Toyota Prius
The best hybrid on the market! The Prius has proven itself as the top-selling, most reliable hybrid on the market. If you are interested in buying a hybrid, you cannot go wrong with a Prius. For a smaller car, it has a surprising amount of cabin space. Since it's a hatchback, you can flip down the seats and fit a lot of cargo. The Prius is my top recommendation.
Gen 2 2004-2009 Toyota Prius CLICK HERE
Gen 3 2009-2015 Toyota Prius CLICK HERE
Chevy volt
The Volt is an amazing car that can really do it all. You can plug it in and drive up to 45 miles on pure electricity. If you want to go further, the Volt seamlessly switches to gas and functions exactly like a Prius. It's a hatchback so you have functional space, although not as much as a Prius. The Volt is sporty and drives great in all conditions. If you have the money, the Volt is a great car and you will not be disappointed!
2011-2016 Chevy Volt CLICK HERE
Ford escape hybrid
Another great hybrid that is nearly identical mechanically to the Prius. Ford did a really good job on the Escape, they made sure to get it right the first time. If you want an SUV and a hybrid, the Escape is the way to go. The Escape is available in FWD and AWD.
2005-2007 Ford Escape Hybrid CLICK HERE
2008-2012 Ford Escape Hybrid CLICK HERE
The most successful pure EV to date; the Leaf showed the world what is possible with electric vehicles. The first generation Leaf can travel 74 miles on a charge. It has a good amount of power and takes off quickly from a start; even on the highway it has plenty of power to pass. Since it is pure electric, the Leaf drives very smooth. The handling of the Leaf is confident, its low center of mass keeps the car level when cornering. It actually does very well in the snow, although I recommend winter tires for all of my customers if they can afford it. Most Leaf drivers own a second car, a gas powered car, so when they need to go on a longer distance drive they use the gasser. For others that drive less than 70 miles per day, the Leaf is a perfect EV. The Leaf's that we get here at Voltek are pretty low mileage, typically less than 40k, because it is hard to put high mileage on a car that can only go 74 miles on a charge. This is good because these batteries should easily be able to go to 200k miles or more; we have yet to see one with that high of mileage or any battery failures. The capacity of the battery does decrease over time, so over the years of driving the range will decrease slightly. So I wouldn't recommend the Leaf for every driver, but for many people the Leaf is a great and affordable EV!
nissan leaf
2011-2016 Nissan Leaf CLICK HERE