We checked with Honda and Toyota, the two best-selling hybrid manufacturers, about maintenance and reviewed the service schedules of two of the most popular hybrids and found that neither requires any special maintenance beyond what a regular car needs. Coolant changes on the Prius and other Toyota hybrids might be somewhat more complicated and expensive than in regular cars, but they don't have to be done any more often. (In the Lexus RX400h and Toyota Highlander Hybrid, there are battery-cooling vents in the rear footwells that must not be blocked.)

Both cars, including their battery packs, have been very reliable in our annual surveys of Consumer Reports subscribers. Toyota reports that some Priuses have more than 200,000 miles on their original batteries. Under California state law, which has guided similar regulations in Massachusetts, Maine, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont, hybrid manufacturers are required to provide a warranty on the batteries up to 150,000 miles.