Electric vehicles (EVs) have grown more popular, with many consumers finding them since they don't require gas and produce no carbon emissions. But there are drawbacks to owning EVs, such as the time it takes to charge a vehicle’s battery fully between uses and cold weather draining the battery.
Consumers who are wary of going full electric have the option of purchasing hybrid cars, which feature both a traditional gas engine and one or more electric motors.
Hybrid cars generally get better gas mileage than traditional vehicles because their engines can recharge the battery of the motor, and the motor can assist the engine in providing better fuel economy.
Related: A full list of EVs and hybrids that qualify for federal tax credits
What are hybrid cars?
A hybrid car has more than one power source for operation. This typically means an internal combustion engine fueled by gasoline and an electric motor powered by a battery.
A hybrid car can run independently on an engine or an electric motor but can also be operated by a combination of both. The electric motor assists the engine to improve fuel efficiency for a longer driving range and to provide additional power when needed.
The seven hybrid vehicles listed below were determined to have the best gas mileage by product-testing firm Consumer Reports.
What is Consumer Reports?
Consumer Reports is a non-profit fact-finding and consumer advocacy organization that purchases vehicles and tests them in labs and on a 6-mile closed course in Connecticut.
CR’s research is conducted independently of vehicle manufacturers, so its fuel economy estimates are based on real-world testing rather than manufacturers’ suggestions.
The 7 hybrid vehicles with the best gas mileage in 2024
Based on fuel economy estimates resulting from Consumer Reports’ testing, these are the seven most fuel-efficient hybrid car models.
Data on the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP), MPG, and base combined horsepower (HP) were sourced from automakers’ websites, as of early August 2024.
The cheapest new hybrid based on MSRP is the Toyota Corolla Hybrid 2024, at $23,500. As for best fuel economy, that goes to the Toyota Prius 2024, which fetches a combined 57 miles per gallon for city and highway.
Combined horsepower (HP) tends to be inversely related to fuel economy. The Prius has a combined HP of 150, putting it on the lower end of HP among hybrids, but it has a higher fuel economy. On the other hand, the Toyota Crown 2024 has a higher combined HP of 236, but its combined MPG is 41. (By comparison, the best mileage for engine-only cars typically is around 30 mpg.)
It isn't surprising that half of the hybrids with the best fuel economy are Toyotas. Toyota Motor was hesitant to go to a full electric-vehicle fleet just as Tesla Motor’s (TSLA) EVs were gaining popularity and were in demand in the late 2010s and early 2020s.
Toyota believed that vehicle owners wanted long-range cars but didn’t want the hassle of looking for a charging station as their EV’s battery was close to being depleted and having to wait for a full recharge. Because of this, Toyota focused its resources on developing practical hybrid models with good gas mileage.
Toyota Prius 2024
- Type: Compact car
- MSRP: $27,950
- MPG: 57 city / 56 highway / 57 combined
- Combined HP: 150
Hyundai Elantra Hybrid 2024
- Type: Compact car
- MSRP: $26,250
- MPG: 51 city / 58 highway / 54 combined
- Combined HP: 139
Toyota Corolla Hybrid 2024
- Type: Compact car
- MSRP: $23,500
- MPG: 53 city / 46 highway / 50 combined
- Combined HP: 138
Toyota Camry Hybrid 2024
- Type: Midsized car
- MSRP: $28,855
- MPG: 51 city / 53 highway / 52 combined
- Combined HP: 176
Hyundai Sonata Hybrid 2024
- Type: Midsized car
- MSRP: $30,800
- MPG: 44 city / 51 highway / 47 combined
- Combined HP: 192
Lexus ES Hybrid 2024
- Type: Luxury midsized car
- MSRP: $44,615
- MPG: 43 city / 44 highway / 44 combined
- Combined HP: 215
Toyota Crown 2024
- Type: Large car
- MSRP: $41,440
- MPG: 42 city / 41 highway / 41 combined
- Combined HP: 236
More on cars:
- Every new car and SUV under $30k (& what you get for your money)
- The best used cars & SUVs under $20k according to Consumer Reports
- The 30 most reliable car brands in 2024, according to Consumer Reports
What are the downsides to owning a hybrid car?
The addition of a second battery makes a hybrid more fuel-efficient than a traditional vehicle, but hybrid batteries also have some disadvantages. A hybrid car’s battery pack is typically heavier than a standard car battery, increasing the car’s total weight.
Hybrid batteries also take up space, and the addition of a hybrid battery to a vehicle’s already-long list of components typically translates to increased repair and maintenance costs over the course of the vehicle’s life (compared to a similar car with a combustion engine only).
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