Fuel-Sippers, Power Players and Luxury Labels

The era of hybrids has arrived, and more than two dozen models in the U.S. auto market use a combination of a battery pack and a gasoline engine for propulsion. As the hybrid market matures, technological advancements — including further mileage gains — have become only incremental, and some new offerings are disappointing "me-toos." This makes careful shopping important.

Traditionally, hybrid cars have been classified by powertrain: mild, single-mode and two-mode. Mild hybrids deliver the smallest boosts in mileage, usually up to 20 percent. Single-mode hybrids are best for lower-speed driving, where they can increase mileage by up to 40 ... Back to article