Hybrids That Save You the Most Money on Gas—and a Few That Don't
CR's real-world fuel economy testing shows that many hybrid cars, trucks, and SUVs pay for themselves in gas savings
When gas prices rise as high as they are now, buyers increasingly look to hybrid cars, trucks, and SUVs that combine gas engines, batteries, and electric motors for significant fuel-economy savings. Although most hybrids cost more than gas-only versions of the same vehicle, their fuel savings are often so significant that hybrids start paying for themselves in just a few years.
Consumer Reports purchases and tests the most popular hybrids on the market alongside their nonhybrid counterparts. We perform real-world tests of their fuel economy, then we do the math to help you find the hybrids that will start saving you money the fastest (and a few that won’t).
Photo: John Powers/Consumer Reports Photo: John Powers/Consumer Reports
Many models from Toyota, including the Toyota Camry, Toyota Prius, Toyota RAV4, Toyota Sienna, and Lexus ES, are now only available as hybrids. They will save you money compared with similar nonhybrids from other automakers.
We also excluded plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) because their savings potential depends on how and where you drive, but we do have an extensive list of the best PHEVs.
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Money-Saving Hybrids
Hybrids That Don't Save You Money
A few hybrids either cost so much more than their nonhybrid counterparts or have such a negligible fuel-economy benefit that they take many years to make up the difference. Although their hybrid powertrains may offer benefits, saving money isn’t one of them.
For example, we recently finished testing the Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid. Although there are many things we like about its hybrid powertrain, cost savings isn’t one of them. Depending on how you equip your Crosstrek Hybrid, it could take between six and 24 years to pay off the price premium over a standard Crosstrek!
Similarly, we like the Honda Accord Hybrid sedan for many reasons, but Honda’s 2023 redesign cut fuel economy from 47 mpg to 40 mpg. In addition, Honda has started differentiating trim levels so that hybrid models offer more premium features, such as bigger wheels and wireless CarPlay. As a result, it’s hard to make a direct comparison, but the payback period for the most similar Accord Hybrid is about nine years.
