40 miles per gallon. TOYOTA MOTOR SALES, USA

The Honda Civic and Toyota Camry — longtime best-selling cars trusted for their reliability and gas mileage — now are better than ever as gasoline-electric hybrids. While Honda has sold a hybrid Civic for four years, the 2006 version broke the mold of its predecessor with a sharper look and improved fuel economy — about 50 miles per gallon. Toyota also redesigned its Camry for the 2007 model year and just released a hybrid version with fuel economy of about 39 mpg.

These new hybrids expand the options available for soccer moms and environmentalists alike — in the wake of ever-rising gas prices and alarming news about global warming, nearly everyone would like a more fuel-efficient and eco-friendly car. Both hybrids cost about $3,000 more than their similarly equipped conventional counterparts, but state and federal tax credits can make up much of that difference. Depending on how soon you would buy one, the Civic Hybrid can earn a tax credit of $2,100; $2,600 for the Camry Hybrid. (For the latest information on tax incentives for hybrids, click here and here.) 

Honda Civic Hybrid. The new Civic Hybrid includes the fourth generation of the company’s hybrid system. As with all hybrids, the engine shuts off whenever the car stops, saving gas. But unlike previous versions of the Civic Hybrid, Honda’s new system allows for all-electric operation while cruising, typically at low speeds of about 30 mph or less. This contributes to the car’s improved fuel economy; all told, it can go more than 600 miles on one tank of gas.

Bill Seibert, a Reynoldsburg, Ohio, resident who describes himself as an “avid environmentalist and hybrid enthusiast,” traded his 2003 Civic Hybrid for the 2006 version. Seibert says he averages between 48 and 53 mpg and loves all of the improvements. “It’s quieter, smoother and it can drive in electric only,” he says.