Hybrids. Best For Intercity Or Urban Usage?

Stop and go traffic is where they shine.

To what are you comparing them?

Compared to an all electric (i.e., battery powered) car, hybrids are better than such a car for intercity driving because they have a longer range, and can be refueled quicker and easier.

Compared to an all electric (i.e., battery powered) car, hybrids may be more expensive (initial purchase price) than an all electric car--if you do all your driving in an urban setting where you never exceed the range of the battery, an all electric vehicle may be a better choice.

Ideally, either of these would be a better choice than a traditional car with an ICE in terms of lower fuel cost, and, hopefully, less environmental impact. But, they (currently) have a higher initial purchase price, so you have to consider that when you consider over all economy.

An all electric vehicle is mechanically less complex than either an ICE or a hybrid vehicle, and may have less maintenance cost until you have to replace the batteries.

In short, the answer is not all that simple. You also have to consider what is important to you--total cost of (daily) transportation, environmental impact, ...

The question wasn't, "are hybrids better than all electric (or ICE) vehicles.

The question was are hybrids better in the city or on the highway.

I agree with Anonymous Hero.

It also depends on the type of hybrid system used, they can be quite different. I noticed this a while back when the Honda hybrid first came out. Figures seem to indicate that some, like Toyota and Ford, have better city mileage than highway, whilst others like Honda and Mecedes have better highway mileage than city. Have a look at this

We have been using 3 Ford Escorts for our chief officer vehicles. Of the 3 in use, two have had some battery issues secondary to the amount of drive time and distance they travel. Two miles one way, 10 minutes, times maybe 3-4 times a day just kills the efficiency and to combat that problem, besides removing the original battery and installing the Optima brand battery, (for starting purposes ), we have installed trickle chargers for shoreline use. This has helped tremendously. As for the fuel mileage, it certainly has helped keep costs down, even at the low end of the scale of advertised mileage possible. I have one car that drives 2 miles to work, but is out at least 5-6 times a day, and is also equiped with LED warning lights, so the draw is very minimal. The other two cars are also configured with the same equipment, but they seldom are used under those emergency response conditions. We are adding two of the Ford Transits to the fleet, and one is already in service with the district maintenance chief, driving 4 miles one way, and often 4-5 trips of various ranges, with excellent mileage, and substantial fuel cost savings. Our area of response is within a 18 odd mile range, but given that distance from one end of the district to the other, it will all add up but each time the rig is running, and stopping, it's getting exercised and maintaining the primary starting battery as well as the storage battery. It also depends on the mission of the vehicle. In our situation, it can really be hammered, but in the inner city, from a few blocks to a few miles, just hauling the driver...might be just the ticket for the pocketbook. As staff personnel have began using these rigs more often they appreciate the quiteness of the vehicles during road travel. I would recommend looking into the road noise rejection of any vehicle you are considering, including tire tread depth as well. Just because it's a radial tire doesn't mean it will be quite. If you "road test" a vehicle, be sure to take it on a busy road surface for at least a 5 mile trip so you can really hear the road noise. If it's equiped with a bluetooth phone system, call someone to get their input as well. Just some thought. Good luck