Best 2011 hybrid cars for the money
Hybrids usually get better gas mileage than conventional cars, but they also cost more — usually a lot more. To determine if the added cost is worthwhile, we divide the combined city/highway mpg by the base MSRP, then multiply by 1,000. (This formula can be applied to any vehicle.) A high mpg rating and low price yield a high efficiency-cost rating.
Our results suggest that the soundest reason to buy a hybrid is to burn less fuel, not to save money in the long run, but some hybrids do this better than others. Rather than list the most miserly small hybrids, we present the highest-ranked hybrid models of their size and type. — Joe Wiesenfelder, Cars.com
Worst hybrid cars for the money
Our results suggest that the soundest reason to buy a hybrid is to burn less fuel, not to save money in the long run, but some hybrids do this better than others. Rather than list the most miserly small hybrids, we present the highest-ranked hybrid models of their size and type. — Joe Wiesenfelder, Cars.com
Worst hybrid cars for the money
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Compact cars: 2011 Honda Insight
MSRP: $18,200, gas mileage (city/highway -- combined mpg): 40/43 -- 41
Efficiency-cost rating: 2.25
Thanks to its price decrease for 2011, and the Toyota Prius' increase, the Insight takes the top spot in our list. Its 2.25 rating beats that of most gas-powered cars on the market, but it bears noting that even our top-ranked hybrid isn't far off from comparably sized gas-only cars like the Ford Fiesta (2.29), Nissan Versa sedan (2.28) and two-door Toyota Yaris (2.25). Because of its higher price, the Ford Fiesta's Super Fuel Economy version rates 2.05, underscoring that high-mileage cars, be they hybrid or not, don't necessarily save money in the long run. |
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