Hybrid Cars – The new status symbol for Gen X

Hybrid cars are growing in popularity and someday will replace the star of Mercedes, or the crest of Cadillac as the symbol of true luxury.  Is this just for environmentally conscious people, or everyone?  How many do you see on the road now a days?

I know for me, I see many pass by as I sit in my standard Honda Accord in traffic.  The great thing about these hybrid cars in California and many other states is, they are eligible for HOV lane access.  So as I sit, I wonder, is this the new status symbol of Gen X, or just a growing fad?

The Toyota Prius is the top of the food chain when it comes to green cars like hybrids.  The Prius gets over 50 MPG and has the performance of a sports car due to the meshing of a high torque electric motor to a standard gas engine.  This makes the Prius the Gen X car of many people.  Actors, doctors and lawyers drive them daily, putting their Mercedes and Ferraris in the garage for only special occasions.

The Honda Civic Hybrid is the green car of the ages.  Honda has installed the hybrid engine into one of the most well known models on the street.  Honda, known for its green cars, has built on the recognition of the Civic for the Gen X crowd and has placed itself in the top of the hybrid cars on the road.  While it does not get as high an MPG as the Prius, it does have a better styling and better performance, along with a thoroughbred pedigree of other Civics.

The Ford Escape is the best of the best when it comes to SUVs.  Yes, even hybrid cars come in SUVs.  These green cars have the capacity to seat a full family comfortable and have the high MPG that keeps the hybrid car away from the pump.  Ford has gotten a bad rap over the years of having bad design, but now, the design is well planned on the Escape Hybrid, and has become a popular addition to the Ford model lineup.

I would suspect, with the technology of hybrid cars increasing exponentially, that the gas guzzling V8s of the road will become dinosaurs.  Sure, there will be those who will never let go of there large SUVs and their full size cars, but they will not have the status symbol of Gen X and the environmentally conscious.

For more information on hybrid cars, how they work and the top 10 green cars, visit Clean Green Earth