It’s not going to break any speed records, but the Mariner Hybrid with a gas/electric powertrain can keep up with highway traffic of 55-plus mph just fine. For the second part of your question: If you can drive a non-hybrid car, there’s no doubt you will be fine driving a hybrid. Having a little bit of knowledge helps if you’re looking to get the best mileage possible, but that info is easily found at Cars.com by reading our Expert Reviews and Buying Guides.
For example, by managing the accelerator and driving conservatively — as Cars.com reviewer Kelsey Mays found in his review of the 2008 Mariner Hybrid — you can travel up to 25 mph on the electric motor alone and use no gas at all; above 25 mph, the gasoline engine kicks on to reach faster speeds. You don’t, however, need to be an expert in nickel-metal hydride batteries to drive the Mariner and get good gas mileage.
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I'm looking forward to when manufacturer's will start making popular all-gas versions of their vehicles in hybrids forms.