Hybrid SUVs Slow to Leave Dealership Lots

Washington DC March 21, 2006; The AIADA newsletter reported that as the price of gas continues to rise, car buyers are becoming more conscious of fuel economy in their purchase. However, hybrid SUVs are not selling nearly as much as smaller hybrid models, according to USA Today.

Hybrid cars such as the Toyota Prius and Honda Civic remain extremely popular and in short supply, but hybrid SUVs such as the Lexus RX 400h and even sedan hybrids such as the Honda Accord are staying on the lots longer than expected. Ron Cogan, publisher of Green Car Journal, believes the issue is that consumers have not yet caught on to bigger hybrids.

Smaller hybrid models were easy decisions for consumers because they were cheaper and had higher average miles per gallon. "For the other categories, it's going to take longer to capture the attention of buyers," says Cogan.