Seven Hybrids That Consumer Reports Says Will Save You Money The Fastest In 2024, And 3 That Won't

According to Consumer Reports, the hybrid is the version of the NX that you want regardless of whether you care about it being a hybrid or not, as it’s torquier and offers a more refined driving experience. It got 38 mpg in testing, saving a typical driver $689 a year. Ironically, CR paid $175 more for a gas-only NX350 than it did for a comparable NX350h, so the savings could be instant.

A hybrid powertrain is standard on the Ford Maverick, so like with the NX hybrid, you won’t have to wait months or even years to see the benefit of skipping the gas-only version. In fact, you’ll start out $1,000 ahead if you stick with the Maverick XLT’s hybrid powertrain. And with a 37-mpg average in CR’s testing, it should save you $670 a year.

Unlike the NX hybrid, a Lexus RX Hybrid Premium+ isn’t less expensive than its gas-only counterpart, but the hybrid that CR tested only cost an extra $250 and got 34 mpg in testing. Because of that, you should be able to make up the difference in six months or so.

If you want cheap, basic transportation and great gas mileage, it’s hard to beat the Toyota Corolla hybrid. The Corolla LE hybrid that CR tested got 48 mpg and was only $310 more expensive than the 36-mpg gas-only Corolla LE. That difference should save you $280 a year, meaning you’ll come out ahead in a little over a year.

There are plenty of three-row crossovers that you could buy instead of the Toyota Highlander, but good luck finding one that matches or beats the hybrid Highlander’s as-tested 35 mpg. The one CR bought cost $1,270 more than a similar gas-only Highlander, but the 13-mpg difference in fuel economy should save owners about $690 a year. Give it two years, and you’ll be saving money.

Like the Lexus NX, CR says the Tucson hybrid is a better choice than the gas-only version even before you look at possible gas savings. It paid $1,225 more for its Tucson hybrid than a comparable gas-only Tucson, but at 35 mpg, its nine-mpg improvement should save owners $400 a year and take slightly more than three years to pay off.

Consumer Reports says the Honda CR-V Hybrid is also the one to buy if you can afford it. Jumping up to 35 mpg in the CR-V Hybrid Sport should save you $400 a year, which means in about three years, you’ll start saving money compared to a gas-only CR-V EX.

The Ford F-150 is the first on the list of hybrids that CR says isn’t worth paying extra for. In testing, the F-150 Hybrid beat the gas-only version by a single mile per gallon overall. It also cost $3,300 more than the 2.7-liter, gas-only turbocharged V6 F-150. That would mean waiting more than 30 years to make your money back.

The Kia Sorento Hybrid didn’t perform as poorly as the F-150 Hybrid, but three mpg better than the gas-only Sorento doesn’t suggest a quick timeframe for paying off the difference. CR didn’t share the difference in what it paid, but it estimated a 13-year payoff period.

With Honda making all of the upper trim levels of the Accord hybrids, it may be worth it to buy an Accord hybrid just because you like the extra features it comes with. Compared to a lower-trim non-hybrid, though, CR estimates it will take nine years to pay off the difference if you’re getting 40 mpg.