It's not easy developing a hybrid in today's increasingly competitive world of green automobiles, but BMW hopes to move forward as one of the industry leaders in that regard.  The new ActiveHybrid 5 is one car that hopes to pave the way for that lead, and we think it's one of our better all-around vehicles to date.  BMW of Tampa dealerships are going to love selling high-end fuel efficiency in the gorgeous 2012 BMW 5 Series package, but nowhere near as much as customers are going to love driving it.

This luxury hybrid sedan pairs a 40kw electric motor with a 3.0-liter TwinPower Turbo V6 engine, meaning this is a car that looks to compete in the arena of MPG while also keeping up with performance.  In this case, let's just say both missions have been accomplished.  The ActiveHybrid 5 gets 37 MPG on the highway (31 MPG average), and at speeds under 37 mph it can actually run completely on battery alone, which is great for in-town commuters.

As far as power is concerned, though, this baby is no slouch.  It can jump from 0-to-62 mph in under six seconds, and the engine is capable of pumping out 306 horsepower.  Its top speed of 155 mph isn't anything most of us will ever get to, but even if you're just wanting to speed up to 75 or 80 mph, you can do so relatively quickly.

It is an overall excellent vehicle that we think helps usher us towards the head of the pack with hybrid cars.  And it's only going to get better from here.