I never thought at the beginning of 2022 I would consider an absolute bargain being MSRP and no dealer fees added for a 2022 hybrid Rav 4. Also thankful it was the last month rates were 3%. Sucks to see dealers driving the price so high these days.
After years of evaluation, I go with Hybrid. Hybrid turned out to be long lasting vehicles compared to gas only vehicles. My First Generation 2002 Prius sedan lasted forever without any major repairs. Main battery was still in perfect shape at 260K miles when it was totaled during a winter storm flooding.
@@grahamfloyd3451 Pretty sure this is about the gas savings between the hybrid and ICE.. A lot of people are scared of hybrids because they hear bad stories. The fact is those bad stories are mostly from crappy car companies like Ford and GM
UPDATE: I’ve bought the Fourth Generation Toyota Sienna Hybrid to replace my 2005 Toyota Sienna still runs great at 325K miles, just wanted a newer Sienna for the family. I love the 600 miles range on single tank of regular gas and the 5 minutes fill up at gas station convenient stores with refreshments and restrooms 😁there are so many technology features, very impressive. I especially like the good visibility LED headlights, radar cruise control, Apple play screen.I wished Toyota had offered the seats cup holders just like like my 2005 Sienna.
Another thing is that idle time with hybrids is significantly shorter than a regular gas engine. On my CR-V, I could keep my engine on while waiting for someone with the AC on full blast, and the engine itself won't run, but rather, the Hybrid battery keeps the AC and my infotainment system running.
@@robertnitschke89the engine is not running on my Prius if I park and only use AC. It uses the battery for it. The engine will eventually kick in though to produce energy for the AC when it gets empty.
I have a Toyota Camry 2022 LE Hybrid. At 30,000 miles after one year of ownership -- averaging 50 mpg at 80 mph on freeway and 60+ on local roads. I will make my $2000 price purchase difference between an ICE and hybrid very shortly. My first hybrid and love it.
For me, I'm not ready for an EV yet because I like to go on road trips, and finding a charger could be a hassle depending on where you are, so a hybrid is a good compromise for me because I don't have to worry about range anxiety. But if I was in the market for a hybrid, I would definitely look at a Toyota or Honda because of their reputation for strong reliability.
@@TomUlcakDid you miss the part where he mentioned road trips? I’ve driven from California to Texas & back numerous times (sometimes straight through without overnight stops), & filling up a hybrid (to 100%, not 80%) takes about 5 minutes. I rarely encounter a station that has no pumps available (a concern that several friends with Teslas have voiced), or get the nozzle stuck in the filler(another problem that a friend with a Lucid experienced). EV fanboys always seem to ignore the pitfalls while they’re bragging.
@@jimapplegate3523 uh, no, hybrids mostly use their gas engines. especially on road trips. you show your ignorance on this right off. you aren't going to drive pure electric from El Paso to LA. the range for a hybrid in EV mode is rarely 40 miles.
@@TomUlcak Speaking of ignorance, can you even READ??(you’re obviously lacking when it comes to capitalization & sentence structure). Where did I say ANYTHING about a hybrid running mostly in electric mode?! Let me dumb it down for you…my points were: 1. I have friends who have encountered EV “charging stations” where all the plugs were in use. 2. Another friend had the plug get stuck in the charging port of his Lucid, & when he phoned Customer Service, they couldn’t figure it out. He had to leave his car there until they could send someone out to fix it the next day. So…EVs aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. Welcome to 2023🙄🤓
UK 🇬🇧 I have just bought a hybrid Ford Puma . Drove it to Norfolk to visit my daughter it had 35 delivery miles on the clock . It’s a 400 mile round trip ,travel between 70- 80 mph Got 60 mpg . Fantastic .
I've spent $80 in a month on charging my Tesla. I used to spend $200 a month on gas + maintenance, oil/coolant/trans fluid/brake pads/etc... EVs are a no brainer. Why would you want the worst of both worlds? Gas and a small battery? With ALL the costs of an ICE vehicle? Hybrids are stupid.
I own my second hybrid vehicle and have to say in the GTA where highway traffic is horrendous, a hybrid is the way to go. My first hybrid, I reached my record of 3.5 L/100km on my CT200h after bumbling along the QEW from Mississauga to Hamilton mostly on electric. But driving a hybrid also means a different way to drive. Lead foot driving won't get you anywhere close to suggest mileage.
Hybrid availability is extremely tough in Southern California. I wanted to trade my 2016 Camry XSE in for new Hybrid 2024 Camry XLE, but was told the waitlist was indefinite. I did get a Toyota LE AWD Hybrid though. The person who was trying to buy it credit fell trhough and no one would co-sign for him, so I really lucked out or I could've been waiting 6 months to a year to get a Hybrid Camry. Great car review as usual! BTW this Corolla LE AWD is far exceeding my expectations!
My hybrid (2017 Prius V) gets 43 mpg actual miles (checked after countless fills) and costs very little to maintain. I bought it new for $25,000 including tax and license and it's worth $14,000 now. Oil change every 10k miles plus spark plugs at 100k. Total maintenance so far (110,000 miles) is about $500). The brakes have never been replaced (still at 75%). The best deal for a hybrid right now is the well-equipped Camry hybrid at $30,000 plus tax.
Don’t Fall for the lie of changing your oil every 10K miles. The dealership tells you that so your motor fails and you need another car Change your oil (synthetic ) every 6000 miles. Clean fluids mean your car will last longer 😉
@@GreyGhost-r4z I trust C.R.: Myth: You need to diligently change your engine oil every 3,000 miles. Reality: Although oil companies and quick-lube shops like to promote this idea, it's usually not necessary. Most vehicles driven under normal conditions can go 7,500 miles or more between oil changes. What you should do instead: Go by the recommended oil-change schedule in your owner's manual. "Nearly all new models have a monitoring system that alerts the driver when the oil needs changing," said Ibbotson. Depending on driving conditions, these can extend change intervals to 10,000 or 15,000 miles. Changing the oil more often is just pouring money down the drain.
How you use the air conditioner particularly when the vehicle is not moving is another consideration for hybrid vs 10:37 conventional gas vehicles. If you enjoy running the AC all the time, depending on how hot it is and if there’s a shade, the hybrid battery can sometimes provide up to 15 minutes of AC before needing to restart the gas engine, providing substantial gas saving.
15min of running my gas engine on idle to power the AC probably uses like 2 miles of range. Literal pennies; insignificant. Given that the long-standing price difference between gas and hybrid, most people will still never make their money back in gas savings. Most people simply don't drive enough for it to make sense.
Owned 3 hybrids in the last 13 years and don't regret any of them. I average double the gas mileage of any gas vehicle. Zero maintenance issues as well so people should really consider a hybrid vs ice engine
@ryanlence124 never sold any because they were bad, reasons that are none of your business. My current Ford escape hybrid gets 50mpg, again zero regrets
@@ryanlence124 I like switching vehicles every 3 or 4 years. I like driving a new car, you only live once. Those purchasing my used car always get a great car as I take extra good care of them when I own them. My last 2 cars where hybrids and would never go back to ICE cars even though the 3 Honda Civics I had over a 15 year period with super high mileage never had any mechanical problems.
@@show-me-retro I was tracking with you until "reasons that are none of your business." Why post a public comment on utube then get triggered when someone asks you question? Chil dude, it's just a comment section.
I've owned 2 hybrids - Prius and now a RAV4. They have both been very reliable, have plenty of power, and low maintenance. Would buy another one, period....
@@FRESHALEX760 I've had my 2023 Hyundai Limited Sonata hybrid a month. I get 48 mpg. It's advertised to get about that. I also drive mostly highway. I like it so far. Sonata's are slightly bigger than Elantra with a slightly bigger engine.
I get 110 avg mgpe on my old 2017 Model S driving with Uber when supercharging off-peak, essentially debunking "nothing beats that gas savings". But then again, this is Hybrid vs Gas so I get the point.
This is a popular misconception: 3:28 "Now hybrids have most of the same components that you would find on a conventional gas car ... [and] are technically more complicated than a conventional gas engine..." No, they remove many components, and are mechanically simper. While designs vary, to compare a conventional gas system (not just "engine") to a hybrid system: You should first take out the starter motor and the alternator. Replace them with one or two electric motor-generators. While these MGs are larger than what they replace, they are essentially the same device without the complicated, and potentially unreliable, equipment that is used to connect and disconnect them. These MGs are permanent parts of the drive train. This makes them much more reliable. Then, take out the drive belt and all of the pumps, compressors, and fans that are connected to it. And that cramp the engine compartment in order to be on that drive belt. Replace them with simpler, more reliable electric versions. Follow that by ripping out the clutch or torque converter. Hybrids don't start on electric power because that is more efficient (it actually isn't), it is because electric motors can do that while it major factor in wear to a conventional car. Finally, in many you can take out the transmission. Hyundais and Kias don't, but in Toyotas and Fords it is replaced with one (or two sometimes) planetary gearsets and a few connecting gears. In Hondas, it is replaced, literally, with a clutch and one gear. All do add in the inverters, but they are also reliable.
I'd have laughed at any dealer quoting over MSRP for a new vehicle. Do what you want with used, but with new, adding markups is simply scalping. Pure dealer profit, and likely against mfg terms for the dealers contract
I am driving my second hybrid. The first was a 2006 Ford Escape Hybrid. Never had a battery issue. In December 2019,I traded it in for a 2020 Ford Escape SE Sport Hybrid. Yes, Ford has had quality control issues recently, but I have had no major issues. I really like the car. It can operate in battery mode at speeds up to about 77 mph. My overall mpg is 41 mpg.
Two other considerations...insurance for hybrid vehicles is usually higher than gas. There are fewer independent mechanics that can work on a hybrid. You may need dealership maintenance after the warranty expires, and that can be expensive.
With hybrid markup of 15 to 20 grand, I'll stick with gas engine. Newer vehicles are fuel efficient nowadays. Use that markup money to buy gas instead. Hybrid battery deteriorates after 4 or 5 years. The efficiency of energy save goes down unless you replace the hybrid battery with a new one. If it breaks, another set of expense and repairs Forget it folks, stick to efficient gas engine.
I've owned a Camry hybrid for ten years now, and don't regret my decision. My 2014 Camry got 42 when new, and now gets between 36 and 38 mpg, so the battery is starting to deteriorate. While the car was still young, I started out from upstate New York with a full tank of gas and drove the 1300 miles to Florida spending only $70 on gas. Now the Camry hybrid gets 52 MPG. That's even better. As far as Toyota hybrids are concerned, Toyota batteries are the best. If you do a lot of driving, Toyotas last between 250,000 and 300,000 miles. Hybrid battery replacement will be pricey. Somewhere between three and five thousand dollars. I hope that this post was helpful.
I have a 2021 Prius C and I just love it. I love the technology. It's not just gas savings, but also time savings by not having to go to the pump as often, and I feel better knowing my car is that much cleaner. It does great on the highway, too: less than 5 litres per 100 km. Usually 4.5 and even less.
Thank you, helped decide between hybrid or all gas. If price differences only few thousand then definitely go hybrid. Dealer told me $7,000 difference. Assuming $7,000 is to large or difference to go hybrid. I do drive a lot on streets in Southern California
I just bought a gas SUV. I considered a hybrid but decided against it because.... 1) The hybrid SUV's that I was considering were mated to a CVT and I am not sold on CVT technology because of their potential for low mileage failure rates, and 2) All hybrids I was considering used a smaller turbo engine, which can involve more maintenance and more cost if they decide to fail.
@@Zeniit123 no its actually better than the regular auto version of the rav because the electric motor gives a little extra power when you start-off. Ecvt is also a lot smoother. Try it out, you will be surprised
Full hybrids also don't have a gearbox in conventional sense, it's just a planetary energy distribution mechanism, which lasts longer and costs a fraction of a regular automatic transmission. Battery pack replacement is basically equivalent to an automatic transmission replacement/rebuild in a regular car. It comes in approximately the same time and and costs basically the same.
We have a 24 Prius Prime and its e-CVT is exceptionally smooth. Acceleration is delivered with out any sense of gear changes. It is far better than the belt driven CVT that our other two previous Prius cars used and, by all accounts, will last for half a million kilometers without service. As for the Traction Battery, to date, we have been getting far above the advertised range of 70.4Km (44 miles), on a charge. I can reach very close to 100Km (62.5 miles), in EV Mode with ease. And, that's not achieved by crawling below the speed limit either. My thought is that by the time the battery eventually degrades to the point where the hybrid system has to work more to propel the car and negates the EV range savings, battery technology will have advanced. And, advanced to a point where we'll be able to exceed our current EV range if we do a "swap". We won't know for another ten years, but, I'm hopeful.
In New Zealand gas is over $3 a litre. If you are in Auckland city, where stop start driving is the default setting, something like a Toyota Aqua would work well.
I suppose that for any retiree who can charge his EV at home and doesn't actually travel anywhere with it, that's the ideal automotive transportation, as maintenance costs won't be a problem. EVs seem ideally suited for suburb/city living.
I just recently purchased a new Rav4 Prime, plug in hybrid. The vehicle offers a variety of driving options. The EV option gives me 45 miles of non gas operation at 3.1 miles per kwh. So I can drive the car 45 miles for 1.20 in electricity. Where I live a kwh costs 8-9 cents, so it may vary where you live. The hybrid option gives me 39mpg. The car can operate in eco mode or sport mode. Eco is for good mpg. The sport mode gives me vehicle performance, ie 0-60mph in 5.5 sec. @302hp. I rarely use the sport mode, only freeway acceleration. When shopping for a vehicle I advise checking all dealers within 500 mile radius of your home. I drove 110 miles to a larger dealer and saved 1500 dollars, and bought the color I wanted. Dealers near me were asking for 1000. dollar non refundable deposits which will prevent you from being able to negotiate.
@@kittycato2023 Plug in hybrids are both EV and Hybrid separately. They have a larger battery so they can run without the gas engine and can drive 45 miles on the RAV4 plug in. The Plug In Hybrids were not covered in the video.
Great comparison review Shari! I just picked up a a '24 Lexus UX 250h F-Sport model here in Canada, and so far it's been amazing! I've been getting 4.7 L/100 km combined with light driving. Keep up the awesome reviews 😎
Would you buy a 10 year old hybrid, knowing that you will need to spend a couple of thousands of dollars for the battery, plus install? Personally, I would prefer paying for a gas car, knowing that I’m not looking at thousands of dollars coming up soon. If, I were to consider the 1 0 years old hybrid, I would certainly factor in the cost of replacing the battery in my offer to purchase. This results, in my opinion, to a sharp reduction in the value of a 10 years old hybrid vs a gas model. Bottom line: You pay more for a Hybrid up front and lose at the other end when selling/trading it in. So, if you want a hybrid for the environment, go for it. If you want a hybrid to save money, I don’t think it’s an option. Don’t forget that, when driving on gas, your hybrid is heavier due to the weight of the battery, resulting in poorer miles per gallon over a gas model.
I fully agree with the analysis of the author of this video. I happen to own a Camry Hybrid. It drives like a regular gas version, but for sure it saves a lot of gas. It is reliable and easy to maintain. It takes less than 4 years to pay off the extra cost at the time of purchase. For the remainder of the life of this Camry, a lot less pollution and savings will continue to pile up. I fully endorse the author's analysis. Thank you.
I have a 2018 Toyota Camry Hybrid LE. It now has 60,000 miles on it and my lifetime to date miles per gallon are 52.1 MPG. I love this car, it has been trouble-free. I drive it a lot in town and my city is relatively flat so in warm weather it gets fabulous mileage around town. I took a 1,300 mile round trip from Olympia, WA to Great Falls, Montana in June, 2023 and averaged 54 MPG on that trip while driving mountainous terrain in both Idaho and Montana. Mileage averages at 45 MPG in winter and about 52 or 53 MPH in the summer.
Excellent video May I whisper... that researching the environmental impact is perhaps greater than mentioned. 1) The mining of lithium often uses child labor 2) Disposal of a lithium battery is disposing a toxic waste. Hopefully we will have even better options to choose from in the not too distant future. With appreciation, Me 👍
It takes a special person to believe that any of this is about the environment. And even more special if they think the EV revolution will do anything positive for the environment.
Mining cobalt is bad, but not all batteries for evs use cobalt. Plus, we recycle batteries, right now. We do that because they are very valuable. And if you think mining is bad, guess what drilling for oil and natural gas does for the environment....
About 70% of the worlds cobalt comes from the DRC and about 20% from the unregulated small mines - about 15% of global supply. That may be a small percentage but adult workers conditions in the other mines isn’t up to western standards either. It is believed up to 40,000 children work in the unregulated sector. It is not just cobalt though, the DRC is important for copper, tin, gold and diamonds and the same issues apply to those commodities. In fact there are no cobalt mines in the DRC, it is a co-product of copper mining. Both are normally extracted together, though some mines are copper only. The DRC is the fourth largest copper producer at about 8% of global supply.
Just bought the 2025 CRV touring hybrid here in Canada, and my wife and I are loving it! Really noticing the improved fuel efficiency (~6.3 L/100km averaged so far), electric torque feeling off the line, and quiet comfortable ride. Oh and the regen braking is cool too, hardly use the brakes around town
I think hybrid is the way to go, either Honda or Toyota, I purchased a HONDA ACCORD and I'm happy only because they gave me 4.9 percent interest rate vs Toyota at 6.25% I like both and both are in my opinion the best options!!!
I purchased a 2024 Lexus NX350H for the SAME price as the non-hybrid (turbo) version…I’m getting 40MPG (using regular octane gas) and couldn’t be happier. The non-hybrid is a bit faster (.2 sec going from 0-60), and has a traditional transmission, but this was a no-brainer to get double the MPG with the same Lexus reliability/fit and finish. Thanks again for your content!!
We have learned a lot about the BMW 538 plug-in hybrid and BMWs the company. We have owned one or two BMW 5 series for decades. We usually owned two four-door sedans, a pick up, and a sports car. For the sedans, we never thought twice about buying anything but a BMW 5 series. We bought a 2019 BMW 530e PHEV. Four years and three months later, the car died. We had it trucked to the BMW dealer and paid $200 diagnostic fee to determine what was wrong. After consulting with BMW NA, the dealer informed us that we would have to pay to replace the two 12 V batteries for $1700. I argued that it was highly unlikely the two 12 V batteries would die at the same time. It was likely due to failure of the high voltage drive system which charges the 12v batteries. BMW said they would not a look at the HV system until 12 V batteries were replaced. The dealer said it is not uncommon for both 12 V batteries to fail in 4-5 years. Long story short, they replaced the 12 V batteries and then found that multiple components in the high-voltage system including high voltage battery cells failed. So the 12 V batteries died because they were not being charged by the HV system. when I requested BMW pay for the 12 V batteries since they were damaged by the faulty HV system, they refused. we loved the plug-in hybrid concept, but would never consider buying a BMW with batteries again. In fact, we won’t be buying a BMW ever again based on this poor customer service. Toyota hybrids are clearly in a class above BMW when it comes to battery technology. Today we have a BEV and two ICE vehicles.
Did you account that using a 3rd party battery could (is likely to) potentially void your warranty on your electric car? If anything about current cars is anything to go off of.
My choice was in 2022....a gas Corolla sedan.....bulletproof......@ few thousand less to buy....@ 40 in city....@60 mpg on 3 hour hwy trip according to computer......will last @500K miles...no battery complications, maintenance issues, can be fixed anywhere in USA,...plus who wants a very old one????.......nobody.....
So long as the "mild hybrid" is well made and the battery/motor scheme is not expensive, it's an improved design. Gas engines are tuned to run at higher speeds, and the battery system can handle the starts.
I still feel it is better to wait out like for 10 yrs the prices are going to go down for hybrids and will have lot more options. Our daily driver is a honda civic(90% highway driving) so not too much worried about gas mileage at this moment.
Excellent video. Wish you would have commented on what a rarity it is to change out the brakes on a hybrid. Transmission problems are also almost unheard-of.
@@carhelpcornermy apologies you are correct sir I re-watched your video moments ago and you did mention it quite clearly I must have missed it. 😊 I enjoy your efforts on your videos. You seem to draw proper conclusions more often than most people on UA-cam. Keep up the good work.
@@carhelpcorner We replaced the front pads and rotors on our 12+ year old Prius C and then traded it in for a 2024 Prius Prime. The C still had its original rear shoes and drums. Imagine, over 1.2 decades on one set of pads.
Depends on what type of hybrid you buy, and the brand you choose. Not all hybrid systems are the same, some of them are convoluted and over complicated (you know which brands I’m talking about). PS I didn’t realize how many people were uninformed on their understanding of hybrid technology.
I bought 22 prius in December last year and it’s the best car I have ever owned. My top two favorite reasons I like it. Constantly get over 60mpg from my car. My best full tank of gas I got 66.3 mpg. Keep in mind you have to drive it specifically to get this high mileage. Additionally, the a/c compressor is electric and powered by the hybrid battery. It very rapidly gets cold and stays cold even at a stop because the a/c compressor can run at the best rpm regardless of the speed of car or engine. Buy a Toyota hybrid!
My first was Honda Insight Hybrid great gas saving until I hit 120k then mileage started to decline, second/current Kia Niro LX at 76k. I love to drive and put miles on my car which in turn saves me $$$ in gas and gives me lots of mileage. I don’t like the EV model yet, warranty, battery pack cost, charging network/time spent. distance/range or the cost of EV. I love my first Kia Hybrid and the cost, I may buy another new one in the future. Wouldn’t mind having an EV for in town driving but I’m not looking to spend over $10k for a dependable used EV. Thanks for your video, found it informative.
What I really like about my Toyota RAV4 hybrid is that there is no hunting for gears while accelerating onto the highway. The CVT gives instant response. I had a RAV4 non hybrid getting 25 mpg. My hybrid gets 39 mpg and is slightly bigger than the older model year. Not much fun to drive, but practical.
Batteries only last 5-10 years not 10-15 years. A battery replacement could cost up to $8000 and who wants to put in 3rd party batteries...no one. I travel 800klm every week and my Hybrid fuel consumption is the same as a petrol car. Great in the Cities for start and stop driving but no benifit on long trips. I don't live in a City so barely any benifit for me.
It depends of the road you drive. If you manage to drive your HEV to use regenerative braking many times (before entering in a city or on a mountain road), if you don’t drive at high speeds (above 120 km/h), an HEV is efficient. If you drive in a sporty manner, than an ICE with a manual transmission is the solution. I drove the Civic e:HEV on a highway in Romania and the maximum fuel consumption was 7 l/100 km, in Sport mode and at 160 km/h (not recommended). When I switched back to normal driving, the consumption drops at 4,3 l/100 km - only on highway (120 km/h). It raised again at 5 l/100 km when I had to overtake some old men (you know).
I love my 2020 RAV4 Hybrid. I was mostly thinking about fuel efficiency when I bough it. However better fuel efficiency means better range. So I can safely drive 350-400 miles before refueling. After 45,000 miles and three years of ownership, the cost of ownership is the same as a standard internal combustion engine.
Think again. You didn't change the brake pads/rotors, you had no issues with the starter/generator/belts etc. And this will keep on going. The TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) for hybrids is smaller than for the equivalent ICE car. My own experience is confirming such statistics. Enjoy your hybrid!
In 2006 I chose a Scion XB over a Toyota Prius solely because it was $10,000 more. Even though the Prius got better gas milage 18 years later and I haven't spent that extra $10,000 in gas yet. You have to calculate more than just MPG when buying a vehicle.
That's funny! Do you have offroad on your highways?!? Your claim has no logic: you cannot drive 98% highway and about 1/3 to be offroad. Maybe your husband knows better 😎
This cost analysis overlooks a few things. In my Mammoth condo, electricity is 40c/kWh, so the fuel cost of a Model Y Tesla in the snow for 6 months is higher than a RAV4 hybrid. To install a 240V 40A line is $2,000 and I need home owners insurance with $1,000,000 coverage, $900/year, so over 8 years that's $9,200. At the end of 8 years, the MY drive train warranty expires so it becomes worthless, so you have $50,000+ depreciation. If you use Superchargers most of the time, you can expect a $20,000 bill for a new battery. The RAV4 will go on running for many years.
I have a 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid with 155,000 miles. The car has never had a mechanical failure. My lifetime average gas mileage is 42.1 MPH and that is with a lot of highway miles. A third of the miles have been on electric power. The gas engine has only about 100,000 miles on it. All I have done get the required maintenance done at the prescribed intervals. I was very disappointed when Ford stopped making the Fusion. I would definitely buy another. But, instead, I am buying a Kis Sportage Hybrid SX Prestige. I plan to be driving a lot of dirt roads and need the added ground clearance and the AWD system. EV tech is still centuries away from supplanting either ICE or Hybrids for the average person.
You didn't mention the high wearing of combustion engine in hybrid cars! They need more oil change and constant starting and shutting down off the ICE causes engine not to run on right temperature.
My 2002 Prius was awesome. However, eventually the battery died over 200 K. Than I bought my parents 2006 Prius when it already had 190 k miles. We had to get a refurbished battery for about 1500 dollars at 200 K that only last for about 20 k miles. I will say that besides burning oil and having to change battery, they never broke down.
You pay more for registration, insurance and monthly payment with a hybrid. When factored into the other costs you aren’t ending up ahead of a gas car financially. Gas you pay $100/mo more in fuel but save about $100/mo from the above costs. My conclusion was that its not a meaningful number either way. Just preference.
I can save $1200 a year with an ev, even though gas here is cheaper than most of the nation. But it's not just about that, cause an ev is just so much more relaxing to drive. And they can heat instantly too in winter. I would though pay 100 , more a year for registration. Don't buy a Tesla and insurance is fine.
Great piece Shari. I drove a Toyota RAV-4 Hybrid to 187,000 KM’s over four plus years and had zero issues. The brakes at the time of trading it in were still the original factory ones. On another note, what about a PHEV? Would that be a better option to bridge to a full EV? Can you do a commentary on that please?
Why are you Bragging about ~186K miles? ....Which is nothing... My 1990 Accord got 210K miles before I sold it and it was ~30 years old...and still running great... Hybrids should all be getting 500K to 1 million miles ...
I got a 2023 Corolla Hybrid SE AWD over a year ago now. I love it, great on gas especially in the city, and the AWD is good for winter driving (I live in northern Canada). I thought the price increase for the Hybrid+AWD of just under $2k cad was well worth it. And to be honest the ICE Corrola wasn't even my alternative, the Subaru Impreza was (AWD was a high priority for me). I can't recommend this car enough, it's got all the modern basic tech wants, it is very economical, and reliable as expected (so far), I love it! As the Hybrid AWD just came out in 2023 I was one of the first to receive mine, but this was due to placing my order nearly 10 months prior when I learned of the new AWD model coming out. I only paid MSRP, nothing above but that's as good as it gets these days with Toyotas low inventory. My Toyota dealer still has almost no cars on their lot, and hybrid models are almost all pre-sold. I'm completely sold on hybrid now. The next vehicle I would purchase would be a PHEV, I'd definitely consider something like the RAV4 Prime. Unless battery tech gets much better then maybe a BEV.
Ive bought a preowned 2016 prius echo last 2018 for 19grand. Toyota dealership wants to buy my car recently for 15g. Crazy how the depreciation was just 4k. My total gas expenses every 3 wks is $25 on average. During the 2020 lock down, I was able to get 1 full tank of gad for 2.5 months lol so yeah hybrid is always better
Hi Shari, my own experience illustrates your points. I just received a gas engine RAV4 LE five days ago, and as you know it has a fuel consumption display. Toyota says that the RAV4 gets 8.7 L/100km in the city, so I was appalled when I saw numbers like 13 L/100km in urban use with really frequent stops, even when being soft on the pedal. However, in steady highway driving at about 85 km/h, I just got 5.5 L/100km, quite a bit better than Toyota's estimate of 6.9. I wanted to buy a hybrid (and regret not doing so), but when the dealer said the wait would be 1.5-2.5 years and so could result in my winding up with a vehicle from the 6th generation's first year with all the resulting potential for bugs/quality problems, I decided that the ICE engine version with a 3-6 month wait was the way to go.
The long waiting period is the only reason that hybrids don't make up the majority of sales now. Hopefully that changes, but still you made a great choice!
Great content as always. Waited 5 months for my ICE 2023 Rav4 coming in this week. Would’ve taken an hybrid but I got scared of the rusting cable gate and Toyota not willing to include 2023 in expanded warranty. Will see in 10 yrs where the market standands!
Why don't you mention a hybrid with turbo? Most folks here only shpwing their N/A 4cyl hybrids that ofcourse will lasts just like a non hybrid N/A 4cyl engines.you need to point out that even hybrids lasts,once equipped with turbos,it will be the same as any other turbocharged engines.
How about living in a cold climate state where it gets minus 0 for days? Will the battery last for 10 years easily? Also, for someone that likes to drive fast and needs good pick up when zig zagging on the road, does it make sense to get a hybrid?
I live in rural Canada where it takes me 20-30 minutes of nothing but highway driving to get to the grocery store. My husband and I take a 1200 km roadtrip every year to go see his family, that is also primarily highway driving in the mountains. Hybrids make zero sense for me.
Not all people buy 50k with cash. The price diff with interest included will make it impossible to break even and I used to change new car within 5 years. It never will recover.
Nice hob I was looking for this! 1 question remained tho, Is it still worth the price and extra mechanical complexity to go for a PHEV over a HEV if I hafta travel like 3 times a year?
I was looking at a rav4 hybrid xse vs a Subaru outback between payments and insurance it was the cheaper option even though the rav4 got better mpg it was the monthly payments and insurance that took away any savings that the rav4 boasted it was about 1000$ a year difference.
Unfortunately most hybrids are available only in the highest trims and dealers have high markups, so after a plug in hybrid, for the next car I went regular gas, as the price difference to a hybrid didn't make economical sense anymore
Hi Shari. I just watched this video for the first time. I like your channel and your advice. However, I think your suggestion to consider a third party replacement Li-ion battery is a dangerous one. I can send you some fire safety videos that cite cheap, third party Li-ion batteries as a significant source of fires. You may have intended the use of reputable batteries but you can't control "how low can they go?" in some viewer's purchase decisions. You may have even exposed yourself to unintended liability by making such a recommendation..
First hand knowledge. Based on cost vs effective value "nothing" better than a reliable Toyota Camry Hybrid. Those suckers are good for 300,000 miles if you are religious about changing the oil and oil filter every 5,000 miles or once year if you don't drive it much. When you get one (a hybrid) the first thing you do is figure out where the hybrid battery cooing duct "air filter" is located and then how to get at it with a vacuum cleaner hose.. This is one of the very few the things you the owner "must" personally do. Same for the Cabin air filters located in a slot in the back of the glove box. Except for the oil filter trust no one's word that they cleaned or replaced a filter. When to vacuum or replace the air filter depends on how many dogs and kids you cart around.in the back seat. Be aware that the cabin air filter and the drive battery cooling duct air filter are a critical team.essential to keep the drive battery happy.
Hybrid batteries often have very long warranties. The gas engine works less with Hybrid assistance. I've bought Hybrids since 2008 and my family bought the first Prius in our area in 2001. Yet I'm looking forward to hydrogen powered vehicles and appropriate charging facilities.
This is true of any battery in a BEV or HEV. Batteries have long lives and will outlast the actual vehicle. They are also the most reliable part of the vehicle. This myth of batteries dying after a time in in BEVs or HEVs is total crap.
@@toddsmith1617 Tesla car batteries are built to last between 300,000 to 500,000 miles before needing a replacement. This estimate is based on the battery's ability to withstand a significant number of charge cycles, approximately 1,500 times of charging and discharging. Warranty: 8 years or 120,000 miles, whichever comes first, with a minimum 70% retention of battery capacity. They are discovering that batteries are lasting significantly longer than they originally estimated. There are a lot of really ignorant comments here. Full of complete myths, untruths, propaganda and ideology. The source is hate, denial and fear.
Hybrid, my 2020 crv hybrid averages 38 mpg and it only cost about 3k more than the gasoline plus its very quiet at low speeds because of the hybrid power and perfect for town drives
I drive 40km to and fro work, so about 80-90km daily Mostly on the motorway doing 120-140 for 25mins of my drive and a bit of traffic for the remaining 10-15mins I am torn between getting a Citrone EC4 full electric, or a BMW plug in hybrid or just a normal gas car Any advice on what options to consider
I have a 2015 Honda Fit but looked at hybrids (specifically the Prius) before deciding on the Honda. I am writing this in December 2023, some 8-years after buying the Honda, and I have right at 90,000 miles on the vehicle, partly because I was only 11 miles from my office when working, partly because I have a Mini Cooper convertible that I drive when the weather is nice, so the Honda is not my only transportation. The Mini has about 22,000 miles on it. My point is that the MPG difference in the Prius was not enough to make up for the higher initial price, based on my driving habits. The mileage on my Honda varies - around town, I get mid-30s, on the road, it depends. I can get over 40 MPG on the road if I drive carefully and am not in a hurry. The Mini gets low-30s.
Added after reading some comments from non-US posters: My MPG numbers are US Gallons, not Imperial Gallons like are used in the UK. IDK what the conversion is, but my understanding is that 1 Imperial Gallon = 1.21 US gallons, so I think the UK equivalents would be my posted MPG numbers x 1.21 to get the British equivalents.
I don't see how town driving can be cheaper in the long run as you need to do enough out of town driving to charge the battery! If you don't do enough long journeys to charge the battery you'll end up using the combustion engine around town. E,g, if you only ever do town driving the battery will run out before it ever gets charged enough. There must be a balance point (that would be really good to know) where the minimum amount of long journeys is calculated to not run out of battery around town. It would be great to know where the balance lies, i.e. 50/50 country/town or 60/40 or whatever it is. Could you maybe look into this please? MT.
I currently own a BMW i3 Rex. I think it's the perfect hybrid. Most efficient electric engine and regenerative breaking system. I paid $14k for it. (55kmiles) the BEST used electric and qualifies for the USED ELECTRIC CAR TAX CREDIT!!
1. Don´t get the SUV it has worse gas milage (for obvious reasons). 2. Get the smallest and lightest vehicle you can. 3. Buy it used and pay attention to the hybrid/gearbox system, Toyota has a really good integrated hybrid system compared to say VW or others. 4. Don´t forget a good Toyota gearbox is way better than a regular automatic gearbox. They also got rid of a starter, driving belt and few other parts. So they even reduced complexity. And electric motor is great for slow inner city driving and a gas engine is great for faster highways driving, now you have both! BTW I just recently got my Toyota Corolla and retired my 14 year old VW. I love the Hybrid, it drives great and the tech is truly amazing, but this may be interesting to be because I am an automotive engineer, others might not care much. Howevery my Toyota came with a 15 year and 250.000km warranty, which is a great deal and probably the longest warranty I have ever seen, this tells a lot about their quality. I really hope there will be some 3rd party batteries available in 10 years, so I will swap my current one for a lighter with more capacity. I just hope they will come up with PV panels for the roof to charge the battery as well or something like that.
I thought I was set on buying a RAV4 hybrid until I saw a fatal car accident with a hybrid that resulted in an explosion and fire from a typical 35 mph accident....now I'm having second thoughts. I was about 500 feet away looking in that direction....so I'm not sure what make and model the car was.
I never thought at the beginning of 2022 I would consider an absolute bargain being MSRP and no dealer fees added for a 2022 hybrid Rav 4. Also thankful it was the last month rates were 3%. Sucks to see dealers driving the price so high these days.
After years of evaluation, I go with Hybrid. Hybrid turned out to be long lasting vehicles compared to gas only vehicles.
My First Generation 2002 Prius sedan lasted forever without any major repairs. Main battery was still in perfect shape at 260K miles when it was totaled during a winter storm flooding.
Using the Prius as the example doesn’t say much. There are gas corollas and Camrys running for decades as well
Evaluation of what exactly? You bought a reliable vehicle. The hybrid Camry isn't more reliable than the Camry.
@@NotShowingOff True but the gas savings at 250k miles is awesome
@@grahamfloyd3451 Pretty sure this is about the gas savings between the hybrid and ICE.. A lot of people are scared of hybrids because they hear bad stories. The fact is those bad stories are mostly from crappy car companies like Ford and GM
UPDATE: I’ve bought the Fourth Generation Toyota Sienna Hybrid to replace my 2005 Toyota Sienna still runs great at 325K miles, just wanted a newer Sienna for the family. I love the 600 miles range on single tank of regular gas and the 5 minutes fill up at gas station convenient stores with refreshments and restrooms 😁there are so many technology features, very impressive. I especially like the good visibility LED headlights, radar cruise control, Apple play screen.I wished Toyota had offered the seats cup holders just like like my 2005 Sienna.
Another thing is that idle time with hybrids is significantly shorter than a regular gas engine. On my CR-V, I could keep my engine on while waiting for someone with the AC on full blast, and the engine itself won't run, but rather, the Hybrid battery keeps the AC and my infotainment system running.
Very very correct, extraordinary benefit particularly, at least in hot climate!
@@thejudge8892 could you elaborate more on this experience? I did not completely understand what you were explaning, thanks
The AC will not work without the engine running. It requires a mechanical compressor. Do some homework before you make an incorrect statement.
@@robertnitschke89the engine is not running on my Prius if I park and only use AC. It uses the battery for it. The engine will eventually kick in though to produce energy for the AC when it gets empty.
Am planning on buying a pre-owned 2019 honda hybrid crv any tips
I have a Toyota Camry 2022 LE Hybrid. At 30,000 miles after one year of ownership -- averaging 50 mpg at 80 mph on freeway and 60+ on local roads. I will make my $2000 price purchase difference between an ICE and hybrid very shortly. My first hybrid and love it.
I have the same one in white exterior black interior. The MPG is fantastic!
2k difference?! On what planet? The difference is much bigger
How much did it cost if I may ask?
I’m looking to get the same thing except a Corolla
For me, I'm not ready for an EV yet because I like to go on road trips, and finding a charger could be a hassle depending on where you are, so a hybrid is a good compromise for me because I don't have to worry about range anxiety. But if I was in the market for a hybrid, I would definitely look at a Toyota or Honda because of their reputation for strong reliability.
@@johndonaldson5126 it's just an ICE vehicle with a small battery. It has all the problems as an ICE vehicle.
@@TomUlcakDid you miss the part where he mentioned road trips? I’ve driven from California to Texas & back numerous times (sometimes straight through without overnight stops), & filling up a hybrid (to 100%, not 80%) takes about 5 minutes. I rarely encounter a station that has no pumps available (a concern that several friends with Teslas have voiced), or get the nozzle stuck in the filler(another problem that a friend with a Lucid experienced). EV fanboys always seem to ignore the pitfalls while they’re bragging.
@@jimapplegate3523 uh, no, hybrids mostly use their gas engines. especially on road trips. you show your ignorance on this right off. you aren't going to drive pure electric from El Paso to LA. the range for a hybrid in EV mode is rarely 40 miles.
@@TomUlcak Speaking of ignorance, can you even READ??(you’re obviously lacking when it comes to capitalization & sentence structure). Where did I say ANYTHING about a hybrid running mostly in electric mode?! Let me dumb it down for you…my points were:
1. I have friends who have encountered EV “charging stations” where all the plugs were in use.
2. Another friend had the plug get stuck in the charging port of his Lucid, & when he phoned Customer Service, they couldn’t figure it out. He had to leave his car there until they could send someone out to fix it the next day. So…EVs aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. Welcome to 2023🙄🤓
@@jimapplegate3523 re-read your replies. you can't really be this stupid...
UK 🇬🇧 I have just bought a hybrid Ford Puma . Drove it to Norfolk to visit my daughter it had 35 delivery miles on the clock . It’s a 400 mile round trip ,travel between 70- 80 mph Got 60 mpg . Fantastic .
@LivingInAnInverseReality uk mpg is large its called imperial mpg
I've spent $80 in a month on charging my Tesla. I used to spend $200 a month on gas + maintenance, oil/coolant/trans fluid/brake pads/etc... EVs are a no brainer. Why would you want the worst of both worlds? Gas and a small battery? With ALL the costs of an ICE vehicle? Hybrids are stupid.
I own my second hybrid vehicle and have to say in the GTA where highway traffic is horrendous, a hybrid is the way to go. My first hybrid, I reached my record of 3.5 L/100km on my CT200h after bumbling along the QEW from Mississauga to Hamilton mostly on electric. But driving a hybrid also means a different way to drive. Lead foot driving won't get you anywhere close to suggest mileage.
Hybrid availability is extremely tough in Southern California. I wanted to trade my 2016 Camry XSE in for new Hybrid 2024 Camry XLE, but was told the waitlist was indefinite. I did get a Toyota LE AWD Hybrid though. The person who was trying to buy it credit fell trhough and no one would co-sign for him, so I really lucked out or I could've been waiting 6 months to a year to get a Hybrid Camry. Great car review as usual! BTW this Corolla LE AWD is far exceeding my expectations!
only make sense if there is no dealer’s markup and no shortage of inventory.
My hybrid (2017 Prius V) gets 43 mpg actual miles (checked after countless fills) and costs very little to maintain. I bought it new for $25,000 including tax and license and it's worth $14,000 now. Oil change every 10k miles plus spark plugs at 100k. Total maintenance so far (110,000 miles) is about $500). The brakes have never been replaced (still at 75%). The best deal for a hybrid right now is the well-equipped Camry hybrid at $30,000 plus tax.
My 2010 Toyota Auris 1.6L gets 5.2l per 100km (42 mpg) 🤣
@@ShutterKnack Its nice to hear the truth. Most people claim 60 mpg.
Don’t Fall for the lie of changing your oil every 10K miles. The dealership tells you that so your motor fails and you need another car Change your oil (synthetic ) every 6000 miles. Clean fluids mean your car will last longer 😉
@@GreyGhost-r4z I trust C.R.: Myth: You need to diligently change your engine oil every 3,000 miles.
Reality: Although oil companies and quick-lube shops like to promote this idea, it's usually not necessary. Most vehicles driven under normal conditions can go 7,500 miles or more between oil changes.
What you should do instead: Go by the recommended oil-change schedule in your owner's manual. "Nearly all new models have a monitoring system that alerts the driver when the oil needs changing," said Ibbotson. Depending on driving conditions, these can extend change intervals to 10,000 or 15,000 miles. Changing the oil more often is just pouring money down the drain.
I got a Prius eco. Toyota recommends oil change every 5k miles with fully syntactic oil. My car can drive up to 55mpg with 87 gasoline
How you use the air conditioner particularly when the vehicle is not moving is another consideration for hybrid vs 10:37 conventional gas vehicles. If you enjoy running the AC all the time, depending on how hot it is and if there’s a shade, the hybrid battery can sometimes provide up to 15 minutes of AC before needing to restart the gas engine, providing substantial gas saving.
15min of running my gas engine on idle to power the AC probably uses like 2 miles of range. Literal pennies; insignificant. Given that the long-standing price difference between gas and hybrid, most people will still never make their money back in gas savings. Most people simply don't drive enough for it to make sense.
This @@addanametocontinue
Owned 3 hybrids in the last 13 years and don't regret any of them. I average double the gas mileage of any gas vehicle. Zero maintenance issues as well so people should really consider a hybrid vs ice engine
If they were so good, why did you need three. I good gas car should last 15 to 20 years
@ryanlence124 never sold any because they were bad, reasons that are none of your business. My current Ford escape hybrid gets 50mpg, again zero regrets
@@ryanlence124 I like switching vehicles every 3 or 4 years. I like driving a new car, you only live once. Those purchasing my used car always get a great car as I take extra good care of them when I own them. My last 2 cars where hybrids and would never go back to ICE cars even though the 3 Honda Civics I had over a 15 year period with super high mileage never had any mechanical problems.
@@show-me-retro I was tracking with you until "reasons that are none of your business." Why post a public comment on utube then get triggered when someone asks you question? Chil dude, it's just a comment section.
🤣
I've owned 2 hybrids - Prius and now a RAV4. They have both been very reliable, have plenty of power, and low maintenance. Would buy another one, period....
Thanks!
I drive 2023 Hyundai ELANTRA hybrid and I get 59 mpg on average, and since I drive for Uber and Lyft, nothing beats that gas saving
Any issues ?
@@FRESHALEX760 so far so good
@@FRESHALEX760 I've had my 2023 Hyundai Limited Sonata hybrid a month. I get 48 mpg. It's advertised to get about that. I also drive mostly highway. I like it so far. Sonata's are slightly bigger than Elantra with a slightly bigger engine.
I get 110 avg mgpe on my old 2017 Model S driving with Uber when supercharging off-peak, essentially debunking "nothing beats that gas savings". But then again, this is Hybrid vs Gas so I get the point.
This is a popular misconception:
3:28 "Now hybrids have most of the same components that you would find on a conventional gas car ... [and] are technically more complicated than a conventional gas engine..."
No, they remove many components, and are mechanically simper. While designs vary, to compare a conventional gas system (not just "engine") to a hybrid system:
You should first take out the starter motor and the alternator. Replace them with one or two electric motor-generators. While these MGs are larger than what they replace, they are essentially the same device without the complicated, and potentially unreliable, equipment that is used to connect and disconnect them. These MGs are permanent parts of the drive train. This makes them much more reliable.
Then, take out the drive belt and all of the pumps, compressors, and fans that are connected to it. And that cramp the engine compartment in order to be on that drive belt. Replace them with simpler, more reliable electric versions.
Follow that by ripping out the clutch or torque converter. Hybrids don't start on electric power because that is more efficient (it actually isn't), it is because electric motors can do that while it major factor in wear to a conventional car.
Finally, in many you can take out the transmission. Hyundais and Kias don't, but in Toyotas and Fords it is replaced with one (or two sometimes) planetary gearsets and a few connecting gears. In Hondas, it is replaced, literally, with a clutch and one gear. All do add in the inverters, but they are also reliable.
I wanted to buy the hybrid RAV4 or CRV but the high dealer markup and interest rates were crazy, I'll wait.
It was cheaper for me to buy a Model Y than a RAV4 hybrid XLE or CRV hybrid touring.
@@bn9161 RAV4 and CRV has ridiculously high resale value.
10 yr tesla worth Nothing.
avoid KIA hyundai hybrid they are absolutely JUNK
Shop around. Had to drive 60 miles to a dealer who doesn't do markups. New hybrid in a few weeks
@@dwadd7528 Meh just wait until the government bans gas powered vehicles. I'm well diversified with by 4Runner and Model Y.
I'd have laughed at any dealer quoting over MSRP for a new vehicle. Do what you want with used, but with new, adding markups is simply scalping. Pure dealer profit, and likely against mfg terms for the dealers contract
I am driving my second hybrid. The first was a 2006 Ford Escape Hybrid. Never had a battery issue. In December 2019,I traded it in for a 2020 Ford Escape SE Sport Hybrid.
Yes, Ford has had quality control issues recently, but I have had no major issues. I really like the car. It can operate in battery mode at speeds up to about 77 mph. My overall mpg is 41 mpg.
I'm a fan of the Escape Hybrid. One of the best cars that Ford makes.
Two other considerations...insurance for hybrid vehicles is usually higher than gas. There are fewer independent mechanics that can work on a hybrid. You may need dealership maintenance after the warranty expires, and that can be expensive.
With hybrid markup of 15 to 20 grand, I'll stick with gas engine. Newer vehicles are fuel efficient nowadays. Use that markup money to buy gas instead. Hybrid battery deteriorates after 4 or 5 years. The efficiency of energy save goes down unless you replace the hybrid battery with a new one.
If it breaks, another set of expense and repairs Forget it folks, stick to efficient gas engine.
I've owned a Camry hybrid for ten years now, and don't regret my decision. My 2014 Camry got 42 when new, and now gets between 36 and 38 mpg, so the battery is starting to deteriorate. While the car was still young, I started out from upstate New York with a full tank of gas and drove the 1300 miles to Florida spending only $70 on gas.
Now the Camry hybrid gets 52 MPG. That's even better. As far as Toyota hybrids are concerned, Toyota batteries are the best. If you do a lot of driving, Toyotas last between 250,000 and 300,000 miles. Hybrid battery replacement will be pricey. Somewhere between three and five thousand dollars.
I hope that this post was helpful.
I have a 2021 Prius C and I just love it. I love the technology. It's not just gas savings, but also time savings by not having to go to the pump as often, and I feel better knowing my car is that much cleaner. It does great on the highway, too: less than 5 litres per 100 km. Usually 4.5 and even less.
Thank you, helped decide between hybrid or all gas. If price differences only few thousand then definitely go hybrid. Dealer told me $7,000 difference. Assuming $7,000 is to large or difference to go hybrid. I do drive a lot on streets in Southern California
I just bought a gas SUV. I considered a hybrid but decided against it because.... 1) The hybrid SUV's that I was considering were mated to a CVT and I am not sold on CVT technology because of their potential for low mileage failure rates, and 2) All hybrids I was considering used a smaller turbo engine, which can involve more maintenance and more cost if they decide to fail.
Its a eCVT, Not the trash CVT, totally different transmission. Only the sound heard the same.
Agree, also most dealers ask for markups for hybrid which doesn’t worth paying extra money.
Hybrids use e-cvt, rhe toyota ecvt is considered the most reliable transmission system yet.
@@bijosnisn’t it boring to drive like the cvt though??
@@Zeniit123 no its actually better than the regular auto version of the rav because the electric motor gives a little extra power when you start-off. Ecvt is also a lot smoother. Try it out, you will be surprised
Full hybrids also don't have a gearbox in conventional sense, it's just a planetary energy distribution mechanism, which lasts longer and costs a fraction of a regular automatic transmission. Battery pack replacement is basically equivalent to an automatic transmission replacement/rebuild in a regular car. It comes in approximately the same time and and costs basically the same.
We have a 24 Prius Prime and its e-CVT is exceptionally smooth. Acceleration is delivered with out any sense of gear changes. It is far better than the belt driven CVT that our other two previous Prius cars used and, by all accounts, will last for half a million kilometers without service. As for the Traction Battery, to date, we have been getting far above the advertised range of 70.4Km (44 miles), on a charge. I can reach very close to 100Km (62.5 miles), in EV Mode with ease. And, that's not achieved by crawling below the speed limit either. My thought is that by the time the battery eventually degrades to the point where the hybrid system has to work more to propel the car and negates the EV range savings, battery technology will have advanced. And, advanced to a point where we'll be able to exceed our current EV range if we do a "swap". We won't know for another ten years, but, I'm hopeful.
In New Zealand gas is over $3 a litre. If you are in Auckland city, where stop start driving is the default setting, something like a Toyota Aqua would work well.
I suppose that for any retiree who can charge his EV at home and doesn't actually travel anywhere with it, that's the ideal automotive transportation, as maintenance costs won't be a problem. EVs seem ideally suited for suburb/city living.
Gas prices are through the roof these days, making hybrids a smart purchase. The only drawback is that their insurance costs are high.
I just recently purchased a new Rav4 Prime, plug in hybrid. The vehicle offers a variety of driving options. The EV option gives me 45 miles of non gas operation at 3.1 miles per kwh. So I can drive the car 45 miles for 1.20 in electricity. Where I live a kwh costs 8-9 cents, so it may vary where you live. The hybrid option gives me 39mpg. The car can operate in eco mode or sport mode. Eco is for good mpg. The sport mode gives me vehicle performance, ie 0-60mph in 5.5 sec. @302hp. I rarely use the sport mode, only freeway acceleration. When shopping for a vehicle I advise checking all dealers within 500 mile radius of your home. I drove 110 miles to a larger dealer and saved 1500 dollars, and bought the color I wanted. Dealers near me were asking for 1000. dollar non refundable deposits which will prevent you from being able to negotiate.
I thought hybrids you don't need to plug in. He even saud that here too. Ekectric yes but hybrids recharge themselves. No??
@@kittycato2023 Plug in hybrids are both EV and Hybrid separately. They have a larger battery so they can run without the gas engine and can drive 45 miles on the RAV4 plug in. The Plug In Hybrids were not covered in the video.
The best hybrids are tòyota
Honda because they don't have a CVT gearbox.
@@gazlondonboy2185?!
Kia Niro would beg to differ... and it's a dual clutch so no cvt 😉
😅
In the Honda Hybrid system, the electric motors serve the function of the transmission. So they have no transmission. Although they call it CVTe.
Great comparison review Shari! I just picked up a a '24 Lexus UX 250h F-Sport model here in Canada, and so far it's been amazing! I've been getting 4.7 L/100 km combined with light driving. Keep up the awesome reviews 😎
Thank you! Enjoy your new ride! 😄
Thanks for the video! I’m planning on buying a hybrid for our next car
Would you buy a 10 year old hybrid, knowing that you will need to spend a couple of thousands of dollars for the battery, plus install?
Personally, I would prefer paying for a gas car, knowing that I’m not looking at thousands of dollars coming up soon. If, I were to consider the 1 0 years old hybrid, I would certainly factor in the cost of replacing the battery in my offer to purchase. This results, in my opinion, to a sharp reduction in the value of a 10 years old hybrid vs a gas model.
Bottom line: You pay more for a Hybrid up front and lose at the other end when selling/trading it in.
So, if you want a hybrid for the environment, go for it. If you want a hybrid to save money, I don’t think it’s an option.
Don’t forget that, when driving on gas, your hybrid is heavier due to the weight of the battery, resulting in poorer miles per gallon over a gas model.
Gonna check your channel for a list of smaller hybrid comparisons. XD Good informational video, thank you
I fully agree with the analysis of the author of this video. I happen to own a Camry Hybrid. It drives like a regular gas version, but for sure it saves a lot of gas. It is reliable and easy to maintain. It takes less than 4 years to pay off the extra cost at the time of purchase. For the remainder of the life of this Camry, a lot less pollution and savings will continue to pile up.
I fully endorse the author's analysis. Thank you.
I have a 2018 Toyota Camry Hybrid LE. It now has 60,000 miles on it and my lifetime to date miles per gallon are 52.1 MPG. I love this car, it has been trouble-free. I drive it a lot in town and my city is relatively flat so in warm weather it gets fabulous mileage around town. I took a 1,300 mile round trip from Olympia, WA to Great Falls, Montana in June, 2023 and averaged 54 MPG on that trip while driving mountainous terrain in both Idaho and Montana. Mileage averages at 45 MPG in winter and about 52 or 53 MPH in the summer.
Excellent video
May I whisper... that researching the environmental impact is perhaps greater than mentioned.
1) The mining of lithium often uses child labor
2) Disposal of a lithium battery is disposing a toxic waste.
Hopefully we will have even better options to choose from in the not too distant future.
With appreciation, Me 👍
It takes a special person to believe that any of this is about the environment. And even more special if they think the EV revolution will do anything positive for the environment.
@@Ricky-mo6mv I strongly believe he/she is so special that he/she even writes and clicks the keyboard with left hand.
Mining cobalt is bad, but not all batteries for evs use cobalt. Plus, we recycle batteries, right now. We do that because they are very valuable.
And if you think mining is bad, guess what drilling for oil and natural gas does for the environment....
@@Ricky-mo6mvadvocate for getting rid of car dependency, watch strong towns or not just bikes channel. Until then unfortunately, I'm going cheap ev.
About 70% of the worlds cobalt comes from the DRC and about 20% from the unregulated small mines - about 15% of global supply. That may be a small percentage but adult workers conditions in the other mines isn’t up to western standards either. It is believed up to 40,000 children work in the unregulated sector. It is not just cobalt though, the DRC is important for copper, tin, gold and diamonds and the same issues apply to those commodities. In fact there are no cobalt mines in the DRC, it is a co-product of copper mining. Both are normally extracted together, though some mines are copper only. The DRC is the fourth largest copper producer at about 8% of global supply.
Would the insurance and property tax costs be the same for a hybrid vs gas, for a given model of car?
I had insurance quotes for Rav 4 gas and hybrid and they were the same, but I guess it depends on the insurance company.
It's highly dependent on the local laws you live in. Some places charge extra fees for owning electrified vehicles, while others don't.
Just bought the 2025 CRV touring hybrid here in Canada, and my wife and I are loving it! Really noticing the improved fuel efficiency (~6.3 L/100km averaged so far), electric torque feeling off the line, and quiet comfortable ride. Oh and the regen braking is cool too, hardly use the brakes around town
I think hybrid is the way to go, either Honda or Toyota, I purchased a HONDA ACCORD and I'm happy only because they gave me 4.9 percent interest rate vs Toyota at 6.25% I like both and both are in my opinion the best options!!!
I purchased a 2024 Lexus NX350H for the SAME price as the non-hybrid (turbo) version…I’m getting 40MPG (using regular octane gas) and couldn’t be happier. The non-hybrid is a bit faster (.2 sec going from 0-60), and has a traditional transmission, but this was a no-brainer to get double the MPG with the same Lexus reliability/fit and finish. Thanks again for your content!!
We have learned a lot about the BMW 538 plug-in hybrid and BMWs the company. We have owned one or two BMW 5 series for decades. We usually owned two four-door sedans, a pick up, and a sports car. For the sedans, we never thought twice about buying anything but a BMW 5 series.
We bought a 2019 BMW 530e PHEV. Four years and three months later, the car died. We had it trucked to the BMW dealer and paid $200 diagnostic fee to determine what was wrong. After consulting with BMW NA, the dealer informed us that we would have to pay to replace the two 12 V batteries for $1700. I argued that it was highly unlikely the two 12 V batteries would die at the same time. It was likely due to failure of the high voltage drive system which charges the 12v batteries. BMW said they would not a look at the HV system until 12 V batteries were replaced. The dealer said it is not uncommon for both 12 V batteries to fail in 4-5 years.
Long story short, they replaced the 12 V batteries and then found that multiple components in the high-voltage system including high voltage battery cells failed. So the 12 V batteries died because they were not being charged by the HV system.
when I requested BMW pay for the 12 V batteries since they were damaged by the faulty HV system, they refused.
we loved the plug-in hybrid concept, but would never consider buying a BMW with batteries again. In fact, we won’t be buying a BMW ever again based on this poor customer service. Toyota hybrids are clearly in a class above BMW when it comes to battery technology. Today we have a BEV and two ICE vehicles.
Did you account that using a 3rd party battery could (is likely to) potentially void your warranty on your electric car? If anything about current cars is anything to go off of.
My choice was in 2022....a gas Corolla sedan.....bulletproof......@ few thousand less to buy....@ 40 in city....@60 mpg on 3 hour hwy trip according to computer......will last @500K miles...no battery complications, maintenance issues, can be fixed anywhere in USA,...plus who wants a very old one????.......nobody.....
I drive a Toyota Corolla hybrid and love it. It’s the cheapest car I have owned but the best.
Is it true that your hybrid car now after 10 years will be obsolete already because newer car technology will come out? How is the resale value?
This video answers a lot of questions I had. Thanks very much.
So long as the "mild hybrid" is well made and the battery/motor scheme is not expensive, it's an improved design. Gas engines are tuned to run at higher speeds, and the battery system can handle the starts.
I still feel it is better to wait out like for 10 yrs the prices are going to go down for hybrids and will have lot more options. Our daily driver is a honda civic(90% highway driving) so not too much worried about gas mileage at this moment.
I’m going for Honda CR-V Hybrid AWD Sport L 2024! Very spacious and it very practical plus it run very smoothly.
Excellent video. Wish you would have commented on what a rarity it is to change out the brakes on a hybrid.
Transmission problems are also almost unheard-of.
I did mention that the brakes last 2-3 times longer. I've actually seen many old hybrids with original brakes. Pretty amazing.
@@carhelpcornermy apologies you are correct sir I re-watched your video moments ago and you did mention it quite clearly I must have missed it. 😊
I enjoy your efforts on your videos. You seem to draw proper conclusions more often than most people on UA-cam. Keep up the good work.
@@carhelpcorner We replaced the front pads and rotors on our 12+ year old Prius C and then traded it in for a 2024 Prius Prime. The C still had its original rear shoes and drums. Imagine, over 1.2 decades on one set of pads.
Depends on what type of hybrid you buy, and the brand you choose. Not all hybrid systems are the same, some of them are convoluted and over complicated (you know which brands I’m talking about).
PS I didn’t realize how many people were uninformed on their understanding of hybrid technology.
Had to ask. What brands are you talking about?
I bought 22 prius in December last year and it’s the best car I have ever owned.
My top two favorite reasons I like it. Constantly get over 60mpg from my car. My best full tank of gas I got 66.3 mpg. Keep in mind you have to drive it specifically to get this high mileage.
Additionally, the a/c compressor is electric and powered by the hybrid battery. It very rapidly gets cold and stays cold even at a stop because the a/c compressor can run at the best rpm regardless of the speed of car or engine.
Buy a Toyota hybrid!
I'll stick with fuel efficient gas engine. The 15 to 20 thousand markup for hybrid killed it.
Love the show.
My Toyota Vitz gives a constant 60% running on battery. Love it.🖖
I like my 2009 Toyota Prius Hybrid because of the gas mileage and it's still using the original High Voltage Battery!
My first was Honda Insight Hybrid great gas saving until I hit 120k then mileage started to decline, second/current Kia Niro LX at 76k. I love to drive and put miles on my car which in turn saves me $$$ in gas and gives me lots of mileage. I don’t like the EV model yet, warranty, battery pack cost, charging network/time spent. distance/range or the cost of EV. I love my first Kia Hybrid and the cost, I may buy another new one in the future. Wouldn’t mind having an EV for in town driving but I’m not looking to spend over $10k for a dependable used EV. Thanks for your video, found it informative.
What I really like about my Toyota RAV4 hybrid is that there is no hunting for gears while accelerating onto the highway. The CVT gives instant response. I had a RAV4 non hybrid getting 25 mpg. My hybrid gets 39 mpg and is slightly bigger than the older model year. Not much fun to drive, but practical.
Batteries only last 5-10 years not 10-15 years. A battery replacement could cost up to $8000 and who wants to put in 3rd party batteries...no one. I travel 800klm every week and my Hybrid fuel consumption is the same as a petrol car. Great in the Cities for start and stop driving but no benifit on long trips. I don't live in a City so barely any benifit for me.
It depends of the road you drive. If you manage to drive your HEV to use regenerative braking many times (before entering in a city or on a mountain road), if you don’t drive at high speeds (above 120 km/h), an HEV is efficient. If you drive in a sporty manner, than an ICE with a manual transmission is the solution. I drove the Civic e:HEV on a highway in Romania and the maximum fuel consumption was 7 l/100 km, in Sport mode and at 160 km/h (not recommended). When I switched back to normal driving, the consumption drops at 4,3 l/100 km - only on highway (120 km/h). It raised again at 5 l/100 km when I had to overtake some old men (you know).
Just got my corolla SE hybrid AWD and love it far!
I love my 2020 RAV4 Hybrid. I was mostly thinking about fuel efficiency when I bough it. However better fuel efficiency means better range. So I can safely drive 350-400 miles before refueling. After 45,000 miles and three years of ownership, the cost of ownership is the same as a standard internal combustion engine.
Think again. You didn't change the brake pads/rotors, you had no issues with the starter/generator/belts etc. And this will keep on going. The TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) for hybrids is smaller than for the equivalent ICE car. My own experience is confirming such statistics. Enjoy your hybrid!
In 2006 I chose a Scion XB over a Toyota Prius solely because it was $10,000 more. Even though the Prius got better gas milage 18 years later and I haven't spent that extra $10,000 in gas yet. You have to calculate more than just MPG when buying a vehicle.
Well you answered my question at 2:27. I drive 98% hwy and about a third of that is off road. Same with my husband.
That's funny! Do you have offroad on your highways?!? Your claim has no logic: you cannot drive 98% highway and about 1/3 to be offroad. Maybe your husband knows better 😎
Another thing that hybrids has less maintenance is that there is no transmission to worry about! At least the ones that have ECVT.
This cost analysis overlooks a few things. In my Mammoth condo, electricity is 40c/kWh, so the fuel cost of a Model Y Tesla in the snow for 6 months is higher than a RAV4 hybrid. To install a 240V 40A line is $2,000 and I need home owners insurance with $1,000,000 coverage, $900/year, so over 8 years that's $9,200. At the end of 8 years, the MY drive train warranty expires so it becomes worthless, so you have $50,000+ depreciation. If you use Superchargers most of the time, you can expect a $20,000 bill for a new battery. The RAV4 will go on running for many years.
I have a 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid with 155,000 miles. The car has never had a mechanical failure. My lifetime average gas mileage is 42.1 MPH and that is with a lot of highway miles. A third of the miles have been on electric power. The gas engine has only about 100,000 miles on it. All I have done get the required maintenance done at the prescribed intervals. I was very disappointed when Ford stopped making the Fusion. I would definitely buy another. But, instead, I am buying a Kis Sportage Hybrid SX Prestige. I plan to be driving a lot of dirt roads and need the added ground clearance and the AWD system. EV tech is still centuries away from supplanting either ICE or Hybrids for the average person.
You didn't mention the high wearing of combustion engine in hybrid cars! They need more oil change and constant starting and shutting down off the ICE causes engine not to run on right temperature.
My 2002 Prius was awesome. However, eventually the battery died over 200 K. Than I bought my parents 2006 Prius when it already had 190 k miles. We had to get a refurbished battery for about 1500 dollars at 200 K that only last for about 20 k miles. I will say that besides burning oil and having to change battery, they never broke down.
In sweden a hybrid is 4000-10000 dollars more expensive.
You pay more for registration, insurance and monthly payment with a hybrid. When factored into the other costs you aren’t ending up ahead of a gas car financially. Gas you pay $100/mo more in fuel but save about $100/mo from the above costs.
My conclusion was that its not a meaningful number either way. Just preference.
My Hybrid registration is the exact same price as my ICE vehicle. But an EV has higher registration costs.
I can save $1200 a year with an ev, even though gas here is cheaper than most of the nation. But it's not just about that, cause an ev is just so much more relaxing to drive. And they can heat instantly too in winter.
I would though pay 100 , more a year for registration. Don't buy a Tesla and insurance is fine.
Great piece Shari. I drove a Toyota RAV-4 Hybrid to 187,000 KM’s over four plus years and had zero issues. The brakes at the time of trading it in were still the original factory ones. On another note, what about a PHEV? Would that be a better option to bridge to a full EV? Can you do a commentary on that please?
I have a video on this coming! 👍
@@carhelpcornerThank you!
Why are you Bragging about ~186K miles? ....Which is nothing...
My 1990 Accord got 210K miles before I sold it and it was ~30 years old...and still running great...
Hybrids should all be getting 500K to 1 million miles ...
A hybrid has a gas cap, a BEV has a charge port. A PHEV has both...
...two different fueling ports means double the effort.
I got a 2023 Corolla Hybrid SE AWD over a year ago now. I love it, great on gas especially in the city, and the AWD is good for winter driving (I live in northern Canada). I thought the price increase for the Hybrid+AWD of just under $2k cad was well worth it. And to be honest the ICE Corrola wasn't even my alternative, the Subaru Impreza was (AWD was a high priority for me).
I can't recommend this car enough, it's got all the modern basic tech wants, it is very economical, and reliable as expected (so far), I love it!
As the Hybrid AWD just came out in 2023 I was one of the first to receive mine, but this was due to placing my order nearly 10 months prior when I learned of the new AWD model coming out. I only paid MSRP, nothing above but that's as good as it gets these days with Toyotas low inventory. My Toyota dealer still has almost no cars on their lot, and hybrid models are almost all pre-sold.
I'm completely sold on hybrid now. The next vehicle I would purchase would be a PHEV, I'd definitely consider something like the RAV4 Prime. Unless battery tech gets much better then maybe a BEV.
Ive bought a preowned 2016 prius echo last 2018 for 19grand. Toyota dealership wants to buy my car recently for 15g. Crazy how the depreciation was just 4k. My total gas expenses every 3 wks is $25 on average. During the 2020 lock down, I was able to get 1 full tank of gad for 2.5 months lol so yeah hybrid is always better
Hi Shari, my own experience illustrates your points. I just received a gas engine RAV4 LE five days ago, and as you know it has a fuel consumption display. Toyota says that the RAV4 gets 8.7 L/100km in the city, so I was appalled when I saw numbers like 13 L/100km in urban use with really frequent stops, even when being soft on the pedal. However, in steady highway driving at about 85 km/h, I just got 5.5 L/100km, quite a bit better than Toyota's estimate of 6.9. I wanted to buy a hybrid (and regret not doing so), but when the dealer said the wait would be 1.5-2.5 years and so could result in my winding up with a vehicle from the 6th generation's first year with all the resulting potential for bugs/quality problems, I decided that the ICE engine version with a 3-6 month wait was the way to go.
The long waiting period is the only reason that hybrids don't make up the majority of sales now. Hopefully that changes, but still you made a great choice!
@@henryhonda8408 I was extremely picky and it took 6 months.
Sorry but 1.5 to 2.5 year wait is unacceptable. Move on to another vehicle.
Outlander PHEV perhaps?@@francesdinicola6669
im doing research if its worth going thur all that hassale to buy a hybird basically same fuel ecomny @@francesdinicola6669
Great content as always. Waited 5 months for my ICE 2023 Rav4 coming in this week. Would’ve taken an hybrid but I got scared of the rusting cable gate and Toyota not willing to include 2023 in expanded warranty. Will see in 10 yrs where the market standands!
Why don't you mention a hybrid with turbo? Most folks here only shpwing their N/A 4cyl hybrids that ofcourse will lasts just like a non hybrid N/A 4cyl engines.you need to point out that even hybrids lasts,once equipped with turbos,it will be the same as any other turbocharged engines.
How about living in a cold climate state where it gets minus 0 for days? Will the battery last for 10 years easily? Also, for someone that likes to drive fast and needs good pick up when zig zagging on the road, does it make sense to get a hybrid?
I live in rural Canada where it takes me 20-30 minutes of nothing but highway driving to get to the grocery store. My husband and I take a 1200 km roadtrip every year to go see his family, that is also primarily highway driving in the mountains. Hybrids make zero sense for me.
Not all people buy 50k with cash. The price diff with interest included will make it impossible to break even and I used to change new car within 5 years. It never will recover.
I have a 2023 RAV4 gas engine non hybrid and in mixed driving I get 6.9 l / 100 km.. That is measured over 8 k.
Nice hob I was looking for this!
1 question remained tho, Is it still worth the price and extra mechanical complexity to go for a PHEV over a HEV if I hafta travel like 3 times a year?
I was looking at a rav4 hybrid xse vs a Subaru outback between payments and insurance it was the cheaper option even though the rav4 got better mpg it was the monthly payments and insurance that took away any savings that the rav4 boasted it was about 1000$ a year difference.
Unfortunately most hybrids are available only in the highest trims and dealers have high markups, so after a plug in hybrid, for the next car I went regular gas, as the price difference to a hybrid didn't make economical sense anymore
Actually, this video is about hybrids, not about plug in hybrids. Let's talk after you'll own a hybrid.
i think so not worth to buy hybird now
Excellent job covering all topics!
Hi Shari. I just watched this video for the first time. I like your channel and your advice. However, I think your suggestion to consider a third party replacement Li-ion battery is a dangerous one. I can send you some fire safety videos that cite cheap, third party Li-ion batteries as a significant source of fires. You may have intended the use of reputable batteries but you can't control "how low can they go?" in some viewer's purchase decisions. You may have even exposed yourself to unintended liability by making such a recommendation..
First hand knowledge. Based on cost vs effective value "nothing" better than a reliable Toyota Camry Hybrid. Those suckers are good for 300,000 miles if you are religious about changing the oil and oil filter every 5,000 miles or once year if you don't drive it much. When you get one (a hybrid) the first thing you do is figure out where the hybrid battery cooing duct "air filter" is located and then how to get at it with a vacuum cleaner hose.. This is one of the very few the things you the owner "must" personally do. Same for the Cabin air filters located in a slot in the back of the glove box. Except for the oil filter trust no one's word that they cleaned or replaced a filter. When to vacuum or replace the air filter depends on how many dogs and kids you cart around.in the back seat. Be aware that the cabin air filter and the drive battery cooling duct air filter are a critical team.essential to keep the drive battery happy.
Hybrid batteries often have very long warranties. The gas engine works less with Hybrid assistance. I've bought Hybrids since 2008 and my family bought the first Prius in our area in 2001. Yet I'm looking forward to hydrogen powered vehicles and appropriate charging facilities.
But will the batteries they make today last as long as the ones in the past?
Toyota warranties the hybrid batteries for 10 years and I believe 160,000 miles.
This is true of any battery in a BEV or HEV. Batteries have long lives and will outlast the actual vehicle. They are also the most reliable part of the vehicle. This myth of batteries dying after a time in in BEVs or HEVs is total crap.
@@toddsmith1617 Tesla car batteries are built to last between 300,000 to 500,000 miles before needing a replacement.
This estimate is based on the battery's ability to withstand a significant number of charge cycles, approximately 1,500 times of charging and discharging.
Warranty: 8 years or 120,000 miles, whichever comes first, with a minimum 70% retention of battery capacity.
They are discovering that batteries are lasting significantly longer than they originally estimated.
There are a lot of really ignorant comments here. Full of complete myths, untruths, propaganda and ideology. The source is hate, denial and fear.
Hybrid, my 2020 crv hybrid averages 38 mpg and it only cost about 3k more than the gasoline plus its very quiet at low speeds because of the hybrid power and perfect for town drives
I drive 40km to and fro work, so about 80-90km daily
Mostly on the motorway doing 120-140 for 25mins of my drive and a bit of traffic for the remaining 10-15mins
I am torn between getting a Citrone EC4 full electric, or a BMW plug in hybrid or just a normal gas car
Any advice on what options to consider
There are other mechanics that said rebuild battery packs are not very safe. What is your take?
I have a 2015 Honda Fit but looked at hybrids (specifically the Prius) before deciding on the Honda. I am writing this in December 2023, some 8-years after buying the Honda, and I have right at 90,000 miles on the vehicle, partly because I was only 11 miles from my office when working, partly because I have a Mini Cooper convertible that I drive when the weather is nice, so the Honda is not my only transportation. The Mini has about 22,000 miles on it. My point is that the MPG difference in the Prius was not enough to make up for the higher initial price, based on my driving habits. The mileage on my Honda varies - around town, I get mid-30s, on the road, it depends. I can get over 40 MPG on the road if I drive carefully and am not in a hurry. The Mini gets low-30s.
Added after reading some comments from non-US posters: My MPG numbers are US Gallons, not Imperial Gallons like are used in the UK. IDK what the conversion is, but my understanding is that 1 Imperial Gallon = 1.21 US gallons, so I think the UK equivalents would be my posted MPG numbers x 1.21 to get the British equivalents.
My Tiguan allspace Diesel has better fuel economy than our Rav4 hybrid 🥴 That is from real world driving. Almost similar maintenance cost.
I don't see how town driving can be cheaper in the long run as you need to do enough out of town driving to charge the battery!
If you don't do enough long journeys to charge the battery you'll end up using the combustion engine around town.
E,g, if you only ever do town driving the battery will run out before it ever gets charged enough.
There must be a balance point (that would be really good to know) where the minimum amount of long journeys is calculated to not run out of battery around town.
It would be great to know where the balance lies, i.e. 50/50 country/town or 60/40 or whatever it is.
Could you maybe look into this please? MT.
I currently own a BMW i3 Rex. I think it's the perfect hybrid. Most efficient electric engine and regenerative breaking system. I paid $14k for it. (55kmiles) the BEST used electric and qualifies for the USED ELECTRIC CAR TAX CREDIT!!
My 2009 Prius uses 5.1 L/100 klm no matter city or country driving. I travel to work 820 klm on a 7/7 roster
My 2010 Toyota Auris / Corolla 1.6L 6 speed gets 5.2L / 100km countryside with motorway and city driving. I'm driving conservatively though.
On the maintenance, since the gas engine doesn't run all the time, you don't need things like oil changes as often.
1. Don´t get the SUV it has worse gas milage (for obvious reasons).
2. Get the smallest and lightest vehicle you can.
3. Buy it used and pay attention to the hybrid/gearbox system, Toyota has a really good integrated hybrid system compared to say VW or others.
4. Don´t forget a good Toyota gearbox is way better than a regular automatic gearbox. They also got rid of a starter, driving belt and few other parts. So they even reduced complexity. And electric motor is great for slow inner city driving and a gas engine is great for faster highways driving, now you have both!
BTW I just recently got my Toyota Corolla and retired my 14 year old VW. I love the Hybrid, it drives great and the tech is truly amazing, but this may be interesting to be because I am an automotive engineer, others might not care much. Howevery my Toyota came with a 15 year and 250.000km warranty, which is a great deal and probably the longest warranty I have ever seen, this tells a lot about their quality. I really hope there will be some 3rd party batteries available in 10 years, so I will swap my current one for a lighter with more capacity. I just hope they will come up with PV panels for the roof to charge the battery as well or something like that.
I only drive about 6000 miles per year mostly city driving Is it worth it to buy a rav4 hybrid? Thanx Warren
Yes it is. The hybrid has far higher resale value so the initial price premium evens out in the end. Enjoy the gas savings.
I thought I was set on buying a RAV4 hybrid until I saw a fatal car accident with a hybrid that resulted in an explosion and fire from a typical 35 mph accident....now I'm having second thoughts. I was about 500 feet away looking in that direction....so I'm not sure what make and model the car was.
I've owned two Priuses. Love them. Great gas mileage; low repair costs. They are simple plain cars that get you reliably from point A to point B.