I agonized over my new car purchase for months. My criteria were the following:

Hybrid SUV
30 MPG on city and highway
Under $40K

We test drove this car, the Saturn VUE Hybrid, the Ford Escape Hybrid. There were no other options at the time we bought. It turns out the Ford Escape Hybrid and the Mercury Mariner Hybrid are the identical car. The only difference is that the stereo in the Mariner comes standard with a 6-disc changer instead of 1-disc in the Escape. The prices aren't even different. The VUE looked better on the outside, but felt cheaper on the inside. Given the price range we didn't think we could get Lexus caliber luxury in a Hybrid SUV, but we felt like the Mariner got close enough. Plenty of leg room in the front and back. And lots of safety features for us and our newborn to make us feel safe.

The only hesitation we had when buying the car was the fact that it is a Mercury. We don't know anyone who has a Mercury. And if we do, then they are surely not as young and good looking as us. :-)
Amount Paid (US$): 31000
Condition: New
Model Year: 2008
Model and Options: Hybrid