 |
| The 2015 Buick Regal. |
Our so-fresh-the-pixels-aren't-dry-yet reviews of the
2015 Toyota Highlander Hybrid and the
2015 Lexus ES 300h hybrid illustrate the wide range of time it can take for the fuel savings of a hybrid to pay for the extra cost over the gasoline version of the same vehicle. The Highlander's small difference in fuel economy and large difference in price result in an 11.6 year wait to break even, according to
the U.S. Department of Energy's Hybrid Cost Calculator. A narrower price gap and bigger gain in fuel economy cuts the wait to just 4.6 years for the ES 300h.
But what if you could cut the wait to zero? Start saving money immediately? What would that take?