Filed under: Hybrid, Chevrolet, Ford, GM, GMC, Honda, Lexus, Mazda, Mercury, Nissan, Saturn, Toyota, AutoblogGreen Exclusive, USA
Earth Day: How far must you drive your hybrid before it pays off?
Hybrids help you save gas at the pump, this is something we all know. We also know why burning less gasoline is good: fewer greenhouse gases are emitted to the atmosphere, it reduces our dependence on foreign oil and we spend less money at the pump. However, there is always the question about what is the overall impact of using a hybrid versus using a non-hybrid version. There are currently 17 hybrid models available in the U. S. market and all but one have a corresponding non-hybrid counterpart to compare with. As part of our Earth Day coverage today, we took a closer look at the following two questions:
- Question #1: How far can we drive with a hybrid powertrain compared to a non-hybrid?
- Question #2: When will the hybrid investment pay for itself through gas savings?
Case 1: Honda Civic
If you need a compact, sporty and nice sedan, the Civic is a good choice. It doesn't hurt at all that the Civic is available not only with two gasoline engines, but a natural gas and a hybrid version as well. Let's check how our two questions are answered for this model.According to the official figures, the Honda Civic Sedan EX-L 1.8 gets 36/32 mpg (hwy/city). The Hybrid version gets 45/40 mpg. This is actually a good improvement, since we'll get 16 percent more miles from a tank of gas with the hybrid (553 vs 475). However, you won't be able to offset your savings until you drive 97,200 miles on the highway or 86,400 in city driving, because of the gasoline cost per mile.
| Model | Power (HP) | MPG hwy | MPG city | Tank capacity | Miles per tank | MRSP | Gas cost per mile (hwy) |
Gas cost per mile (cty) |
| Honda Civic Hybrid | 110 | 45 | 40 | 12.3 | 553.3 | $22,600 | $0.0778 | $0.0875 |
| Honda Civic Sedan EX-L 1.8 | 140 | 36 | 32 | 13.2 | 475 | $20,710 | $0.0972 | $0.1094 |
If we check the European diesel Civic, with a 2.2-liter engine, 140 HP and 53/33 mpg, we can make up to 753 miles with a single tank (highway).
Case 2: Domestic sedans: Chevrolet Malibu and Saturn Aura
If you want a domestic sedan, both the Malibu and the Aura have good credentials. The redesigned Malibu is catching a lot of attention and the Aura has a lot in common with the Opel/Vauxhall Vectra. Both cars can be purchased with I4, V6 and, now, hybrid powertrains.According to the official figures, both non-hybrid sedans get 30/22 mpg (hwy/cty) while the hybrids get 32/24 mpg. That isn't a spectacular leap. The hybrid will take us 6.7 percent further on a single tank, 512 vs 480 miles. We estimate you'll offset your hybrid premium after 200,000 miles of highway driving or about 100,000 of city driving.
| Model | Power (HP) | MPG hwy | MPG city | Tank capacity | Miles per tank | MRSP | Gas cost per mile (hwy) |
Gas cost per mile (cty) |
| Chevy Malibu Hybrid | 165 | 32 | 24 | 16 | 571 | $22,140 | $0.1458 | $0.1094 |
| Chevy Malibu 2.4 | 169 | 30 | 22 | 16 | 480 | $19,645 | $0.1167 | $0.1591 |
| Saturn Aura Hybrid | 165 | 32 | 24 | 16 | 571 | $23,650 | $0.1458 | $0.1094 |
| Saturn Aura 2.4 | 169 | 30 | 22 | 16 | 480 | $20,045 | $0.1167 | $0.1591 |
If we check the European Opel/Vauxhall Vectra 1.9 DTi, with a 2.2-liter engine, 150 HP with automatic - which gets 42 and 24.5 mpg - we see it can go up to 662 miles with a single tank of diesel.
Case 3: Import sedans: Nissan Altima and Toyota Camry
If you're interested in the sedan category, you will probably be looking at imports and domestics. Little more needs to be said about these two best-sellers. As above, we can buy them with an I4, a V6 or hybrid powertrains.According to the official figures, the Altima Hybrid gets 35/33 mpg (hwy/cty) and the Camry Hybrid gets 34/33 while the non-hybrids get 31/23 and 31/21 mpg, respectively, offering quite an nice increase in city driving. Regarding how much we can run on a single tank, it's 13 percent more for the Altima and two percent more for the Camry (note: tank capacity is different, check the estimation of cost per mile). An estimation of when you'll offset your initial expense? You'll need 300,000 miles for highway driving or about 70,000 of city driving.
| Model | Power (HP) | MPG hwy | MPG city | Tank capacity | Miles per tank | MRSP | Gas cost per mile (hwy) |
Gas cost per mile (cty) |
| Nissan Altima Hybrid |
158 | 35 | 33 | 20 | 720 | $25,170 | $0.1000 | $0.1061 |
| Nissan Altima 2.5 | 175 | 31 | 23 | 20 | 620 | $20,680 | $0.1129 | $0.1522 |
| Toyota Camry Hybrid | 187 | 34 | 33 | 17.2 | 585 | $25,200 | $0.1029 | $0.1061 |
| Toyota Camry 2.4 | 158 | 31 | 21 | 18.5 | 574 | $21,075 | $0.1129 | $0.1667 |
Case 4: Luxury sedans: Lexus
Now, let's step up a level. Unfortunately, the only choice we have here is to speak about a single brand, Lexus. We have two options here, the GS and the LS. In this case, not many options were available to compare. If you wondered, only the IS has a diesel option for Europeans (with a very interesting 177 HP D-CAT engine).According to the official figures, you shouldn't really be considering the hybrid version if you do mostly highway driving. The savings for both sedans are only worth it in city driving. The GS hybrid gets three mpg more than the regular GS. In the case of the LS flagship , the savings are more spectacular, up to 22 mpg from 16. Regarding how much we can run on a single tank, we will consider city driving. You'll drive six percent further in the case of the GS and a whopping 37.5 percent in case of the LS. To estimate when you'll offset your hybrid premium? Let's just say you'll need to drive a lot due to the huge price gap between the hybrid and the regular versions.
| Model | Power (HP) | MPG hwy | MPG city | Tank capacity | Miles per tank (city) |
MRSP | Gas cost per mile (hwy) |
Gas cost per mile (cty) |
| Lexus GS450h |
340 | 25 | 22 |
17.2 |
378 |
$54,900 | $0.1400 | $0.1591 |
| Lexus GS350 | 303 |
29 |
19 | 18.8 |
357 | $44,150 | $0.1296 | $0.1842 |
| Lexus LS600h | 483 | 20 |
22 | 22.2 |
488 |
$104,000 | $0.1750 | $0.1591 |
| Lexus LS460 | 380 | 24 | 16 | 22.2 |
355 |
$72,000 | $0.1458 | $0.2188 |
Case 5: Ford Escape/Mazda Tribute/Mercury Mariner
SUVs aren't considered very good green vehicles, but for someone who needs the carrying capacity, it's good we have hybrid powertrains make them better performers. In this case, we considered AWD versions just because we thought that if you wanted an SUV it was because you really needed it. You wouldn't buy an SUV if you didn't, right? Right?According to the official figures, these compact hybrid SUVs get 29/27 mpg (hwy/cty) while the standard versions get 24/19 (hwy/city). Regarding on how far they will take us on a single tank, part of the improvement (about 10 percent) is because of the difference of the tank size. Our estimate is that you'll offset your initial expense after 200,000 miles of highway driving or about 80,000-100,000 of city driving. Like with the Lexus, this happens mostly because of the higher cost of the hybrid versions and not for the improvement in city mileage (which is about 30 percent).
| Model | Power (HP) | MPG hwy | MPG city | Tank capacity | Miles per tank | MRSP | Gas cost per mile (hwy) |
Gas cost per mile (cty) |
| Ford Escape Hybrid | 155 | 29 | 27 |
15 |
435 |
$28,390 | $0.1207 | $0.1296 |
| Ford Escape 2.3 | 153 |
24 |
19 | 16.5 |
396 | $21,880 | $0.1458 | $0.1842 |
| Mazda Tribute Hybrid |
155 | 29 | 27 |
15 |
435 |
$27,060 | $0.1207 | $0.1296 |
| Mazda Tribute 2.3 | 153 |
24 |
19 | 16.5 |
396 | $22,300 | $0.1458 | $0.1842 |
| Mercury Mariner Hybrid |
155 | 29 | 27 |
15 |
435 |
$29,090 | $0.1207 | $0.1296 |
| Mercury Mariner 2.3 | 153 |
24 |
19 | 16.5 |
396 | $23,050 | $0.1458 | $0.1842 |
Case 6: Compact SUVs - Toyota Highlander, Saturn VUE and Lexus RX
Although we could include these SUVs in the case above, we separated them not to make the tables too large, but you can compare them easily, and see that the Vue is the winner in terms of mileage and price, although it plays in a different league with a less powerful engine compared to the Toyota/Lexus.According to the official figures, the Toyota/Lexus get five percent more miles on a tank, (it's smaller in the hybrid, though) and mileage is improved about 25 percent. In the case of the VUE, we run 23 percent more miles on a single tank of unleaded. Mileage is improved from 23/17 to 27/25 mpg (Highlander), 22/17 to 26/24 mpg for the RX. In the case of the VUE, improvement is remarkable, from 26/19 to 32/25 mpg. Payoff time? You need about 100,000 miles of highway driving to offset the price difference in the Highlander, 150,000 for the RX and the Vue. In case of city driving, figures go down to 35,000 miles, 65,000 and 93,000 miles, respectively.
| Model | Power (HP) | MPG hwy | MPG city | Tank capacity | Miles per tank | MRSP | Gas cost per mile (hwy) |
Gas cost per mile (cty) |
| Toyota Highlander Hybrid | 270 | 27 | 25 | 17.2 | 464 | $33,799 | $0.1296 | $0.1400 |
| Toyota Highlander Sport | 270 | 23 | 17 | 19.2 | 422 | $31,400 | $0.1522 | $0.2059 |
| Lexus RX 400h | 270 | 26 | 24 | 17.2 | 464 | $42,680 | $0.1346 | $0.1458 |
| Lexus RX350 | 270 | 22 | 17 | 19.2 | 422 | $38,800 | $0.1591 | $0.2059 |
| Saturn Vue Hybrid | 172 | 32 | 25 | 19 | 608 | $25,370 | $0.1094 | $0.1400 |
| Saturn Vue XE | 169 | 26 | 19 | 19 | 494 | $21,250 | $0.1346 | $0.1842 |
Case 7: Large SUVs - Chevy Tahoe and GMC Yukon
For those cases in which you really need a large SUV, it's good that GM thought about installing a hybrid powertrain. While the hybrid system doesn't produce miracles in highway driving, it does have an solid effect in city driving, basically by not having the V8 idle while waiting at traffic lights.According to the official figures, the Chevy/Yukon gets 19/14 mpg (hwy/city) and the Hybrid version gets 20/20 mpg. This is actually a good improvement in the case of city driving. Calcualting how many city blocks we can drive with a tank of unleaded, we see we can drive 35 percent further if we choose the hybrid powertrains (once again, the tank is smaller in the hybrid version). In order to offset the hybrid premium we will need about 180,000 miles of city driving.
| Model | Power (HP) | MPG hwy | MPG city | Tank capacity | Miles per tank (city) |
MRSP | Gas cost per mile (hwy) |
Gas cost per mile (cty) |
| Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid | 332 | 20 | 20 | 24.5 | 490 | $52,395 | $0.1750 | $0.1750 |
| Chevrolet Tahoe 5.3 |
320 | 19 | 14 | 26 | 364 | $38,490 | $0.1842 | $0.2500 |
| GMC Yukon Hybrid | 332 | 20 | 20 | 24.5 | 490 | $52,882 | $0.1750 | $0.1750 |
| GMC Yukon 5.3 |
320 | 19 | 14 | 26 | 364 | $39,250 | $0.1842 | $0.2500 |
Case 8: Toyota Prius
We'll end this post with a most unfair comparison. The Prius is a model which is completely different from any current offerings at Toyota, so we just compared it to a Toyota Corolla (and then with a diesel Toyota Auris which is itself a very different car).According to the official figures, the Toyota Corolla 1.8 Automatic gets 35/26 mpg (hwy/city). The Prius has America's best mileage with 48/45 mpg. It is actually a big difference and even with a smaller tank, we can driver 25 percent further in the case of the Prius. But when are you going to compensate for the difference in upfront cash? After about 210,000 miles of highway driving and 100,000 of city driving.
| Model | Power (HP) | MPG hwy | MPG city | Tank capacity | Miles per tank | MRSP | Gas cost per mile (hwy) |
Gas cost per mile (cty) |
| Toyota Prius |
110 |
48 | 45 | 11.9 | 553.3 | $21,100 | $0.0729 | $0.0778 |
| Toyota Corolla 1.8 Aut. |
126 | 35 | 25 |
13.2 | 475 | $15,205 | $0.1000 | $0.1346 |
If we check Toyota's European counterpart, there's the Auris, with a 2.0-liter engine, 126 HP and 48/33 mpg, we can make up to 680 miles with a single tank (highway). Again, bear in mind that this isn't exact due to Europe's and America's slightly different measuring systems.In all cases, we see that buying a hybrid is not exactly going to make financial sense right away. Still, these numbers were calculated using $3.50 as the cost of a gallon. The higher that goes, the lower all the distances become. Think it over.
[Sources: Autoblog, official automaker's information]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Wise Golden 3:16PM (4/22/2008)
You're forgetting the tax incentatives.
Reply
mike k. 3:27PM (4/22/2008)
Why didn't you factor in the Diesel engines as a hypothetical with all of your calculations (also taking into account the % more per gallon you pay for diesel fuel today). Without that in your tables, I don't' see what the relevance of mentioning diesel at all is honestly.
Also, I'm always seeing a comparison of the Prius to the Corrola. I think the feature set/luxuries standard in a prius at the MSRP displayed, are of a bit higher standard than the corrola. Could we have possibly compared it to a Matrix maybe? That actually is a much more similar car in frame and look the prius honestly. Similarly optioned Matrix is 19,010 (which would be a difference of 2,090, instead of the corrolas difference which is more like ~6k) So if we re-work your number there, then that makes the pay back time: at under 40k miles for City driving, 60k of highway miles.
That might be a little more fair comparison in my opinion.
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BrianM 4:04PM (4/22/2008)
I agree with Mike K. ~ Diesels ought to have been included.
For a data point, here's the info from My diesel ~ a 2001 Jetta TDI:
Claimed 90hp/155ft/lb torque
Actual fuel economy (average of 73,000 miles) of 48mpg
Current diesel fuel price down the street from myself, $3.959
$0.08248 per mile
I have records from when I first got the car showing about $0.06/mile fuel cost.
The other bone is that Claimed economy is still way off from real world numbers. Again, using my Jetta as an example (I drive fast and don't try to be a hyper-miler, but also don't recklessly accelerate/brake for needless waste of fuel), EPA claims I should be seeing 44 on the Highway.... my all time low was 43mpg, and that was all city driving. Before the EPA 'adjustment', my numbers were spot on. The Prius, looking at FuelEconomy.gov, is just barely on the numbers after the adjustment. Something's not right in the world of EPA calculations.
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TORR 4:12PM (4/22/2008)
So in every single case you have to drive a ton of miles JUST to recoup the inital cost involved in the purchase. Then you still have a car that has at least 60k on it! Here comes the maintenance at that point.
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NM 4:13PM (4/22/2008)
I am not sure about your table for the gas tank size for the Ford Escape Hybrid.
My gas tank capacity is certainly not 24.5
Try 16.5 with 15 gallons usable before the reserve.
Check your specs.
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Xavier Navarro 4:56PM (4/22/2008)
NM: You're right, but the cost per mile data was correct!
Mike: Probably that choice would have been wiser, although I took the most equipped with the lowest engine available Corolla.
Regarding using diesels (and I'm a diesel driver myself), how many new models do we have available now in the US, which we can compare to a hybrid?
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Tim 5:03PM (4/22/2008)
How about all electric cars or E-REVs like the Volt?
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KarenRei 5:23PM (4/22/2008)
Assuming no tax incentives, and assuming the gasoline equivalent competitor to my (upcoming) Aptera Typ-1e is a Smart ForTwo, and given how much I drive (above average):
The Aptera has a lot more room and should do far better in crash tests, but we'll just pretend that's not the case. Let's also ignore that the Aptera has a lot more standard features, like LED lighting, StreetDeck nav/entertainment system, rear view and side cameras, and so forth. Let's treat them as equivalents.
The Aptera is $27k. The ForTwo is $12k. Price difference, $15k. In a ForTwo, with my current consumption, I'd be spending a little over ~2k for gasoline per year at $4/gal. In the Aptera, ~$100 a year in electricity at my local rates (my power is only $0.05/kWh for any significant quantity). In the ForTwo, probably 1k average on maintenance. In the Aptera, given the huge lifespan of the batteries, the small battery pack (10kWh), and the otherwise incredible simplicity of the drivetrain, $500 a year on maintenance. So, $2.5k a year savings. The time to pay off $15k: 6 years.
If we want to just compare miles and ignore maintenance: $0.114/mi vs. $0.005/mi, for a savings of $0.109/mi. To offset $15k, 140,000 miles. But, of course, maintenance does matter, and pretending there will be no tax breaks or that the extra room and featuers are irrelevant isn't exactly a fair comparison, is it?
Update: Darn, I realize I just did all these calcs assuming $4/gal, while the blog above used $3.50/gal. Well, close enough.
To respond to another post:
"So in every single case you have to drive a ton of miles JUST to recoup the inital cost involved in the purchase. Then you still have a car that has at least 60k on it! Here comes the maintenance at that point."
And the maintenance on the equivalent non-hybrid car as well. Sure, there's a battery and electric drivetrain. But there are also advantages, such as (usually) a smaller gasoline engine and less wear on brakepads.
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ug 7:26PM (4/22/2008)
All of these payback figures assume gas prices remain static. I would hope everyone who has paid attention to gas prices these last few years has realized how stupid that is.
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spence 8:05PM (4/22/2008)
That's great Karen! Too bad "your" Aptera doesn't exist. My unicorn, on the other hand, gets 1000 miles a rainbow!
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texmln 10:41PM (4/22/2008)
So to sum it all up: Hybrids ain't worth it. Why did you need to write any more than that?
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gsolman6 11:41PM (4/22/2008)
These figures are way off those published by Money/CNN:
http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2007/autos/0711/gallery.hybrids_that_pay/2.html
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meme 11:59PM (4/22/2008)
"Too bad "your" Aptera doesn't exist."
So we can't cite stats for, say, the Volt, either? Who cares whether multiple prototypes are driving around SoCal and the lead of the Dodge Viper and Ford GT projects is now heading the production of the Aptera, which has raised full VC funding -- no, who cares about any of that. It's a "unicorn" to you.
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SteveW 12:29AM (4/23/2008)
Something else to consider is that more energy is used building a car than that car is ever likely to consume.
So the MOST fuel efficient option is to keep your current vehicle running as long as possible even if it is a gas guzzler.
Of course no one wants to tell you that as there is way to much invested in selling you a new car every couple of years.
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texmln 12:37AM (4/23/2008)
Don't forget the cost of looking like a complete homo in your Prius. You might never get laid again!
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s10 2:44AM (4/23/2008)
but how many miles do you have to drive to be nicer to the environment? Why (always) considering only the money side...
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Dave 3:19AM (4/23/2008)
SteveW wrote:
> Something else to consider is that more energy is used
> building a car than that car is ever likely to consume.
Sorry SteveW, guess again. Approximately 10% of the energy consumed in the overall lifecycle of a car occurs during manufacturing. The rest occurs through burning fuel.
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mike 4:19AM (4/23/2008)
How about a Camaro with a 400 hp Engine? What's the payback then? NEVER.
Secondly, what happens when the 2009 Prius comes out and you can drive up to 45mph in EV mode? Quicker payback.
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Tom 6:35AM (4/23/2008)
There is a huge assumption here--that everyone who buys a hybrid shops the hybrid and non-hybrid model of a certain car.
My friends, who have two daughters who no longer live at home, went car shopping to trade in a Dodge Grand Caravan. Their only shipping criteria was to spend $26,000 or less. They had the idea that they wanted a Camry. They checked out the Camry, the Altima and the Ford Fusion. They made their decision to get the Camry. When they went back to the Toyota dealership, the salesmen were all excited because someone had cancelled their order for a Prius and after with checking with others on the waiting list, the Prius was up for grabs. My friends test drove it and loved it and bought it.
So instead of spending $25,000 on the Camry they wanted, they spent $23,000 on their Prius. It has already paid for itself, simply because it was cheaper than the Camry, plus they got the tax incentive and way better fuel economy.
So the argument in this thread is not always relevant at all.
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Chris 6:40AM (4/23/2008)
wise golden, tax incentives don't exist on the prius anymore... and go away after X number of a model sell.
so its funny, the more they sell the less the government helps them sell.
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