2009 Chrysler Aspen Hybrid
The 2009 Chrysler Aspen Hybrid was introduced for model-year 2009 but won't see model-year 2010.

Hybrid vehicles haven't become the economic and environmental panacea many legislators and pundits promised they would. And how could they be? There aren't actually that many hybrid models available, and shoppers who do the math quickly realize that the payback on purchasing a hybrid can be longer than they planned to own the car.

Going green can be its own reward, however, and owning a hybrid can be a hedge against gas price spikes.

An important point of distinction among hybrids is the ability to propel themselves purely on electric power. Examples of vehicles capable of this include the Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan and Toyota's Prius. General Motors' trio of "mild hybrids", the Chevrolet Malibu and the Saturn Aura and Vue do not have this ability. Similarly, the Honda Civic Hybrid will only rarely operate on electric power alone.

All hybrids currently available will shut the vehicle's gasoline engine off while the car is stopped, and all provide electric assistance to the gasoline engine during acceleration.

New for 2009

Calendar-year 2009 is full of hybrid-vehicle news. Here's a quick recap of what's going on in the world of hybrids:
  • Chevrolet and GMC make available hybrid versions of their full-size Silverado and Sierra pickups.

  • Chrysler and Dodge offered, and quickly dropped, hybrid versions of their midsize Aspen and Durango SUVs.

  • Ford and Mercury offer hybrid versions of the midsize Fusion and Milan.

  • Lexus updates its popular RX midsize SUV, including the hybrid model, which is now called RX450h, instead of RX400h.

  • Toyota redesigns its iconic Prius.