The Best Hybrids For The Money

The Toyota Prius is not the only hybrid on the road, although sales numbers would suggest that is the prevailing assumption. The green hatchback outsells all the other hybrids by a staggering amount.

Of course, this isn't to say that the Prius is a bad car. It's a great option if you're looking for something that's versatile, reliable and, of course, fuel efficient. But, as gas mileage has become increasingly important in people's buying decisions, automakers have been loading up their vehicle lines with their own hybrid offerings, including big sedans and SUVs in the mix.

Cars.com recently published a list of the best hybrids for the money in each segment. They've ranked the green options in every category from subcompact to large luxury sedans. Head on through to see their choices.

Sticker Price: $19,080 - $23,360
Invoice Price: $18,127 - $21,746
Fuel Economy: 53 mpg City, 46 mpg Highway

The Toyota Prius c is the little brother in the Prius family, which consists of the original Prius, bigger Prius v and even more fuel efficient Prius Plug-In.

This little hatchback is affordable, reliable and, of course, fuel efficient, making it a solid choice for going green on a budget. It's a great car if you live in the city, since you won't have to stop much for gas and it's small size makes parking a total piece of cake.

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Sticker Price: $24,635
Invoice Price: $22,882
Fuel Economy: 44 mpg City, 47 mpg Highway

The Honda Civic Hybrid is a green take on the venerable sedan, which has been a popular choice for years and years with its affordability and practicality.

The Hybrid variant employs a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine mated to an electric motor. Together, they produce 110-horsepower, which is pretty low, but can achieve 44 mpg city and 47 mpg highway, which is quite efficient. The Civic Hybrid won't blow you away with its driving dynamics, but it's economy and reliability will be great for your budget.

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Sticker Price: $24,200 - $30,005
Invoice Price: $22,748 - $27,930
Fuel Economy: 51 mpg City, 48 mpg Highway

Practically synonymous with the word "hybrid," the Toyota Prius has been dominating the green car segment for years.

With tons of space, a low starting sticker price and great fuel economy, this hatchback is great for everyone from the single twenty-something, to the couple with a growing family and even to Hollywood celebrities. It's not very fun to drive, sure, but it's hard to beat its combination of practicality and efficiency.

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Sticker Price: $26,270 - $32,600
Invoice Price: $24,497 - $30,074
Fuel Economy: 47 mpg City, 47 mpg Highway

The Ford Fusion Hybrid is a fuel-efficient version of the acclaimed Fusion sedan, which, with its striking design, has been delighting critics and consumers alike.

With its 2.0-liter engine couple with an electric motor, the Fusion Hybrid can get 47 mpg combined, which, if you're a commuter, will save you a good deal of money when it comes to your gas budget. Its interior is pretty solid, too, though its infotainment system, MyFord Touch, is a wreck.

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Sticker Price: $35,555 - $41,400
Invoice Price: $32,000 - $37,26
Fuel Economy: 40 mpg City, 39 mpg Highway

You don’t want to wedge your body into a subcompact car. You don’t want to drive a hulking SUV. You want an honest-to-goodness, full-sized sedan that happens to be really good on gas, right?

Toyota understands your plight. That's why it has taken a pretty bold move with what was a pretty dull car and equipped its Avalon, last seen in an automotive witness protection program, with its industry-leading hybrid technology. The Avalon hybrid can reach 40 miles per gallon in the city and 39 mpg on the highway.

Drivers will lose some sportier aspects of driving behind the wheel of a hybrid, but if you're looking for fuel efficiency in a full-size sedan, this is a car that should easily make your shopping list.

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Sticker Price: $35,300 - $44,550
Invoice Price: $32,548 - $41,065
Fuel Economy: 25 mpg City, 28 mpg Highway

If you suspect that a vehicle such as this, a big SUV powered with hybrid technology, must feel pathetically slow and weak, then Nissan has a thing or two to show you, skeptics.

While no one would mistake the vehicle for an Indy Car, the Pathfinder Hybrid’s supercharged 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine is capable of producing 250 horsepower and 243 pound-feet of torque, enough to make the power behind this midsize SUV feel completely adequate.

Throw in a third row, Nissan’s terrific AroundView technology, which helps drivers see objects all around the car’s perimeter, and perhaps some plush options like leather seats and seat heaters and coolers, and there's a lot to like about this crossover.

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Sticker Price: $28,900
Invoice Price: $27,229
Fuel Economy: 39 mpg City, 38 mpg Highway

The Acura ILX Hybrid gets some pretty lukewarm reviews.

It’s among the more affordable hybrid cars, but at about 39 miles per gallon in both city and highway driving, its gas miles is on the low end of what most hybrid sedans deliver. US News and World Reports ranks it 11th out of 13 vehicles surveyed in its “upscale small cars” category. Simply put, there aren't many hybrids in this category.

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Sticker Price: $35,190
Invoice Price: $33,431
Fuel Economy: 45 mpg City, 45 mpg Highway

What the Lincoln MKZ hybrid has working in its favor is its price point. It’s only slightly more expensive than, say, the Toyota Avalon hybrid, but gets better gas mileage at 45 miles per gallon in the city, 45 mpg on the highway.

Drivers like the quiet, smooth ride provided by the MKZ, but critics have noted that they sometimes fall short of the EPA-rated mileage, and say the interior doesn’t measure up to other cars that this one competes with in the luxury segment.

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Sticker Price: $84,300
Invoice Price: $77,555
Fuel Economy: 22 mpg City, 30 mpg Highway

Credit BMW: Driving the hybrid version of its 740 sedan doesn’t feel a whole lot different than driving the regular version of the car. Which is to say it feels pretty darned awesome. The power in the 740 comes courtesy of a 3.0-liter, six-cylinder engine that’s combined with a 55-horsepower electric motor and lithium ion battery pack.

The hard question for BMW to answer here is, if a customer is going to spend more than $80,000 on an alt-powered sedan, why should they pick the 740 and not an all-electric Tesla Model S?

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Sticker Price: $46,410 - $47,810
Invoice Price: $43,625 - $44,941
Fuel Economy: 32 mpg City, 28 mpg Highway

Two things make the RX 450h a pretty compelling choice for car-shoppers looking for a high-end hybrid: The technology behind Toyota-brand hybrids has been around for more than a decade, and Lexus is consistently one of the most reliable automobile brands rated by J.D. Power.

That's a pretty powerful one-two informational punch. When you consider this big vehicle gets 32 miles per gallon in the city and 28 mpg on the highway, it makes it a top contender for anyone who needs a big car and prizes savings as the gas pump.

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