Low-emissions gasoline-electric hybrids have wonderfully clean tailpipes, but about three-quarters of the time they are a lousy long-term deal, with the most expensive among those sold in Canada costing nearly $17,000 more than a gasoline counterpart over five years.
The Vincentric Canadian Hybrid Analysis found that just seven of 29 hybrids analyzed had a lower cost of ownership than the all-gasoline counterparts. The average premium for a hybrid was $5,984, with an average fuel savings of $3,986. Not big enough to offset bigger sticker prices and other issues.
"When all costs to own and operate a hybrid were taken into account, the average cost of ownership for hybrids was $2,975 more than for the all-gasoline powered counterparts," said the company which specializes in calculating ownership costs to help fleet buyers make smart deals.
The most egregious of the pricy hybrids: the 2014 BMW 7-Series ActiveHybrid with its additional $16,844 in ownership costs. On the other hand, Lexus has a flat-out steal in its CT 200h hybrid, a compact hatchback that saves owners a whopping $11,535 over five years.
These other six hybrids also were money-savers versus their gas counterparts:
- 2014 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid ($4,074)
- 2014 Ford C-Max Hybrid ($3,441)
- 2014 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid ($2,909)
- 2014 Lexus ES 300h ($1,418)
- 2014 Toyota Prius c ($609)
- 2014 Honda Accord Hybrid ($322)
The two least expensive to own hybrids also are terrific deals at the moment. The best hybrid deal of all is the CT 200h. Until February 2, Lexus Canada has a $1,000 factory offer in play for cash purchases, or a $900 lease incentive. If you finance, Lexus has a 1.9 per cent rate on offer for 24 or 36 months, while a 2.9 per cent lease rate is available for 24 to 40 months.
As for the Lincoln, it's not quite a CT 200h steal, but with as much as $2,500 in combined incentives, the premium sedan actor Matthew McConaughey touts as one of his favorites is most assuredly worth a look among money-saving hybrids. Lincoln is also offering zero per cent financing for up to 60 months.
Deals of the Week also found interesting offers on the family-friendly Nissan Pathfinder SUV and the compact Volkswagen Jetta, but of which are offered in costlier hybrid form.
Deals of the Week consulted with unhaggle.com, Car Help Canada and other sources on these offers. As usual, pricing information here is subject to change and dealer discounts vary, so consult your dealer for all the final details, including expiry dates for all offers.
2015 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid FWD
- Freight, dealer prep, air conditioning tax: $1,850
- Dealer discount (estimated): $900
- Factory discount: $1,000 (Conquest or loyalty incentive)
- Factory discount: $500 (Factory incentive)
- Factory discount: $1,000 (factory incentive for cash purchases only)
- Taxable subtotal: $36,910
- Total price with 13 per cent HST: $41,708.30
- Lincoln is offering zero per cent financing for up to 72 months or a zero per cent lease rate for 24-48 months.
2015 Lexus CT 200h hybrid FWD
- MSRP: $31,000
- Freight, dealer prep, fees and air conditioning tax: $2,095
- Dealer discount (estimated): $1,050
- Taxable subtotal: $32,045
- Total price with 13 per cent HST: $36,210.85
- Factory discount: $1,000 (manufacturer incentive)
- Final price: $35,210.85
- A 1.9 per cent finance rate is available for 24-48 months, while a 2.9 per cent lease rate is available for 24-40 months.
2015 Nissan Pathfinder 4WD SL
- MSRP: $38,848
- Freight, dealer prep, AC tax: $1,855
- Dealer discount (estimated): $2,500
- Factory discount: $2,000 (manufacturer incentive)
- Taxable subtotal: $36,203
- Total price with 13 per cent HST: $40,909
- A $500 factory incentive is available with 1.9 per cent financing for 48 or 60 months, or a 2.49 per cent lease rate for 48 months.
2015 Volkswagen Jetta Sedan 2.0 TDI DSG Comfortline
- MSRP: $26,890
- Freight, PDI, AC tax: $1,530
- Dealer discount (estimated): $1,200
- Factory discount: $500 (manufacturer incentive)
- Taxable subtotal: $26,720
- Total price with 13 per cent HST: $30,193.60
- All incentives are available with a 1.9 per cent finance rate for 48 months or a 3.9 per cent lease rate for 48 months.
and
. Calculations based on Ontario customers. Please note that while the information above is accurate at the time of publication, incentives are given at the discretion of individual dealers, and may be changed or discontinued at any time. Where noted, "dealer discounts" are negotiated with the customer on a case-by-case basis. Unhaggle Savings are actual discounts received by Unhaggle customers.
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