The State of the 'Other Hybrids'

The media and car shoppers are going into hybrid hysteria. We reported last week that if you wanted a new Toyota Prius or Honda Civic Hybrid, you’d wait months to get your hands on one. Those are possibly the two most visible hybrids on the market. But what of the other hybrids out there? What others? Well, GM and Ford also sell hybrids, but just because you might not know much about them doesn’t mean they’re sitting around on lots collecting dust.

There are three very alluring hybrid SUVs on the market: The 2008 Saturn Vue Green Line, which for 2009 will just be called the Vue Hybrid; the 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid, soon to be replaced by an even more efficient 2009 version; and the 2008 Chevy Tahoe/GMC Yukon hybrid.

The first two are compact SUVs that return mpg numbers that are better than most standard four-cylinder midsize sedans. The 2008 Escape FWD gets 34/30 mpg city/highway and the 2008 Vue — only available in FWD — gets 25/32 mpg city/highway. You pay for the hybrid with the Ford; it starts at $27,445 versus $21,685 for its four-cylinder gasoline counterpart. The hybrid Vue starts less at $25,645 versus $21,525 for the four-cylinder base model.

However, neither model is exactly easy to find.

Battery issues slowed down Saturn’s hybrid rollout earlier this year, including a recall, and both the Vue and the Saturn Aura hybrid sedan just got back on track in May. Roughly 300 hybrid Vues were sold in May, and that’s as many as they’re shipping. According to Saturn spokesman Mike Morrissey, allocations are tight, with roughly one hybrid Vue going to each dealer in the country. We called two local dealers in Chicago, and both said they got one each and that they may call people who want to be on a list, but if you take three days to get to the dealership, it will be sold.

Morrissey says the company will produce more hybrids over the next two months, before the model year changes to 2009 in late summer. There won’t be a dip in supply, though, because there are no major differences between the 2008 and 2009 model years of this Vue. A more-efficient two-mode hybrid Vue will go on sale in January 2009.

The Ford Escape Hybrid is seeing similar high interest and is being built at a faster clip. Ford spokesman Alan Hall said the company is looking at final production numbers of 24,000 for both the outgoing 2008 model and the upcoming 2009. That’s good news. So if you’re looking for a Escape Hybrid this summer you might have better luck than Vue hybrid shoppers, but a switch to the 2009 model year over the next few months could put a pinch on supply because, unlike the Saturn, the 2009 Escape Hybrid is getting some significant work done under the hood, which we detailed earlier here.

Other hybrids that folks may be overlooking are the full-size Chevy Tahoe and GMC Yukon two-mode hybrid SUVs. The Tahoe was well-received by staffers here at Cars.com, and we observed it achieving its advertised 20-21 mpg rating in the city, which is a 50% increase over the gasoline models. It can also two 6,500 pounds, a significant number. Also significant is its price tag: $49,590 for the 4x2 Tahoe. Unlike the Escape and Vue, though, the Tahoe comes equipped with leather seats and other upscale options, and its hybrid powertrain includes a V-8 engine. A comparably equipped gasoline Tahoe is $45,640. Plus, you can still get the full tax credit for the Escape, Tahoe and Vue hybrids — $3,000, $2,200 and $1,550, respectively.

If you don’t find a Tahoe or Yukon hybrid for sale at your local dealership, don’t despair. GM isn’t shipping the hybrids like normal models. Dealers had to “opt in” to the hybrid program. Each dealer that did received one hybrid for demonstration purposes.

If you enjoy your test drive, you can order your hybrid with or without the only two available options — a moonroof and/or rear entertainment system — and it will arrive in two to three weeks. That’s a relatively quick turnaround time in the industry. Before anyone harps on the size of this SUV, remember its combined 21 mpg rating (21/22 mpg city/highway) is better than a Honda Odyssey, at 20 mpg. 

GM also sells hybrid versions of its Chevy Malibu and Saturn Aura sedans, but their mileage gains over their four-cylinder gasoline counterparts are slim. The 2009 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan will also get hybrid versions, but details have not yet been released on those.

Please share your own stories of trying to buy a new hybrid in the comments below. If there’s anything else you’d like to know about trying to purchase a new hybrid, let us know that, too.

Comments

[Kim]

I took delivery of an 08 Vue Green Line in mid-May. I didn't realize how difficult it would be to locate one until I started reading the various online sites in early May. When I realized the difficulty, I decided not to wait until late summer to purchase, but to try to special order or get on a wait list as soon as possible. I found very few dealerships in the Chicagoland area that had a Vue in stock. My dealership did not have one in stock, but the inventory manager was able to locate one for me, which I received exactly one week after putting down my deposit. The only downside was that they were unable to locate a Vue with all of the options that I had originally wanted, so I decided to forego some of the options I wanted in order to obtain the vehicle faster. Looking back at all of the production problems, I'm surprised I was able to obtain the hybrid as quickly as I did.

[Dave T]

Thanks for sharing your story Kim.