现在油电混合动力汽车和纯电动汽车的品种越来越丰富了。购买这种新能源汽车的理由有很多，比如它降低了碳排放，让人们觉得自己是在为环保做贡献。当然省油钱也是一个理由。虽然眼下油价疯涨，但购买混动车或电动车并不能达到省钱的目的。

    虽说有不少新能源车型都比同级的汽油车省钱，但这并不是说所有的新能源汽车都是如此，有些新能源汽车说不定更费钱，这得考察它的售价、保值率以及油价等因素。反之亦然。当我们把一些新能源车型与同级的汽油车进行比较时，我们发现，丰田（Toyota）最新款的普锐斯（Prius）能比大多数替代能源车型更早地实现经济性。

    美国《消费者报告》杂志（Consumer Reports）经常会对各种汽车做大量测试，同时也会对车主进行调查，然后根据用户的实际体验对车型进行排名。最近《消费者报告》对一些指标进行了分析，然后纯粹从拥有成本的角度出发，帮助消费者确定哪些替代能源汽车最不值得购买。因此，如果你现在正打算购买一台环保车，这些结果非常值得一读。

雪佛兰沃蓝达

    The variety of cars that are gas-electric hybrids or run on batteries is greater than ever. There are many good reasons to purchase such a vehicle, from pumping out fewer emissions to feeling good about doing one's part. But saving money -- even at a time of sky-high gas prices -- isn't always one of them.

    While many models can save owners money compared to the equivalent gasoline-powered versions, others can cost quite a bit more, depending on the sticker price, depreciation rate and, naturally, the price of gasoline. Of course, the opposite can be true. The latest Prius model from Toyota proves its thrifty claims faster than most alt-fuel models, when compared with a similar model that runs on gasoline.

    Consumer Reports, which extensively tests automobiles and also rates them on the basis of real-world experience from surveyed owners, has analyzed the metrics that help determine which alternative-fuel vehicles are the least desirable to own, purely from a cost of ownership standpoint. The results were noteworthy, especially if you're shopping for a green vehicle.

Chevrolet Volt

    雪佛兰沃兰达（Chevrolet Volt）是一款电池动力轿车，不过它也搭载了一款供长途旅行的汽油发动机。归功于政府的优惠政策，它的售价大概在3.25万美金左右。它的性能与售价只有1.97万美元的科鲁兹（Cruze）相差无几。科鲁兹的油耗为每加仑26英里，沃兰达的油耗为每加仑61英里。按现行油价计算，一台沃兰达至少需要6年的时间，才能在油耗上抵消与科鲁兹的价差。因此科鲁兹现在已经成为通用（GM）雪佛兰家族的中流砥柱，而沃兰达的销量则没有达到通用的预期，也就没什么好奇怪的了。

本田Insight

    The Chevrolet Volt, a battery-powered sedan that also is equipped with a gasoline-engine for longer trips, costs about $32,500 when factoring in government incentives. At current gasoline prices it would take about six years of owning the Volt to justify its price premium over a $19,700 Chevrolet Cruze. The Cruze, rated at an average 26 miles per gallon, and the Volt, rated at 61 miles per gallon, resemble one another and perform similarly. It's hardly surprising that the Volt has fallen short of GM's sales expectations while the Cruze has turned into a mainstay of the automaker's Chevrolet brand.

Honda Insight

    Insight和飞度（Fit）是本田（Honda）最省油的两款轿车，但两者的表现不尽相同。Insight（售价18,970美元）是一款油电混合动力轿车，油耗为38英里每加仑。飞度（售价15,870美元）的油耗为30英里每加仑。Insight车主需要至少7年的时间才能从油价上抵消与飞度的售价差额。如果说汽油可能涨到每加仑4.75美元的话，那么Insight可能会更经济一些，只需5年就可以把价差找回来。

    Two of Honda's most fuel-efficient cars, the Insight and Fit, differ. The Insight, a gas-electric hybrid, is rated at 38 miles per gallon. But at a sale price of $18,970, it would take seven years to make up the price and operating cost premium over the Fit, which sells for $15,870 and is rated at an average 30 miles per gallon. If gasoline were to rise in price to $4.75 a gallon, then the Insight would make a bit more fiscal sense, as its payback period would drop to five years.   

雷克萨斯HS 250h    

Lexus HS 250h

    《消费者报告》把雷克萨斯（Lexus）HS 250h油电混动轿车与讴歌（Acura）的TSX基本款进行了对比，后者是一款四缸发动机轿车。讴歌TSX的油耗为每加仑25英里，雷克萨斯HS 250h为每加仑31英里。不过雷克萨斯的售价不到4万美元，它的五年拥有成本大概在4.45万美元左右。讴歌TSX的价格约为3.07万美元，五年拥有成本约为4.1万美元。由于这两台车的燃油经济性相差不大，因此雷克萨斯HS 250h的车主必须开上8年，才能在拥有成本上战胜讴歌TSX。不过如果油价飙升到每加仑11.5美元的话，那么这个周期就会缩短成一年——不过那么高的油价实在太恐怖了。

宝马335d

    Consumer Reports compared the Lexus HS 250h gas-electric hybrid against Acura's TSX base model with a four-cylinder engine. The Acura gets 25 miles per gallon, the Lexus 31 miles per gallon. But the Lexus costs just under $40,000 to buy and $44,500 to operate for five years; the Acura costs about $30,700 and $41,000 to operate. Given the fairly narrow advantage the Lexus has in terms of fuel economy, an owner would have to keep the Lexus for more than eight years to overcome the cost disadvantage. If gasoline were to rise to more than $11.50 a gallon -- a dreadful thought, everyone can agree -- the payback period shrinks to one year.

BMW 335d

    宝马（BMW）3系由于其质量、运动性和出色的做工而受到了车主和评测人员的一致褒奖，不过大家很少表扬它的燃油经济性。现在宝马3系又推出了一款柴油动力版，名叫335d。它的起价约在5.19万美元，比汽油动力的328i差不多整整贵了1万美元，而且养车成本也更高。335d每加仑柴油可以跑28英里，汽油版每加仑能跑23英里。柴油版的经济性需要在8年后才能超过汽油版。

    BMW's 3 Series has won raves from owners and plaudits from reviewers for quality, sportiness and excellent engineering -- but rarely for fuel economy. BMW is offering a diesel-powered variant, dubbed the 335d. The diesel model, starting at about $51,900, represents almost $10,000 more in purchase price than the gasoline powered 328i, and costs more to operate. The diesel gets 28 miles per gallon of fuel, while the gasoline models gets 23 miles per gallon. After eight years of ownership, the diesel starts to be a better deal financially.

英菲尼迪M35h 

Infiniti M35h

   英菲尼迪（Infiniti）M35h的起价为57,945美元，它搭载了一台油电混合动力发动机，油耗为每加仑25英里。它的同门兄弟M37的售价为51,945美元。如果算上其它养车费用，混动版的五年拥有成本约为6.3万美元，而汽油版的五年拥有成本为60,250美元。如果只从油耗上看的话，混动版的油耗优势还是很明显的。不过混动版得开上八年之后才能开始为车主省钱。

雷克萨斯RX450h

   The Infiniti M35h sedan starts at $57,945 and comes with a gas-electric hybrid engine that's rated at 25 miles per gallon. Its sibling, the M37 sedan, costs $51,945. Taking into account other costs of ownership, the hybrid costs $63,000 to own for five years, compared with $60,250 for the gasoline-powered sedan. Purely in terms of gasoline saved the hybrid makes sense right away. As a financial matter, eight years of ownership must go by before the hybrid saves money for the owner.

Lexus RX450h

    雷克萨斯品牌凭借它的RX跨界车产品线打出了一个漂亮的本垒打。这个系列的豪华性和动力近年来有了不小的进步，因此也吸引了许多忠实客户。雷克萨斯最近推出了一款名为RX450h的混动车，以吸引那些对高科技和环保感兴趣的消费者。这款车的起价为50,430美元，油耗为每加仑26英里。相比之下，RX350汽油版的价格为44,430美元，油耗为每加仑21英里。RX450h的车主绝对可以相信它的环保性。但是，要等到它的经济性超过汽油版，则是8年以后的事了。

    译者：朴成奎

    Toyota's Lexus division hit a big home run with its RX line of crossovers, which have grown more luxurious and powerful over the years and have attracted a loyal customer base. Lexus added a hybrid, the RX450h, to its lineup for those interested in advanced technology and a strong interest in environmental concerns. The hybrid version starts at $50,430 and is rated at 26 miles per gallon. The RX350 gasoline version costs $44,430 and is rated at 21 miles per gallon. The hybrid owner can rightfully claim green credentials with the hybrid; and after eight years of ownership, the hybrid owner may accurately point out that it was a good deal financially, compared with the gasoline versio.