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Hybrid cars are a very reliable segment overall. This is one of the key findings of the 2008 Car reliability Survey announced on Thursday by Consumer Reports. The survey included nine hybrid models and around 1.4 million subscribers of Consumer Reports.

In the Family Cars category, the Toyota Prius, the Toyota Camry Hybrid and the luxury Lexus GS 450h Hybrid sedan are all among the most reliable. In the midsize SUV category, the Toyota Highlander and the Lexus RX400h are the most reliable, while the Ford Escape Hybrid is rated over average.

Consumer Reports found that the non-hybrid gas-savers such as the Honda Fit, Scion xD, Smart ForTwo, and Toyota Yaris had few problems.

Still, Japanese cars are the most reliable overall. The top 10 most-reliable brands sold in the U.S. are all owned by Asian car makers.

Hybrid is a vehicle that has two power source; a gasoline engine and an electric motor. They are utilized separately or together, depending on the driving conditions. Hybrids utilize the advantages of both motors to achieve fuel efficiency. In city driving (which is usually stop and go) the electric motor does majority of the work. In highway driving where more power is needed the gasoline engine is the main source of propulsion. It literally combines the best of both worlds. Hybrids also dont need to be plugged in like all-electric vehicles. Regenerative braking uses the wheels kinetic energy to charge the battery. The gasoline engine does the same when it kicks in.

Here comes the drawback of a hybrid vehicle. Because of the two power sources, regenerative braking, and the battery that you need to carry, it became one of the complex vehicles ever assembled. In order for the hybrid car to function, every component must be controlled by sophisticated computers and systems. And with this degree of complexity there is greater chance that it will break down most of the time. This complexity also comes with a steep price tag. If you would compare a hybrid model with that of a non-hybrid one, a hybrid will set you back by about $5000 more.

It is no doubt that the hybrids are the most efficient gasoline car available. They are claimed to go 48 to 60 miles on a gallon of gas. Not bad we could say, but this only translates to a 20% to 35% better mileage than non hybrid models. Some of the efficient models like Honda Civic and Toyota Yaris could get 36 mpg. We could also say that the savings in fuel cost would compensate with the high introductory price. Well not really, studies shows that breaking even in fuel cost (compared to non-hybrids) usually takes around 8 years.

In terms of emission, hybrids contribute less of it. Emission rates in hybrid are cut by 25% to 35%. If protecting the environment is your concern, there are vehicles out there (electric cars) that could virtually contribute zero emissions. Also hybrids contribute to environmental degradation through their batteries ad motors. Usually the rare earth metals used in the batteries and motors are mined from the earth, also when they come to the end of their service life disposal could also be a problem.

Experts often point to hybrid as the transition vehicle to alternative fuels. Until such time when hydrogen and methane power cars go online, there is always the hybrid. As for the environment we could always go for car pooling, mass transport, bicycling, or even walking.

Just take all this consideration when eyeing a hybrid. Not all “new” and “green” is good for you.