Hybrid Car Reviews and Information

Are you thinking of getting a hybrid car? They may still be the minority on the road, but hybrid's are definitely growing in popularity - and so are sources of hybrid car information. I recently did some surfing myself for information on hybrids, and I came across several hybrid-related websites that may be of use to other potential buyers.

Hybrid.com
This, for obvious reasons, is the first site that came up on my search. Hey, it says HYBRID for crying out loud. You have a variety of information here including some stats on nationwide gas prices, a page on oil dependency, and blog entries by hybrid owners and hybrid technology gurus and trend-followers. Of course, take what they say as you will. There's also news links to recent stories on the hybrid and the accompanying technology and a special technology section for those of you who, like myself, are still wondering some about what even makes these cars go and why we should care.

GreenHybrid.com
This blog-looking site has a few different informational sections. One with articles gleaned from the web about hybrids, including info and customer reviews of certain hybrid brands. Another has a buying guide with info on different hybrids including the Honda, Ford and Toyota entries. There's also a forum for people who want to ask questions of hybrid owners or just talk hybrids. Didn't look like Leonardo DiCaprio ever stopped by, but oh well

HowStuffWorks.com
I had to check this out, just to get a little better informed. This is a site where the how-does-that… of everything from "health stuff" to "science stuff" is examined for the benefit of people like me. There's quite a bit of info here, neatly arranged in chapters including technical generalities and the "structure" of specific hybrid brands. Cool visual aids. If only it didn't take approximately fifty hours for each page to load on my dial-up…

MSN Money: Hybrid Cars (http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/Savinganddebt/Saveonacar/P37272.asp)
The whole deal about the hybrid is that it's supposed to be a non-lose situation: you save the environment and you save money "at the pump." This little MSN article here gets into the dollars and cents a little more indepthly. Is this the right car for you? The basic gist of the article is "It'll only save you dough if you buy it instead of an SUV." I had the sneaking suspicion... Includes reviews of various hybrids on the market and does some cost-benefit analysis for potential buyers. Also talks about tax breaks for buyers.

MotorTrend.com
I always hear those commercials "This such and such car was the MotorTrend Car of the Year!" My reaction is usually "Who gives a crap?" But trying to investigate the hybrid, I figured these guy might be able to shed some light. The first thing I noted was the Toyota Prius was the 04 car of the year. Interesting. They've got a ton of info on this site, including explanations of the hybrid and an annual buyers guide. They also have updated reviews, like if they reviewed something one year, they go back, see what they think. For instance the Prius, from 2004, aka, the car of the year, reported its touch screen needed calibration. I hate when that happens.

Automotive.com
This site claims "Read the latest Hybrid car review for all available makes and models. Whatever your needs, you'll find first-hand impressions and professional opinions." Sounds good to me. Where's the quote from Leonardo DiCaprio? This site review the Prius, The Hybrid Civic, and the Mercury Mariner and the Lexus hybrids.

LeonardoDicaprio.com
I'm sorry, but I just had to look. The web page is split between a blue site or the "Leonardo" side which is about the actor and a "Dicaprio" side which is also labeled the "eco" side very green and has a picture of a rainforest and a gorrilla. There are links to two of Leo's enviromental films. One is noted to be "important" while the other is labeled merely "new." Does that mean it's not important. Info on environmental and political issues abound. There's also a Kids section. But it's so not as a cool as Bono's Africa site.

Happy hybrid hunting!