Step 1 :First, we need to calculate how many gallons of gas we would use in a year for each vehicle. We do this by dividing the total miles driven in a year by the miles per gallon (mpg) of each vehicle. For the hybrid, we have \(\frac{22000}{38} \approx 578.95\) gallons, and for the SUV, we have \(\frac{22000}{21} \approx 1047.62\) gallons.
Step 2 :Next, we multiply the number of gallons by the cost of gas to find out how much we would spend on gas for each vehicle in a year. For the hybrid, we have \(578.95 \times 3.45 \approx \$1997.37\), and for the SUV, we have \(1047.62 \times 3.45 \approx \$3614.29\).
Step 3 :The difference between these two amounts is the amount we would save by driving the hybrid. So, we subtract the cost of the hybrid from the cost of the SUV: \(3614.29 - 1997.37 \approx \$1616.92\).
Step 4 :Rounding to the nearest dollar, we get \$1617.
Step 5 :Final Answer: The savings in fuel expenses by driving a hybrid that averages 38 mpg versus a SUV that averages 21 mpg is \(\boxed{1617}\).