Despite its combined rating of 50 miles per gallon, the Toyota Prius is reportedly not the best hybrid to buy if you want to recover the extra money spent on that battery and electric motor through fuel savings. Surprisingly, that honor falls to the Mercedes-Benz S400 hybrid. How is it that an $88,000 car luxury car with a 15 kilowatt mild-hybrid system can be a better value than the $22-30,000 Prius?
As is so often the case, the answer depends on the question you ask. The question asked by the British Columbia Automobile Association (BCAA) comes down to how much extra you pay for a hybrid over its conventional gas-powered equivalent compared to how much you save in fuel over five years of ownership.
The ace in the hole for the Mercedes-Benz S400 hybrid is that it’s the cheapest S-Class currently offered in North America by several thousand dollars, which means that you save money before you even drive it off the dealer’s lot. It’s currently the only hybrid offered that is less expensive than its nearest non-hybrid equivalent. BCAA estimates that the S400 will save the owner about $5,000 in reduced fuel and purchase costs over five years, and that’s all gravy since you’re not paying a premium for the hybrid experience.
