Like most things in this world, what you see is not always what you get. And with buying cars, this couldn’t be more true. There are so many factors to take into consideration when searching for a new car, some more obvious than others.

Hybrid vehicles in particular get a bad rap when it comes to cost. Customers might expect sticker shock upon seeing the price attached to a hybrid, but the true value of a hybrid goes a lot further than the number on the windshield. A savvy shopper factors in things like maintenance and repair, fuel savings, depreciation, and more.

Dollars and sense

The first thing any buyer sees is the price tag. But as eluded to earlier, price is not the only factor to consider. The length of time on your lease or finance agreement will also affect your overall payments.

Keep in mind hybrids usually are better equipped than similar non-hybrid models—they come fully loaded with things like superior sound systems, interior upgrades, two engines, Bluetooth connectivity, and much more.

So if you’re comparing the hybrid and standard cars or SUVs of the exact same make and model, be sure to compare apples to apples. That is, fully loaded to fully loaded.

What goes up, must come down

Unlike Vancouver real estate, as soon as you purchase a car, it depreciates in value by an average of 60 percent in its first year. Hybrids, on the other hand, hold their value much better over time.

Canadian Black Book recently awarded the Toyota Prius c with the “2017 Best Retained Value” award. Similar hybrids will also have resale values higher than those of gasoline engine vehicles.

Fuel for thought

We live in B.C., where gas prices are some of the highest in the country. Noting that hybrids typically use almost 50 percent less fuel than non-hybrid alternatives, this translates to big savings. In fact, the Prius c is the most fuel-efficient gas-powered car in Canada.

Where you’ll see the most fuel savings with hybrids is during city driving. Zooming around the city, hybrids rely mostly on the battery engine and very little on the gas engine. Thanks to lower road speeds and a mostly stop-and-start pattern, hybrids in the city use very little gas, which means even more bang for your buck.

Maintenance costs

Dollar-for-dollar, hybrids have lower maintenance costs for repairs like brakes and transmissions. These cars use their electric engine for braking and recharging the battery when needed, which equals less wear and tear on the braking system.

Most hybrids use a continuously variable transmission (or CVT), which has fewer moving parts. This results in fewer repairs and lower costs compared to traditional automatic or standard transmissions.

Oh, and you know that battery the car uses to get around? Well, it won’t need to be replaced for the lifetime of the car.

The next time you’re in the market for a new vehicle, take the time to crunch some numbers and see what truly offers the best savings in the long term.