2nd Place

No one ever said that efficiency and luxury had to be mutually exclusive. With the 2007 RX 400h, Lexus has married the Toyota Highlander Hybrid’s technology with its own style and upscale sophistication. Behind the scenes is the Hybrid Synergy Drive 3.3-liter V6 with VVT-i that generates 268 net horsepower at 5,600 rpm. Available with front- or all-wheel-drive traction, the RX 400h features a continuously-variable automatic transmission. EPA-estimated fuel economy is rated at 32 mpg city, 27 mpg highway, and 29 mpg combined for front-wheel-drive models, while four-wheelers see only 31 mpg in the city. With the unavoidable $715 destination charge added in, base prices register $41,895 for the base RX 400h and $43,295 for the all-wheel-drive version.