Hybrid Car Mileage Comparisons
Hybrid cars are all the rage and many people just don’t truly understand how hybrid cars work. One of the most common
questions we get here at GoOnTheRoad.com is how the hybrid cars compare for mileage. While this may seem to be an easy answer, it’s not – there are many factors that affect a hybrid car’s mileage and fuel efficiency.
The mileage with any car, hybrids in particular, depends on the type of driving that you personally do. Hybrid cars generate electricity through braking and power is saved when the gas engine is shut off when your vehicle is at a stop. This means that hybrid cars get much better mileage for city driving than they do for highway driving, which is the complete opposite to gas-only powered vehicles. For people who do a lot of highway driving, such as rural commuters, hybrid cars are not fuel efficient and will act and react just like any other vehicle on the road. This makes hybrid cars not cost-efficient for commuters because of the higher cost of a hybrid vehicle.
To get the most mileage out of a hybrid car, there are a few tips you can follow that will drastically increase the miles per gallon. The first tip is to drive more slowly – the faster you drive the more aerodynamic drag there is on your vehicle. By slowing down your driving speed even a little bit increases your gas mileage with a hybrid car. Maintaining a constant speed is the second tip – whenever you accelerate with your car, you are using energy and gas, and some of this energy is already used to slow down your hybrid car. Maintaining a consistent speed is essential at getting the most out of your mileage. Slow down slowly and avoid abrupt stops. A hybrid car’s electric motor is similar to a generator; it takes energy out of the vehicle while it is slowing down. The longer time it takes you to slow down, the more energy your hybrid will be able to store. If you stop too quickly, the brakes on your car do all the work and you’ve wasted energy that could’ve been banked by the electric motor.
Let’s look at some of the hybrid cars available and their standard stated gas mileage:
Toyota Prius
City Mileage – 48 mpg
Highway Mileage – 45 mpg
Honda Civic Hybrid
City Mileage – 40 mpg
Highway Mileage – 45 mpg
Nissan Altima Hybrid
City Mileage – 35 mpg
Highway Mileage – 33 mpg
Ford Escape Hybrid
City Mileage – 34 mpg
Highway Mileage – 30 mpg
Mazda Tribute Hybrid 2WD
City Mileage – 34 mpg
Highway Mileage – 30 mpg
Mercury Mariner
City Mileage – 34 mpg
Highway Mileage – 30 mpg
Toyota Camry
City Mileage – 33 mpg
Highway Mileage – 34 mpg
Ford Escape
City Mileage – 29 mpg
Highway Mileage – 27 mpg
Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid
City Mileage – 21 mpg
Highway Mileage – 22 mpg
Lexus LS 600h
City Mileage – 20 mpg
Highway Mileage – 22 mpg
GMC Yukon
City Mileage – 20 mpg
Highway Mileage – 20 mpg
As you can see from the list above, some of the hybrid cars can easily be outrun on their mileage by other gas-only cars, however most often the vehicles that are beating the mileage are much smaller vehicles.