Do the hybrid cars live up to the hype?

Do the hybrid cars live up to the hype?

Experts put these hybrid electric-gasoline cars to the test for drivability, fuel economy and comfort.

DETROIT -- The summer driving season is here, and sky-high gasoline prices are along for the ride. Everyone from daily commuters to long-haul vacationers seems to be talking about the new generation of hybrid gasoline-electric powered vehicles, most of them with images of huge savings dancing in their heads.

But do hybrids work? Are they practical? Will they really save you big bucks?

Those are the questions we wanted to answer when we put the two best-selling hybrid cars and the first hybrid SUV to a real-life road test. A team of Detroit Free Press drivers took Toyota Prius and Honda Civic Hybrid sedans and a Ford Escape SUV for a 300-mile spin of Detroit-area roads, from major avenues to winding residential streets and interstates.