Some small diesel cars are more fuel efficient and emit less greenhouse gases than hybrids, motoring experts say.
Toyota's announcement today that it will manufacture a hybrid Camry in Australia has been greeted with enthusiasm by environmentalists and the local car industry.
But the new hybrid may not offer motorists value for money, Wheels Magazine deputy editor Jesse Taylor said.
Analysts predict the hybrids will cost $4000 more than the current Camry model.
Based on this estimate, Mr Taylor said it would take nearly 4.5 years for the average driver to recoup the difference in purchase price at the bowser.
British motoring magazine Auto Express has also called the value of hybrid cars into question.
After researching a range of hybrid cars, the magazine's road-test editor Ian Thorp said diesel cars could offer motorists better value when it came to fuel efficiency.
Hybrid car manufacturers' fuel-efficiency claims were often not correct when it came to real-life driving outside of laboratory conditions, Thorp said.
"Hybrid cars have low emissions in government tests, so they look very good on paper, but what we have found in reality is that they are not as efficient as a good diesel engine car," he told ABC radio.
Mr Thorp added efficient diesel cars would use less petrol than a hybrid car and therefore emit less greenhouse gas emissions.
"At the moment hybrid cars aren't quite where they need to be to offer an advantage in emissions and petrol consumption compared to an efficient standard car," he said.
Australian Automobile Association technical services director Craig Newland said that while hybrids were very efficient for driving in the city, they were not so efficient for highway driving.
"You generally need to drive a lot of kilometres to recoup the costs of a hybrid, so if you don't drive much then it may not be the right choice for you," he said.
"Diesel cars can be as fuel efficient as hybrid cars and are better with carbon dioxide emissions than petrol cars.
"But diesel cars also emit a lot of particulates into the air that can be harmful for humans."
Mr Taylor agreed, saying the problem with hybrids was that the technology — which allowed the car battery to recharge during braking — was based on stop-start driving.
"In real-world conditions the hybrid is great for city driving, but when it comes to highway and intercity driving the fuel efficiency drops dramatically," he said.
He also claimed the Toyota Prius still did not represent value for money for most Australian drivers at $37,400: despite a fuel efficiency rating of 4.4 litres per 100km, a much cheaper diesel option is the Hyundai i30 at $21,500.
"In real terms the Prius will save you $300 per year in fuel, but when you take into consideration the purchase price, it would take 50 years for that saving to pay off," he said.
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