I think focusing on the city mileage is misguided in this case. Yes, hybrids get much better mileage in city driving than non-hybrids, but they also have substa

I think focusing on the city mileage is misguided in this case. Yes, hybrids get much better mileage in city driving than non-hybrids, but they also have substantially better highway mileage than non-hybrids. This is exactly because they have a smaller engine that can operate at a more efficient power point during highway cruising. Normal cars are ridiculously overpowered for cruising because they need to be able to accelerate. When the extra power comes from an electric motor, you don't need that. (It's not about the CVT, a non-hybrid can benefit from that, too.)