Honda Car Forum

Would you save enough gas in a hybrid to justify the extra cost if you own it for five years?

If you do a lot of stop and go driving you would.

It really depends on the vehicle it replaced. If you took an H-1 off the road, it would make a difference. If you replaced a Honda Accord, probably not. The milage estimates for hybrid vehicles were calculated at ideal conditions. The actual mileage is likely to be 10-20% less for the average driver.

It wouldn't depend so much on the number of years you owned the hybrid as much as it would the number of miles you drive, and whether you drive more in the city (where hybrids do much better) or on the highway where a good "regular" car may do almost as well. About a year ago, I calculated the savings for a regular Honda Accord vs a hybrid Accord, and I think the breakeven point (for me) was about 60,000 miles. In other words, at about 60K, you would more than pay back the initial additional cost of the hybrid model with additional gas savings. Beyond that the hybrid would start to save you money all the time.

Remember to factor in the cost of replacing batteries after 3-4 years (I hear it's about $4,000 for a Prius)!