Want a hybrid SUV? Finding one may be harder than you think

With the average price of unleaded approaching $4.11 a gallon, many commuters fed up with gasp-inducing fill-ups are quickly switching to smaller cars. But let's face it, not every Tahoe owner can downsize to a Honda Fit, some large-SUV drivers actually need the room a large SUV provides. The obvious solution is a hybrid SUV, which offers family hauling ability with better fuel economy (and often a tax break). Today's buyers even have a variety of gas-electric SUVs to choose from -- or at least they would, if any were available. It turns out that as demand for hybrid SUVs rises, the vehicles are becoming pretty hard to find.

Ford offered the first hybrid SUV in 2005 with a gas-electric version of its Escape, and since then it has been joined by vehicles from Toyota, Chrysler, and Saturn, among others. Yet still, finding an available hybrid SUV at your local dealership isn't easy as spiking demand outpaces limited supply. Production of the 2008 Saturn Vue hybrid has been slowed by battery problems in last year's model, and even though GM has begun a major promotional push for its Tahoe and Yukon dual-mode SUVs, the automaker is only making them in small numbers -- and only half its dealers actually sell them. Ford plans to build 24,000 examples of its Escape and {{{Mercury Mariner}}} hybrids combined this year, but many buyers still face months-long wait lists to get one.

With sales down across the board for the auto industry, dealers are also complaining about a lack of hybrid SUVs, considering it's one of the few segments where demand is actually growing. Most vehicles sit on dealer lots for two months before selling, while hybrid SUVs are moving in just 17 - 38 days on average. Yet despite this, even Toyota -- which offers a wide array of hybrids across its lineup -- isn't building enough gas-electric Highlanders. Buyers who do manage to find a hybrid SUV often have little choice when it comes to options, and deals are pretty much nonexistent -- Ford Escapes are selling right around their top MSRP of $30,000, while GM's dual-mode SUVs, which just recently looked like a sales flop, are now going for $2000 - $4000 over sticker.

With Chrysler's hybrid Aspen and Durango on sale this summer and a new Saturn Vue 2 Mode Hybrid due in the fall, consumers will have a larger pool of hybrid SUVs to choose from soon. But if you're planning to get a gas-electric Ford Escape or GMC Yukon in the next few months, you might want to put your name on a local dealer's wait list now -- just don't expect a discount.

Source: The Detroit News