WITH HYBRIDS BECOMING MORE
MAINSTREAM, CONSUMERS HAVE
MORE OPTIONS TO CHOOSE FROM
H
ybrid or pure internal combustion?
It’s a question we’ve been asking
ourselves for two decades now,
and as the number of hybrid options
grows, consumers won’t find the
answer any easier. Although traditional
gasoline vehicles have upped their fuel
economy game, hybrids still have a huge
advantage. If fuel economy is among
your primary concerns and you’re
thinking about getting a hybrid, there
are a few things you’ll need to know.
Today’s SUVs and sedans are more
efficient than before, but there’s still a
significant difference between a hybrid
and a non-hybrid. Take the Toyota
Camry, for example. According to the
EPA, those who buy the Camry Hybrid LE
will spend about $850 per year on gas,
compared to $1,350 for the Camry LE—
an increase of more than 58 percent. The
difference is also significant in actual
fuel economy numbers, as the hybrid
gets 20 mpg better than the regular
model. Of course, there’s a $3,800
sticker price jump for the hybrid, so you’ll
need to drive a lot of miles to make up
the difference.
As gas prices continue to increase
(and they will), you’ll also notice a
significant difference at the pump. In
February, when we wrote this story,
the national average for gas prices
was $2.27 per gallon. At the time of this
issue’s closing, the national average of
gasoline prices increased to $2.86—an
increment of more than 25 percent in
four months.
The Honda Insight made it from Los
Angeles to the Grand Canyon via LasVegas on only $31.83 worth of gas. That’s
a bargain. Granted, Scott was trying
to save as much fuel as possible, but
even if he’d driven with the radio on, the
Insight—or the Hyundai Ioniq Blue, for
that matter—is a great example of how
far you can drive without stopping to
pump gas.
But real-world behavior matters, too—
and that’s also one of the reasons we
wrote this story. Hybrid and regular cars
will both take you from point A to point B,
but how they do it is different.
For starters, hybrids are heavier, as
they have to carry a battery, but that
doesn’t mean they have to be slower.
Look at the Toyota RAV4. The all-wheel-
drive RAV4 Hybrid delivers 219 hp and
goes from 0 to 60 mph in 7.5 seconds
while getting 41/38 mpg. Compare that
to the loaded front-drive RAV4 Limited
with regular gas, which produces 203
hp and gets to 60 mph in 8.2 seconds,
averaging 26/35 mpg. In this case, the
hybrid is the clear winner, as it gets
more power with less gas. But again,
comparably equipped, the hybrid
version carries a price bump.
As technology improves and hybrids
deliver even better fuel economy
numbers, engineers will also deliver them
with better acceleration and handling.
Hybrids are no longer just the green
alternative. They are the mainstream,
and as such, they need to carry
mainstream driving dynamics. With
manufacturers doubling down on their
efforts to offer more hybrids, consumers
will have even more choice.
Miguel CortinaFUEL RUN
What’s in it for you?
Here’s why this story matters
Things didn’t get interesting until after
I’d crossed the halfway point in Las Vegas.
Despite exceeding EPA estimates at 41
mpg, my distance-to-empty meter didn’t
make me happy: 235 miles of range with
270 miles to go. I could make up that
35-mile difference, I reasoned, by easing
my speed below the posted limit. I turned
the cop car south toward Arizona.
My optimism faded as I confronted a
nasty headwind. Over the next few hours,
I watched helplessly as my mpg ticked
down, settling at 35.
A weather report from the finish
line put a final nail in the coffin of my
plan: Snow was blanketing the 70 miles
surrounding the Grand Canyon.
I dropped my speed down further, to a
crawling 55 mph, to buy myself some time
while I figured out a backup plan. Not long
after, I got a glimpse of a driver beaming
ear to ear, rapidly approaching in my rear-
view mirror. It was Scott in his Insight.
As he disappeared ahead of me, over
the horizon, I decided I’d stop for gas and
attempt to catch him and Miguel on I-40.
I figured the headwind had to hurt them,
too, and that despite their cars’ superior
efficiency, both would have to stop. The
snow, I reasoned, would slow them even
more, as their hybrids’ low rolling resis-
tance tires would slip in the slush.
I picked the first gas station I saw as I
dumped into Kingman, slid the pump into
the Ford’s capless fuel filler, clicked the
handle in place, and stepped back to fill
out my fuel log.
Without warning, gas geysered out of
the side of the Ford. I dropped the fuel log
and ran toward the car. Ducking the spray,
SEPTEMBER 2019 MOTORTREND.COM 73