Mother Proof Highlights Family-Friendly Hybrids

Nov 06 2007

Skyrocketing gas prices, combined with consumers’ growing demand for green products, have helped hybrid technology go mainstream, and manufacturers have responded with a rash of models perfect for today’s families. The moms of Motherproof.com, a site dedicated to providing women in general and mothers in particular with new-car reviews, highlights options for today’s families looking to hit the road in a hybrid.

“When hybrid technologies were first introduced to the public, their appeal was to the environmentally conscious. While the technology greatly increased gas mileage, the original models lacked the cargo space and functionality most moms and their families demand,” said Kristin Varela, chief mother at Mother Proof. “As the technology has gone mainstream, we are now seeing a new generation of hybrids and many new models hitting the street, giving today’s families more fuel-efficient options, from sedans to full-size SUVs.”

So which hybrids does Mother Proof recommend for families?

2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid: Completely redesigned for 2008, we liked the earlier version we drove. We highly recommend springing for the hybrid model. It packs more power and saves time because you don’t have to go to the gas station as often.

2008 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid: This one is so new, Mother Proof hasn’t been able to test it. Yet the idea of a hybrid for families that like to tow boats, snowmobiles or whatever — but also want to save gas and cut back on emissions — intrigues us.

2008 Saturn Vue Green Line: Let’s see, an eco-happy, easy-to-park SUV that fits a family of five, their dog and some groceries, all within a budget? Sounds like a smart idea.

2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid: The novelty of the gas/electric hybrid system never wears off. We love it when the car goes silent at stoplights — it feels like it’s in stealth mode.

When considering sedans, Mother Proof notes that families need to take into account cargo space limitations due to hybrid design. The trunk of the Toyota Camry Hybrid, for example, is all but consumed by the car’s battery pack – it has 10.6 cubic feet of space, while the Camry XLE it’s based on has 14.5 cu. ft. This may be a difficult issue to get around for families needing room for both groceries and strollers.

Non-sedans, however, don’t have the same issue; Toyota’s Highlander Hybrid has an abundance of cargo space and storage, and compact SUV hybrids like the Saturn Vue Green Line and Ford Escape Hybrid also have good cargo space.

“Fortunately, hybrids now come in all shapes and sizes to fit almost any size family,” Varela said. “Well, almost all shapes – we haven’t heard anything about a hybrid minivan yet.”

About Mother Proof:
Mother Proof™ (http://www.motherproof.com) provides online car reviews and information aimed at the fastest growing segment of automotive consumers: women and mothers. The site was launched in 2004 by Kristin Varela, a young mother of two, when she was in need of a new car and couldn’t find information that was important to her and her family. Now part of the Cars.com family, Mother Proof’s team of mom-reviewers continues in a never-ending quest for the quintessential mom-mobile, searching for vehicles that make grocery shopping and preschool pickup just a little easier.