Did you know that Toyota has sold over 1 million Prius hybrids here in the U.S. over the past decade?  Go ahead and up that number to 2 million worldwide.  So with such great success why not create a whole family of automobiles around the Prius.  There is still no match for the Prius when talking hybrid gas mileage figures.  Sure the Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt are out there, but these cars not only cost thousands more, they are inconvenient for most of the population.  So the Prius remains the old standby and has grown larger with the release of the 2012 Prius V in an effort to attract more buyers.  But Gas Mileage has gone down from 50 MPG combined for the standard model to 42 MPG for the Prius V.

With 50% more cargo room than the standard Toyota Prius, the V stands for Versatile.  But while the PriusV has grown, the fuel economy has shrunk.  Earlier in the year when the Lexus CT 200h, I could not figure out why a car with the same drivetrain as the Prius gets much lower gas mileage.  It’s the same conundrum for the Toyota Prius V.  The car has the same shape and the exact same drivetrain as the standard Prius but the gas mileage is lower by 15%.  Let’s take a look into the reasons for the loss in fuel economy.

1. Weight – the Prius 5 weighs over 230 pounds more than the standard Prius.  This may not seem like much but coupled with the other changes; weight does play a role in Gas Mileage loss.
2. Size – the Prius V is 6 inches longer and 3 inches taller than the standard Prius.  The wheelbase is a tad longer and by stretching the Prius V out, much was changed in the Prius V suspension to make the car more like a nice sedan.
3. Drag Coefficient – the 2011 Toyota Prius has a Drag Coefficient of 0.25 while the changes to the exterior of the Prius V have caused the Drag Coefficient to drop to 0.29.

While these changes may seem minor, they reduce the gas mileage on the Prius 5 by 15%.  Estimated figures put the Prius V gas mileage figures at 44 on the Highway and 40 in the City.  The standard Prius gets 52/48 respectively.  This goes to show that the Prius is so perfectly engineered for getting the best fuel economy possible that even a few little tweaks can drastically reduce those figures.  Good news is the Prius V will only cost a bit more but will offer you 50% more cargo room and should be a great buy for those looking to increase gas mileage without losing utility.

I crunched the numbers and if you drive an average of 15,000 miles per year; it will only cost you $200 more to drive the Prius V over the standard Prius (with gas costing $3.50).  This actually seems like a drop in the bucket considering how much more interior space you get.

1) Ford Escape Hybrid

The Ford Escape hybrid is a good gas mileage SUV with fuel economy numbers that check in at a mind-boggling 34 city and 31 highway MPG!  And the Escape Hybrid has been the top dog since its release in 2004.  Now don’t freak out because yes, the Mercury Mariner and the Mazda Tribure are both pretty much the same car.  The reaseon why the Ford Escape is such a good gas mileage SUV is because the Hybrid can use electricty alone to acelerate to 30 MPH per wikipedia.  An electric motor helps boost the 133 HP inline 4-cylinder.  Also an Atkinson Cycle engine is much better for hybrids as the power produced is less but the efficiency is better which is more important in a good gas mileage SUV.  The loss in power is made up with the electric motor.  Which is recharged by regenerative braking. Price for the Escape hybrid is about $30k.

2) Lexus RX 450h

Yes luxury companies car produce a good gas mileage SUV.  And Lexus has been doing so for more than 5 years!  Ok here’s the goods: MSRP is around $43k and MPG is 32 city and 28 highway.  The 297 HP V-6 engine is helped via a power inverter and 2 electric motors.  The engine also runs on the atkinson Cycle.  And believe it or not the RX 450h is 20% more efficient than the previous generation 400h.

3) Chevy Equinox and GMC Terrain

Hey here is a good gas mileage suv that is not powered by a hybrid motor.  The Chevy Equinox and GMC Terrain only get 22 MPG in the city, which is nothing special.  But if you do alot of highway driving and need a good gas mileage SUV, than the Equinox should be on your list.  Getting 32 MPG on the highway without the aid of any electric motors, the Equinox is a real surprise.  You can get a very base model for $23k which is the perfect range for many consumers.  The motor is a 182 HP 4 cylinder.

4) Jeep Patriot

What a Jeep is also on the list of good gas mileage SUVs?  Yes its true, Both the Jeep Patriot and the Compass are excellent fuel sippers.  The Jeeps both get 23 MPG in the city and 29 MPG on the highway.  So if you are a Jeep lover like my buddy Wendy, you should upgrade to one of these bad boys.  These figures are of course for the base model 2.0L 172 HP Patriot.  And with an MSRP of $15,300 there is no denying that the Patriot should be on this list!

5)  Toyota Highlander Hybrid

The Toyota Highlander Hybrid is an odd fellow.  You would think that the Highlander would kill in the MPG department since is has the Prius as its little brother.   What kills the fuel economy of the Highlander is its heavy and energy wasting 4-wheel drive.  The Highlander does make the good gas mileage SUV list due to it still good numbers at 27 in the city and 25 on the highway.  On more ding against the Toyota Highlander Hybrid is the $35k price tag.

Honorable Mention

Cadillac Escalade Hybrid

The Escalade Hybrid gets 22 MPG ok.  You may say: “WTF”!  But when you find out this is a 40% improvement over the non-hybrid version it hits you that the Escalades are a big waste.  And you have to fork over $62k for the base model and $73k for the hybrid ouch.

BMW Active Hybrid

The Active Hybrid BMW X6 costs $89k but it has a 400-HP twin-turbo V-8 powering it!  Totally worth the 18 MPG figure it returns.  For comparison the non-hybrid SUV gets 14 MPG.

Source: Fuel Economy.gov check the stats for yourself

Fuel efficiency, horsepower, price of the car, design and utility, are just a few of the criteria that people check before making a choice on purchasing a hybrid car. First of all, the right hybrid car will net the best MPG available. Cars that have the ability to run on electric power alone for a certain distance or up to a certain speed are the best bet for fuel economy.

No matter the engine combination, the best hybrid car should be able to overcome the increased price by saving you money at the gas pump over a period of time.  So a new Civic Hybrid should overcome the increased cost over a base model Civic by saving you money in the from of less gas per year.

When making a decision on which hybrid is best for your needs, size also plays a part in your decision.  Will this strictly be a commuter car, or will you need something larger to haul around the family? Thus, you might be interested in the best hybrid car in the small, town-use category, or maybe the mid-size hybrid sedans are more suitable for your needs. Luxury hybrid vehicles are rather pretentious and expensive, but they do have their targeted buyers.

The right hybrid car according to personal requirements should be chosen only after alot or research has been done. The internet is full of reviews and information about all kinds of hybird vehicles.  Do your dilligent research and consider the cost of maintenance, hybrid tax rebates, fuel economy, warranty, battery charging system and so on. Finally take a test drive and make sure that the car feels right.