Comment by saltcured

Just to qualify "log daily commutes", hybrid is really most beneficial, compared to ICE, for "city" driving. Long in duration with lots of speed changes and stopping, rather than as a highway cruise.

If you include the other efficiency tweaks like aerodynamics, wheel choices, etc., then an ICE car can also do very well in those highway conditions. But, the optimized or "right-sized" ICE for highway cruising may feel underpowered in some conditions. The hybrid also helps here, much like a turbocharger, by boosting power output temporarily to mitigate this.