With fuel prices high for most of the year, hybrid cars are selling much faster than their gasoline-powered counterparts, according to new data from Cars.com. But hybrid buyers might not end up saving as much money as they think, according to a separate study.
A person who buys a 2027 Kia Sorento hybrid would pay almost $40,000 for their new car, which is $7,000 more than the price of a gas-powered version of the same car, according to CDK. That difference trumps the $750 a year hybrid owners are estimated to save on gas when prices are around $4.25 a gallon, meaning it would take the hybrid owner nine years to recoup the extra money they spent on their initial car purchase, the group said.
CDK ran the same numbers with other models like the Honda
CR-V and found similar results. Hybrid sedans performed much better in the same test. A 2027 Toyota Camry, which is now only offered in a hybrid format, costs nearly $30,000. CDK compared the savings of the Camry to a gas-powered 2027 Honda Accord, which is about $1,500 cheaper than the hybrid Camry, and found that owners of the hybrid sedan would recoup their upfront purchase costs in about 3 years
"More car buyers are turning their attention to hybrid vehicles in hopes of relief at the pump," CDK said. "Yet the actual savings from driving a hybrid can vary dramatically depending on the vehicle’s body type, trim-level hierarchy, individual driving habits, and the typically higher sticker price compared to gas-only models."
The finding is the latest sign that interest in hybrids is rising as the national average sat above $4 per gallon from April to November, according to AAA.
In the first half of 2026, 22% of shoppers said they would consider a hybrid vehicle, which was up from 20% in 2025, according to Kelley Blue Book.
The USA TODAY Cars team looked at why shoppers are flocking to hybrids and what it means for U.S. automakers and you.
Why are shoppers gravitating to hybrid cars?
Surging high gas prices have driven shoppers to consider hybrids.
The average price of gas in the United States on Nov. 10 was $3.97, according to AAA. That's lower than it has been for months, but it's also up from $3.07 a gallon on Nov. 10, 2025.
Cars.com said hybrids now make up 12.2% of new vehicles for sale, up from 11.4% a year ago and 8% two years ago. In 2025, there were 13,929,600 non-plug-in hybrid vehicles and 1,765,700 plug-in hybrid cars registered on U.S. roads, according to the U.S. Department of Energy's Alternative Fuel Data Center.
Hybrids are becoming more popular because even as gas prices rise, polls show there is still hesitancy among some drivers about going fully electric.
Car buyers have told pollsters for years that they have major concerns about electric cars' battery range. The concern has bubbled up so often that it has been dubbed "range anxiety."
According to a poll released in January 2026 by the EVs for All America group, an advocacy group that works with car manufacturers to push U.S. and state lawmakers to adopt EV-friendly policies, 20% of 600 potential EV buyers surveyed in 2025 said their top concern about plug-in models is unreliable charger networks.
Most regular hybrids get power from regenerative braking, according to Edmunds, so drivers don't have to worry about hooking up to a charger. Hybrid cars usually run on battery for shorter, low-speed portions of the trip and switch to gas when needed for longer, higher-speed trips. Some hybrid cars can get over 500 miles on a single tank.
Are hybrid cars worth buying?
The amount of value you get out of a hybrid car depends on how you use it, experts say.
"Fuel savings are only part of the equation," CDK said. "Other factors – such as miles driven per year, local fuel prices, and how long a customer plans to keep their vehicle – can tip the math in either direction."
CDK added: "For consumers who drive a lot miles annually or keep their cars for several years, hybrids often pay off. For those with shorter commutes or who trade in frequently, a gas vehicle may be the more economical choice. And then there’s the variable of gas prices. It’s unlikely that $4 gas will be the norm for the next three to five years."
Fans of some models might not have a choice about whether or not to buy a hybrid. Carmakers have responded to the uptick in interest in hybrids by cranking them out, and in some like the Camry, they have eliminated gas-powered options completely.
How are carmakers reacting to the increased interest in hybrids?
Automakers like Nissan and Volkswagen have announced plans to introduce new hybrid versions of some of their most popular SUVs. Others, like Kia, Hyundai, Toyota and Honda, noted that their hybrid sales have exploded this year as drivers seek fuel-efficient models.
Hybrids took off this year as several automakers cut back on their EV production at the start of President Donald Trump's administration when the federal government ended subsidies for plug-in models and charging stations.
At the start of the second Trump administration, the White House and Republicans in Congress moved to eliminate the popular $7,500 EV tax credit that had been offered by the federal government since the tail end of former President George W. Bush's administration. Trump also moved to cut funding for electric vehicle chargers that was approved by former President Joe Biden.
Carmakers reacted to shifting headwinds in Washington, D.C., by scaling back many plans to introduce new electric models. But automakers that have been marketing hybrids for years, like Honda, Toyota, Hyundai and Kia, and already had them ready as gas prices surged, have reaped the benefit.
Keith Laing is an automotive reporter on the National Trending Desk at USA TODAY. Contact Keith at klaing@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Americans want hybrid cars, but do they really save you money?
