Luxury Hybrids

When you’re listening to the radio and watching television, you hear about all of the hybrids on the market by Toyota, Honda, Ford and Chevrolet and that may leave you wondering if those are your only choices. Never fear. Here is a list of both low-end and high-end manufacturers both offering their luxury cars to the mass consumer market:

BMW- BMW has not only won over the racing market with its HR2 hybrid car, but also manufactures hybrid vehicles for the general public as well. You can look to the future of hybrid driving with the BMW C-1 scooter, BMW SUV hybrids, the BMW X3 hybrid and the BMW X6 hybrid.

Lexus- Lexus offers two different hybrid sedans, the Lexus GS 450 hybrid and the Lesux LS 600 hybrid, as well as one hybrid SUV, the Lexus RX 400 hybrid. The LS hybrid sedan is one of Lexus’ most expensive luxury cars and by far, one of the most expensive hybrids on the market coming in at a starting value of $104,000 MSRP. The RV SUV hybrid comes in at a more modest $41,280 MSRP and is still cheaper than the GS hybrid sedan coming in at $54,900 MSRP.

Mercury- If you’re middle class but still looking for luxury in a hybrid, head over to Mercury and get your hands on a Mariner hybrid SUV 4-wheel drive for $28,945 or a Mariner hybrid SUV Full-wheel drive for only $27,195. Now that’s affordable luxury, especially considering most mainstream, non-luxury hybrid cars and SUVs cost around $20,000 to $25,000.

Porsche- If you want true luxury in a sports car, look for the Porsche Cayenne hybrid SUV in late 2008 or early 2009. Don’t expect this hybrid to be cheap though, since its conventional counterpart alone already costs between $43,400 and $93,7000. And remember, if you can count on Porsche to fork over a hybrid SUV, you just know they’ve got several sedans in their pocket as well.

Mercedes- If you have to have a Mercedes but you’re dying for a hybrid, you won’t have to wait much longer. Mercedes is rumored to be releasing an S-Class hybrid in 2009 or possibly earlier, if production allows. But be ready to fork over a pretty penny. The original S-Class vehicles from Mercedes-Benz cost between $127,000 and $195,000 and the hybrid promises to consistently be more expensive than its conventional counterparts across the board. Mercedes may also be looking into the production of other hybrid models by 2010 and beyond.

If you don’t see your favorite luxury car maker on this list, don’t be discouraged just yet. Reports indicate that Volkswagen has also started looking into production of its own lineup of hybrid vehicles and auto industry reports indicate that every major and luxury car manufacturer is at least considering the notion that they will need to jump onto the hybrid train before it leaves the station for good.

Remember, even if your favorite car manufacturer doesn’t currently have a hybrid option in its lineup, the near future will bring a wave of change.