Hybrid Car Review

The 2010 Toyota Prius earns a 'Best Buy' award from Consumer Guide Automotive, the first time it has been on the list.  The Prius was 'insufficiently transparent' for the vehicle to earn Consumer Guide recognition until now. 

22 of the vehicles listed in the Consumer Guide Awards come with diesel or hybrid variants.  Thus Consumer Guides feels the hybrid technology has 'finally matured' and is 'firmly established.'

Seems to me like they're a little behind the times, but that's OK. A conservative approach to car reviewers is a good thing.


Press Release Follows:
LINCOLNWOOD, IL., December 2, 2009 -- Consumer Guide Automotive, the leading publisher of authoritative, objective new and used car reviews for over 40 years, today announced the recipients of its 2010 Best Buy and Recommended Awards. The annual list, designed to make car buying easier for consumers, represents the best overall values in 18 vehicle categories. For the almost three million people who visit Consumer Guide’s website each month, this year’s list showcases both perennial performers and some surprising newcomers.

For the first time, the Toyota Prius has achieved Best Buy recognition in the Midsize Car category. “Since its debut in 2001, Consumer Guide has respected the Toyota Prius for its technological sophistication and best-in-class fuel economy. Prius' hybrid powertrain had its faults, however, and did not operate with sufficient transparency for the vehicle to earn Consumer Guide recognition,” said Tom Appel, Consumer Guide Automotive Associate Publisher. “A 2010 Prius redesign brings with it not only substantial improvements in ride and cabin appointments, but a smooth, super-efficient powertrain that operates much like any other refined sedan. It is for these reasons, that for the first time ever, Prius is a Consumer Guide Best Buy.”

In addition to Prius, 22 vehicles with available hybrid or diesel power were also awarded Consumer Guide Automotive Best Buy or Recommended honors. “This once fringe technology has finally matured,” said Appel, “and now many hybrids can be found firmly established among the best automobiles on the market.”

In contrast, this year also welcomes the return of the American large car, with the new/redesigned Buick LaCrosse and Ford Taurus receiving Consumer Guide Automotive Best Buy recognition. “With shoppers migrating from traditional SUVs, the once-dormant large car category is in renaissance. For 2010, traditional big sedans are back, but in a very modern way. The Buick LaCrosse and Ford Taurus are very different cars, but earn Consumer Guide Automotive Best Buy accolades for impressive passenger comfort, road isolation, and dollar value ”

Since 1967, Consumer Guide's preeminent editorial team has used a comprehensive evaluation process based on the factors that matter most to car buyers to arrive at the annual list of winners. Initially, the list is divided into 18 classes based on vehicle type, size, and price. These class segments span the entire automotive market and include hundreds of cars, SUVs, minivans, and trucks.

The editors then use objective criteria such as price, features, performance, passenger accommodations, fuel economy, reliability records, and resale value to assess each vehicle. The winners are divided into two categories: The Consumer Guide Automotive Best Buy and Recommended Award winners.

A Consumer Guide Automotive’s Best Buy rating signifies that a vehicle is ranked at the top of its class and is strongly recommended by the editors. Consumer Guide Best Buy vehicles represent the finest balance of attributes and price within their classes, and they are the best choices for most consumers. Consumer Guide Automotive's Recommended list features cars that, though not ranked at the very top of their category, are still worth strong consideration by the consumer.

The key to Consumer Guide Automotive's annual Best Buy and Recommended Awards is the careful evaluation of every aspect of each vehicle as it relates to consumers’ real-world use of the vehicle.

Consumer Guide’s editorial team drives nearly 200,000 miles a year evaluating what these vehicles do well, and what they don't. The process assures that recommendations are based on experiences that best reflect the settings and conditions that the average car buyer encounters every day. Whether it is driving through the city, highways, rural areas, long trips, or simply picking up the kids up at school, the vehicles are tested in the same way the average car buyer would use theirs.

Complete reviews of the winning vehicles, as well as other pertinent information for in-market car buyers, are provided exclusively by HowStuffWorks.com (www.howstuffworks.com) and can be found online at consumerguide.com.