Luxury Hybrid Vehicles

Hybrid technology breaks the link between great fuel efficiency and the stripped-down econobox of the 1970s. Thanks to hybrids, and plug-in models rolling out in the next year or two, car buyers with deep pockets no longer need to compromise on ride quality or luxury features in order to save fuel and protect the planet.

On the other hand, hybrid and electric car makers have a habit of emphasizing large engines and raw speed when thinking about luxury buyers. We've yet to see a hybrid or clean diesel car with great luxury features, but with a right-sized four-cylinder engine that could send fuel efficiency into the 40-mpg range. If it comes out, we'll add it to our luxury hybrid list.

The Lexus LS600hL marries a hybrid powertrain with a 5-liter V8 engine to grant 430 horsepower performance and mileage in the low 20s—all for the bargain price of $104,000.

List of Luxury Hybrids

Name	Combined MPG	Technology	MSRP	Available	Description
Lexus RX 400h	25 MPG	Hybrid	$42,000	Now	Everything a luxury SUV buyer seeks—in a greener package.
Lexus GS 450h	23 MPG	Hybrid	$54,900	Now	Race-car-like acceleration, luxurious appointments, and half-way decent fuel efficiency.
Mercedes ML 320 CDI	23 MPG	Diesel	$44,400	Now	The Mercedes Benz ML 320 CDI is the brand’s mid-size diesel-powered sport utility vehicle.
Lexus LS 600h L	21 MPG	Hybrid	$104,000	Now	Lexus's 5-liter, V8, 430-horsepower luxury sedan hybrid.
Volkswagen Touareg TDI	17 MPG	Diesel	$68,000	Now	The Touareg TDI is defined by its powerplant, a mammoth 5-liter V10 turbo diesel engine that is engineered to cleanly burn today’s ultra-low sulfur fuel.
Tesla Roadster	n/a	Electric	$109,000	Now	The Tesla Roadster is a screaming-fast, all-electric two-seater sports car built on the frame of the Lotus Elise.
Venturi Fetish	n/a	Electric	$400,000	Now	The Venturi Fetish, described by its maker as “the first production electric sports car in automobile history,” will set you back $400,000.
Tango T600	n/a	Electric	$108,000	Now	First, throw away all the expected conventions about the appropriate size of your daily car. This all-electric vehicle is half the size, from side to side, of most cars.
Porsche Cayenne Hybrid	n/a	Hybrid	n/a	2010	The Porsche Cayenne Hybrid achieves better than 24 miles per gallon compared with less than 18 mpg for the conventional model.
Mercedes S400 Hybrid	n/a	Hybrid	n/a	2010	This eco-chic luxury sedan could be the first production vehicle with a lithium ion battery.
BMW Hydrogen 7	n/a	Hydrogen	n/a	Concept	The BMW Hydrogen 7— essentially a 7 Series sedan—burns sub-zero liquid hydrogen in its conventional V-12 engine.