Do Hybrids Last Longer than Gas and Diesel Cars?

Hybrids and EVs are the new love of the car market. Unlike the conventional automobile, they are silent, efficient, cheaper to own, and are quite durable. But do hybrids last longer than gas and diesel Cars? 

This article will talk about the life expectancy of Hybrid cars and the factors that affect them.   

Do Hybrids Last Longer?

Hybrids despite being everything better aren’t more durable than a conventionally powered vehicle. The problem isn’t the engine, but the power supply. The battery packs on hybrid cars are generally rated at 80,000 to 100,000 miles.  

However, some well-maintained hybrid vehicles can achieve 150,000 miles. The 10-year warranty pack on Japanese hybrid cars indicates the expected life expectancy they have.  

With an average of 13,000-15000 miles a year, you can drive a hybrid for 130,000-150,000 miles over 10 years. But even then, it won’t be able to beat all conventionally powered vehicles. 

That is because the life expectancy of the gasoline engine from the same manufacturers is between 150,000-200,000 miles. As for a diesel, it’s close to 300,000 miles or up to 30 years. Though we can say that the new-gen hybrids would last equal if not longer than gasoline vehicles.    

You can read more about it in this post.

What Make a Hybrid Engine to Last about 100.000 Miles?

Hybrid engines last 100.000 miles for their capacity. Despite being smaller in size, these engines have to do less work than a traditional engine. All thanks to the battery pack and electric motors helping them. 

While the battery packs degrade over time, for the initial 80,000-100,000 miles the engine has to work way less. This greatly boosts its lifetime. 

There is not a specific number on the average lifespan of hybrid engines, however, they are covered by manufacturers up to 60,000 miles. This might sound less, but given the least amount of wear-tear of a Hybrid engine, it is good to make them run upwards of 150,000 miles. 

The reason the hybrid engines last that long is because of the dual engine setup. You have the conventional engine paired with a powerful electric motor. While the fuel engine does most of the job, it is the electric that does the heavy lifting. 

From delivering torque right when you accelerate to regenerating electric power when you decelerate. The motor ensures that the engine doesn’t have to handle stressful situations and only works under constant and comfortable revs. 

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After How Many Miles Do First Problems with Hybrid Engines Appear?

The problems that arise with hybrid engines are with the battery packs, oxygen sensor, catalytic converter, and evaporative emission system. All of which are generally rated at a lifespan of 100,000-150,000 miles on normal conditions. 

If you do need to replace any of these: 

• The cost for the battery pack replacement in hybrid is in-between $3000-$9000.
• The cost of a new hybrid catalytic converter can be between $400-$3000.
• Replacing the oxygen sensor costs $200-$300.
• As for the Evaporative emission system, you can pay $300-$500. 

There is one advantage to hybrid cars, and that is their lack of maintenance needs. The batteries don’t need work till 50,000-80,000 miles. The electric motors are good enough for 150,000 miles, and the only maintenance they need is the same as the conventionally powered vehicles as in oil change, tire alignment, belt replacement, coolant refills, etc.   

Some hybrids do need air filter replacement, but apart from that, there is no specific maintenance required for hybrids. Even when it comes to repairing, a hybrid can easily go up to 50,000-80,000 miles without any major issue. 

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What’s the Lifespan of a Hybrid vs. Gas vs. Diesel Engine?

The average lifespan of a hybrid engine is about 150.000 miles, the lifespan of a gasoline engine is 200.00 miles, and a diesel engine even up to 300.000 miles.

As mentioned the average lifespan of a hybrid is anywhere between 100,000-150,000 miles. Since Hybrids are still fairly new, mostly 6-7 years old, they haven’t had the chance to be driven as much as conventionally powered vehicles. Still, given the performance of few hybrid models particularly from Toyota and Honda, hybrids are good for 8-10 years including the batteries. 

Compared to which, a Gasoline car has an average lifespan of 150,000 with some cars reaching 200,000 miles. The gas is expected to last as long as 10 years with an average of 15,000 miles a year, but it greatly depends on the way they are driven and taken care of.    

But while hybrids are now as durable as gasoline, they still can’t beat diesel vehicles. These vehicles are not just big, more powerful, and fuel-efficient, they last for years, 30 years to be exact. 

A diesel car easily seems to last 250,000-300,000 miles while bigger diesel trucks are rated at 500,000-800,000 miles. Even bigger pieces of machinery that are used in Industrial areas can go up to a million miles. 

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What are the Longest-Lasting Hybrid Engines?

The longest-lasting hybrid engines are:

• 2.5L I4 16V PDI DOHC Hybrid
• 1.8L I4 16V MPFI DOHC Hybrid
• 2.5L I4 16V MPFI DOHC Hybrid
• 2.0L I4 16V MPFI DOHC Hybrid

Currently, the hybrid vehicles that have shown their reliability are mainly from three brands, Toyota, Honda, and Lexus.  

From Toyota, you have the iconic Toyota Prius and Toyota Camry both of which have a proven life expectancy of 200,000 miles. You also have the Toyota RAV4 with a 5-star reliability rating and the same expected life expectancy. 

But best of all, you have the discontinued Toyota Yaris with its 1.5 L Dynamic force engine that is said to last around 300,000 miles. Introduced back in 1999, the Yaris Hybrid has a proven legacy of 20 years,

Featuring a 2.0L Atkinson-cycle 4-Cylinder twin-motor hybrid engine, the Honda Accord Hybrid, and the CR-V hybrid are also some of the most reliable hybrid cars on the planet. With a life expectancy of 10 years or 150,000 miles, these models have proven their mettle.   

Next are the Lexus ES 300 H and the NX 300 H both of which use the 2.5L 4-cylinder hybrid engine. Just like Toyota, both the ES and NX are expected to last 200,000 miles. Being a sister company of Toyota, every hybrid model from Lexus including the RX and CS are also as reliable.  

Other reliable hybrid cars and engines are: 

• Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV with 2.4L 4-cylinder MIVEC DOHC Engine
• Hyundai Kona Hybrid with 1.6-litre GDI petrol engine coupled with a 43.5 PS electric motor
• Kia Optima Hybrid with 2.0L 4-cylinder engine coupled with a 50 hp electric motor

With What Maximum Mileage Should You Buy a Hybrid Car?

Generally, a hybrid with less than 50,000 miles on the odometer is a good catch. Any hybrid above that should only be considered if their battery packs are in good condition. Or have a few years of warranty left. But, there are also a few other things you must consider as well. 

• Brand and Model: With hybrids getting popular among daily car drivers, every car manufacturer is trying to get into the segment. However, the rush has caused several manufacturers to recall their vehicles. Recent recalls of the Kuga hybrid from Ford, and X1, X2, X3, and X5 from BMW are some examples. 

Avoiding such models and only going for ones that have already proven their reliability are a great option. Brands like Toyota, Honda, Lexus are currently the best choice especially for buying a used hybrid. 

• Warranty: When buying a hybrid, look for the one with at least 3-4 years of warranty left. This would ensure at least 40,000-50,000 miles without any major issues. Since manufacturers tend to offer warranties to expected life expectancy. 

Any vehicle with 8 years warranty on batteries is good enough to last at least 100,000 miles. Buying such a hybrid with 50,000 miles driven or 4-years of warranty left would give you another 5 years of life. 

• Battery replacement charges: Considering the battery replacement charges of a vehicle before buying it would save you thousands of dollars. Cause after the replacements, the hybrids are renewed. But getting them replaced can be as cheap as $1700 for Civic Hybrid and $5000 for Nissan Altima. 

Considering these expenses before buying a used hybrid is the safer way to go.