With gas prices changing faster than a Paris Hilton jail sentence ruling, drivers are looking for creative ways to stretch their money.

Carpooling, public transit, walking and simply staying at home are all possibilities, but for the person on the go, giving up a car can be nearly impossible. For some, driving is as American as baseball and apple pie, and not something most will give up without a fight. However, with the average American spending $50, $75 and even $100 for each visit to the pumps, people are looking for alternatives.

The newest rage in the automotive world is hybrid vehicles. These are cars that have engines that use both gasoline and electric. The hybrid increases mileage and reduces the emissions of gas-powered cars while overcoming the power issues and shortcomings of an electric car.

While the first hybrids were small, cramped vehicles that looked like something Clark Griswald drove in European Vacation, the evolution of this in-demand vehicle has produced larger, more stylish vehicles that not only get tremendous gas mileage, but also have excellent power. Cars, trucks and SUVs are available now, which are not only cheaper at the gas pumps but also friendlier to the environment.

The Civic Hybrid seems to be the choice of many, as it offers that look, feel and durability that drivers have come to expect from Honda.

“Our Honda Civic Hybrid is very popular,” said Dan Gawronski of Yenko Honda.

“With these gas prices right now and no guarantees where they will be in a year or two, hybrids are a very smart choice. Honda is doing well and part of that is because we offer a wide variety of dependable, fuel-efficient vehicles.”

And at 51 miles to the gallon, the question isn’t why should you buy it. The question is, “Why wouldn’t you?”

At an estimated 55 miles per gallon, the Toyota Prius is also a popular choice among consumers as its cool lines, excellent handling and economic efficiency have yielded positive results for dealers.

But what about larger families? Stop by any elementary school field and watch as soccer moms stream into the lot, carting multiple children in their SUV. While popular, the one complaint about these vehicles has been the cost of fuel. Car makers are addressing this market.

For example, Ford burst onto the scene a couple of years ago with the Ford Escape Hybrid and saw sales spike. The Escape Hybrid that is slated for release in 2008 not only has nearly zero emissions, but gets 35 miles to the gallon. Additionally, its electric motor can operate for up to 25 miles without starting the gasoline engine and its regenerative brakes actually recharge the battery with every stop. Not too bad for an SUV.

In fact, for the past few years, Taxi companies from New York City to San Francisco have been using the Escape Hybrid model for fleet use with some having odometer readings of 200,000 miles without a breakdown, thus proving its durability.

“The Escape Hybrid taxi program is an exciting collaboration between car makers, policy makers and fuel providers,” said Nancy Gioia, Director of Sustainable Mobility Technologies and Hybrid Vehicle Programs. “It is this type of collaboration that will help us meet our goal of reducing oil consumption, reducing smog and improving fuel economy.”

And other manufacturers have jumped on board with hybrid technology, as well. The Saturn Vue, Mercury Mariner, Toyota Highlander and Lexus RX 400h all offer the SUV look and feel with compact car gas mileage.

In addition to all the afore-mentioned perks of driving a hybrid is the fact that owners are actually given a Federal Tax Credit that, in some cases, is worth thousands of dollars.

“You actually get paid to drive a hybrid. That’s pretty great,” said Gawronski.

With skyrocketing fuel prices and a competitive market, the consumer will be the beneficiary as companies continue to try and up the stakes. Currently, there is great excitement in the automotive community about hydraulic hybrids which some believe are only a few years away and will revolutionize automobiles. If the hype proves true, cars are expected to get over 100 miles to the gallon and a full-sized pickup would get 60 to 70 miles to the gallon.

Now that’s hitting the oil companies right where they live.

“Hydraulic hybrid technology holds great promise for our customers and for our society,” said Gerhard Schmidt, a Ford company vice president.