Hybrid or Gas: Which One is Right For You?

There’s a lot of big-time decision making that goes on when you pick out a new car in Fort Pierce. What color interior do you want? Are you springing for the premium stereo? Does your old set of fuzzy dice fit around the rearview mirror?

Before you ask any of those questions, you might want to ask yourself what kind of powertrain you want. The hybrid vs. gas debate continues to vex buyers, so let’s go through the pros and cons of hybrid and gas cars to see which is better suited to your needs.

Hybrid Cars: The Basics

The general principle of a hybrid car is that it has a regular gas-powered engine that works in tandem with a high-voltage battery and electric motor to provide the power to move the car. The battery in a hybrid is much more powerful that your typical 12.6-volt car battery.

In a regular hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), the electric propulsion system is capable of completely running the car for a certain amount of time, and the engine only kicks on periodically to aid in acceleration and make sure the battery doesn’t lose too much charge.

There are a couple other types of hybrids as well. Mild hybrids have a battery that isn’t quite strong enough to propel the vehicle on its own, but it may still power the car when it’s stopped or coasting, which improves fuel economy over purely gas-powered cars. Then there are plug-in hybrids, but we’ll get to that in a bit.

Benefits of Hybrid Cars

• Improved fuel economy: The main reason most people buy a hybrid near Port St. Lucie is to reap the fuel savings they get. Pure hybrid cars get significantly better gas mileage—especially in the city, because they employ regenerative braking, which uses the heat and energy generated from the brakes to recharge the battery without help from the engine. Many hybrid cars are capable of over 40 MPG on city streets.
• Better acceleration: Electric motors deliver nearly instant torque, so in may models, the gas pedal response is much quicker.
• Resale value: Hybrids are often highly sought-after, especially when gas prices rise and stay high for long periods of time. Sales stats show that hybrid cars continue to get more and more popular as time goes on.
• Environmentally friendly: Electric motors are effectively zero-emission, so the amount of carbon dioxide and other harmful pollutants is greatly reduced.

Drawbacks of Hybrid Cars

• Higher cost: Since they have more complex inner workings, they cost more to produce, and since they cost more to produce, they cost more to buy. All other things being equal, a new hybrid car will almost certainly be a few thousand dollars more expensive than its gas-motivated counterpart.
• Battery replacement: Because hybrid batteries are much more powerful, they’re also more expensive to replace. There’s no hard rule about exactly how long a hybrid battery will last, but it’s estimated that the battery will need replacing roughly every 150,000 miles, or every 12 to 15 years. This is an especially salient point to be wary of when buying a pre-owned hybrid in South Florida; if you’re buying used, be sure to inquire about whether or not the battery has been replaced or serviced.
• Less choice: Despite hybrids becoming more and more common, gas vehicles are still by far the most widely produced type of car. It can be a little trickier to find exactly what you want if your heart is set on a hybrid.

Gas Cars: The Basics

These cars run purely on the power of their internal combustion engine (ICE). There are a few other types of fuel, including diesel and ethanol, but they all work on same principles in general—intake, compression, power, exhaust. These vehicles also have a battery, which is a vital component because it provides the electricity to start the vehicle. But, after the car is running under its own power, the engine takes over the job and the battery simply works with the alternator to power auxiliary functions.

ICE vehicles may start to be phased out over the next decade or so, but for now, they remain the most popular type of car.

Benefits of Gas Cars

• Lower price tag: Basically, this works the same as hybrids, just in the opposite direction—they’re cheaper to make, so they’re cheaper to buy. This is a massive part of why ICE cars are still so popular, especially in communities at a lower socioeconomic level. The lower initial price can help offset the middling fuel economy, too.
• Larger selection: Since the majority of cars manufactured are gas-powered, it’s a lot easier to find the specific model you’re after. This often comes into play with big families who need a vehicle with a certain amount of space, or with folks who require a truck for work.
• Cheap battery replacement: Regular lead-acid car batteries usually only run between 100 and 200 bucks, and they usually don’t need to be replaced very often if they’re properly maintained.
• Easier to have serviced: This one is debatable. Some owners claim that it’s easier to find a mechanic to work on an ICE car, because hybrid technology is more complex. Your mileage may vary. Either way, we always recommend a certified service center.

Drawbacks of Gas Cars

• Poor gas mileage: While there are plenty of fuel-driven cars that are capable of getting well into the mid-30s in terms of highway fuel economy, most of them average in the 20s, or even the teens for larger SUVs and trucks.
• Higher emissions: It’s well-documented that passenger cars are a significant source of pollution, and some have claimed that this can even lead to long term health effects for people living in big cities.

What About Plug-In Hybrids?

Before we wrap things up, we might as well mention plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). These are vehicles with an even bigger battery pack than regular hybrids, and this allows them to drive for a little while purely on electric power (usually about 30 or 40 miles).

Many can also operate in hybrid mode, which is when the gas engine and electric motor work in tandem, and this can result in even better fuel economy than a standard hybrid. However, this performance can drop after the battery is depleted.

PHEVs are extremely beneficial for short commutes. Assuming the battery is fully charged every day, it’s feasible to drive multiple days in a row without burning a single drop of gasoline.

Of course, the day-to-day savings is offset by the cost—plug-in hybrids for sale tend to be even pricier than hybrid cars, so it’s a good idea to crunch some numbers to figure out which one fits your lifestyle best.

Gas, Hybrid, and PHEV—We Have ‘Em All

No matter which one you’re after, Treasure Coast Lexus has luxury sedans, crossovers, SUVs, and more. If you’re in the market for a Lexus RX Hybrid for sale near Port St. Lucie, contact us on our website and inquire about our new vehicle specials.