Filed under: Hybrid, Mercedes Benz

2010 Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid - Click above for high-res image gallery
Despite its 50-mile-per-gallon rating, the Toyota Prius is apparently not the best choice of hybrid vehicles if you are looking to recover, through fuel savings, the extra money you spent adding a battery and electric motor to your car. Amazingly, that honor falls to the Mercedes-Benz S400 hybrid. How is it that an $88,000 car with a 15 kilowatt mild-hybrid system is 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 a comparison of how much extra you pay for a hybrid over a conventional equivalent compared to how you save in fuel over five years of ownership. The ace in the hole for the Mercedes is the fact that it is - by several thousand dollars - the cheapest S-Class currently offered in North America, meaning that you "save" money before you even drive it off the 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. Of course, you'll pay way more up front for the Mercedes and many hybrid buyers don't buy a green car just for the payback, but rather to make a statement about the environment. The BCAA release doesn't indicate what car the Prius was compared to, but we would guess a base Camry would be the closest in size and similar in price.



Photos Copyright (C)2010 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.
[Source: British Columbia Automobile Association via Green Car Reports]

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Study: Only hybrid to pay its owner back is a... Mercedes-Benz? originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Tue, 10 Aug 2010 12:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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