Reaching the limit of a juicy tax break has never looked so good. Toyota announced in July that it has reached the 60,000-vehicle production limit of gas-electric hybrids set by the federal government for a consumer tax credit that could, in some cases, significantly ease the cost premium of hybrid cars over similar conventionally powered vehicles…

Still, the milestone is significant. Hybrids, a class once comprised entirely of undersized, underpowered, and overpriced niche vehicles, has gone mainstream. Although overall market share is still low, 2006 and 2007 cars mark a major transition for the technology. Hybrid powertrains are popping up in a wide variety of vehicle styles, from sport-utility vehicles to luxury cars of both foreign and domestic provenance.