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According to a new study, the most conventionally powered gas automobiles are still more cost effective to maintain when compared to their hybrid counterparts.

The automotive data firm Vincentric used the numbers of 29 hybrids and their conventionally powered gas counterparts to determine if hybrid cars are really cost effective. The study found that only seven of the gas-electric vehicles possessed a cost effective advantage ahead of their fossil fuel counterparts.

The seven vehicles used for the study included the Toyota Prius C, Lexus CT 200h (was compared to IS 200t), the Ford Fusion Hybrid, Lexus ES 300h, Lincoln MKZ Hybrid, Audi Q5 Hybrid and the Toyota Avalon Hybrid. Some of the data used were from a five-year period of ownership of the cars in which the vehicles were driven 15,000 miles annually.

Although hybrid automobiles are more fuel efficient when compared to gas powered cars, several factors were considered in the study including the fact that hybrid cars are more expensive than gas-only vehicles. This higher price does not necessarily contribute to a better resale value, as several hybrid cars see a significantly higher depreciation rate than gas-powered vehicles.

Another factor that contributed to the result of the study is that gas powered cars are now more cost efficient than ever, meaning that the fuel savings that is realized after switching to hybrid models are not as good as they used to be.

The top of the research was Lexus CT 200h, which managed to save an incredible $8,728 over a hybrid model of the vehicle (the Lexus IS 200t). Lexus, however, lost out on the hybrid cost study, with the Lexus LS 600h L netting a total ownership cost of $28,178 more than a gas powered model the regular LS 460.