Is The Toyota Avalon Hybrid Worth It?

People often ask me if owning a hybrid car is worth the extra money you spend on it. In my opinion, hybrids are always worth it, but I understand why.

In my series of "are Toyota hybrids worth it?" we look at every Toyota hybrid and see if the added cost is worth it. In this article, we are focusing on the Toyota Avalon hybrid.

Toyota Avalon Vs. Avalon Hybrid
When looking at the hybrid option in any Toyota model, hybrids cost you more. A new Toyota Avalon starts at $36,000. A new Toyota Avalon hybrid starts at $37,100.

The regular Avalon gets an EPA estimated 34 mpg highway, and the Avalon hybrid is 44 mpg highway. So, let us do some simple math and see how fast we can overcome the additional cost of buying the hybrid option.

Hybrid Math: How Fast Your Hybrid Will Pay For Itself
We need to set up simple basics here to calculate how fast the hybrid Avalon will recoup that additional money.

We know that there is a ten mpg difference between the base Avalon and the Hybrid option. If our base Avalon goes 400 miles on a tank, we should see about 500 miles per tank on the hybrid option.

One hundred miles every tank is a big deal. That means every 4th fill-up, you could also fill up the other Avalon. Based on a 15-gallon tank and gasoline at $4 a gallon, we can assume a $60 difference per tank.

Taking $1000 and dividing it by 60 gives us 16.6 fill-ups before seeing that option pay for itself. But we aren't done yet.

16.6 fill-ups are how many miles driven? Well, a lot less than you think. 8,333 miles is all it would take for you to recoup your extra costs into an Avalon hybrid.

Conclusion
When I get asked if hybrids are worth the extra cost, I always say yes. But you have to do the math and see what is best for you. This is only one way that a hybrid can be of benefit.

Hybrids typically have less maintenance overall. Transmissions, brakes are a couple of other items that do not require as much attention either.

I can tell you that if you have been considering getting a hybrid and like the thought of an Avalon, the cost to overcome is not as bad as you think.

Want to know how to tell a good used hybrid from a not good one? Take a look here.

Thank you all for reading, and remember Today's Adventure is Tomorrow's story. I will see you all in the following story.

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Peter Neilson is an automotive consultant specializing in electric cars and hybrid battery technologies. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Automotive Service Technology from Weber State University. Peter can be reached on Linkedin and you can tweet him at The_hybrid_guy on Twitter. Find his page on Facebook at Certified Auto Consulting. Read more of Peter's stories at Toyota news coverage on Torque News. Search Toyota Prius Torque News for more in depth Prius coverage from our reporter.