Fuel efficiency, horsepower, price of the car, design and utility, are just a few of the criteria that people check before making a choice on purchasing a hybrid car. First of all, the right hybrid car will net the best MPG available. Cars that have the ability to run on electric power alone for a certain distance or up to a certain speed are the best bet for fuel economy.

No matter the engine combination, the best hybrid car should be able to overcome the increased price by saving you money at the gas pump over a period of time.  So a new Civic Hybrid should overcome the increased cost over a base model Civic by saving you money in the from of less gas per year.

When making a decision on which hybrid is best for your needs, size also plays a part in your decision.  Will this strictly be a commuter car, or will you need something larger to haul around the family? Thus, you might be interested in the best hybrid car in the small, town-use category, or maybe the mid-size hybrid sedans are more suitable for your needs. Luxury hybrid vehicles are rather pretentious and expensive, but they do have their targeted buyers.

The right hybrid car according to personal requirements should be chosen only after alot or research has been done. The internet is full of reviews and information about all kinds of hybird vehicles.  Do your dilligent research and consider the cost of maintenance, hybrid tax rebates, fuel economy, warranty, battery charging system and so on. Finally take a test drive and make sure that the car feels right.

Flex Fuel Cars Get Better Fuel Economy – Nope!
Gasoline has a lot of stored energy, but the Alcohol that is contained in Ethanol has less.  Since Flex Fuel is mostly Ethanol the result is less bank for the buck.  Car that use E85 get 10-15% less fuel economy than their regular brothern.  Take for example the GMC Yukon, the Flex Fuel gas mileage is much lower.  And I grabbed this from fueleconomy.gov!

At least E85 is cheaper Right?

Flex Fuel is cheaper yes, but you do get much worse fuel economy so you can go farther on a tank of regular gas than E85.  So at the end of the day you can hope to save $4 every 1000 miles.  Is that enough to sway you in the direction of flex fuel vehicles?

How about the Impact on Mother Earth?

The Environmental Protection Agency says E85gas does indeed lesses Green House gas emissions by over 15%.  According to a Smog Reyes study; Ethanol is the only thig that can be mixed with gasoline to help reduce smog pollutants.

That Corn Should Feed the Hungry Rather than Power your Car!

Ethanol is derived from a strain of corn that is used to feed livestock.  Well the animals need to eat too, and they do!  Ethoanol is made from starch found in the corn and all the byproduct that is left over can still be made into a healthy animal feed.

In conclusion, Flex Fuel Cars have become popular for a few reasons.

-Ethanol is a biofuel which is a renewable source of energy.  So when someday we may run out of oil; corn will continue to be grown….hopefully!

-Going Green has had a major influence in the way we think and if we can reduce smog and harmful pollutants through the use of Flex Fuels than this is a DAMN GOOD THING!

Resources:
http://getbettermpg.blogspot.com/2008/08/e85-gas-separating-fact-from-fiction.html