According to verified owners and the EPA, these are the most environmentally friendly multi-activity vehicles on the road
Don’t get too excited, there, weekend boater dude. Each of the multi-activity vehicles―SUVs in consumer parlance―on this year’s Automotive Environmental Index (AEI) are hybrids, each one is a crossover SUV lacking real off-road capability, and only one of them can tow as much as 3,500 pounds while seating seven people (the Toyota Highlander Hybrid, if you want to skip ahead). Nevertheless, considering that the SUV has become the poster vehicle for global warming angst, this list represents real progress.
2007 Ford Escape Hybrid
Ford called the Escape Hybrid the world’s first hybrid SUV when it debuted for the 2005 model year. Based on the Escape crossover vehicle, the Escape Hybrid uses a 4-cylinder engine assisted by electric motors and propelled by a continuously variable transmission (CVT) to make 155 hp and deliver 36 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the highway with 2WD and 32 mpg city/29 mpg highway with 4WD. The Escape Hybrid is a “full” hybrid, which means that it can operate on electric power alone at speeds up to about 25 mph. Ford has significantly restyled and reengineered the Escape Hybrid for 2008.
Learn more about the 2007 Ford Escape Hybrid
2007 Lexus RX 400h
The Lexus RX 400h is a crossover SUV equipped with a gasoline/electric hybrid powertrain that employs a V-6 engine and electric assist motors to make 268 hp and deliver EPA fuel economy ratings of 32 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway with 2WD and 31 mpg city/27 mpg highway with 4WD. This is not the same hybrid powertrain found in the Lexus GS 450h sedan. On the RX, the V-6 engine displaces 3.3 liters, while on the GS the V-6 is larger at 3.5 liters of displacement. This makes the GS more powerful, but the GS is also rated to deliver lower fuel economy. And, the GS 450h is not available with all-wheel drive like the RX 400h. In the 2007 IQS, Lexus RX owners rated their SUVs higher than all other midsize premium multi-activity vehicles when it comes to quality.
Learn more about the 2007 Lexus RX 400h
2007 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
The Mercury Mariner Hybrid is identical to the Ford Escape Hybrid except for minor styling, equipment, and trim differences. Designed to be more upscale than the Ford, the Mercury employs the same 4-cylinder engine as the Escape Hybrid, assisted by electric motors and propelled by a continuously variable transmission (CVT) to make 155 hp and deliver 36 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the highway with 2WD and 32 mpg city/29 mpg highway with 4WD. Like the Escape Hybrid, the Mariner Hybrid is a “full” hybrid, which means that it can operate on electric power alone at speeds up to about 25 mph. Mercury has significantly restyled and reengineered the Mariner Hybrid for 2008, and Mazda is scheduled to sell a version of this hybrid badged as a Tribute during the coming model year.
Learn more about the 2007 Mercury Mariner Hybrid
2007 Saturn Vue Green Line
The Saturn Vue Green Line was GM’s first try at full hybrid technology, and it married a 4-cylinder gasoline engine with electric assist motors to make 170 hp. The EPA said it could get 27 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway. We mention these achievements in the past tense because the Saturn Vue Green Line was short-lived. On sale only for 2007, the Vue Green Line is out of production until it returns to showrooms sometime within the next year wrapped in a completely redesigned package. General Motors has also announced plans to offer “plug-in” hybrid technology on the Vue Green Line in the future. That means the SUV could be charged using a household 120-volt outlet and driven solely on electric power for short distances and then run on the gasoline/electric hybrid powertrain for longer trips.
Learn more about the 2007 Saturn Vue Green Line
2007 Toyota Highlander Hybrid
Equipped with the same hybrid powertrain found in the Lexus RX 400h, the Toyota Highlander Hybrid pairs a V-6 engine with electric assist motors to make 268 hp and achieve EPA fuel economy ratings of 32 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway with 2WD, and 31 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway with 4WD. Toyota has redesigned the Highlander Hybrid for 2008, adding exterior size, interior space, and about 500 pounds of weight. Toyota claims that the redesigned model will make about 270 hp and continue to receive EPA ratings of 31 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway while seating up to seven people.
Learn more about the 2007 Toyota Highlander Hybrid
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