Toyota Prius review – desirable and efficient, but lacks boot space
Top 10 best plug-in hybrids on sale today
There are now more plug-in hybrids to choose from than ever before – we showcase the 10 best
There are many reasons why plug-in hybrid cars are more popular than ever. For some buyers the main attraction is the flexibility of having both an electric motor for around-town driving and a combustion engine for longer trips. Manufacturers have recognised this and there are now a staggering number of PHEV models to pick from.
So how do you choose? That largely comes down to your personal needs, and our car choosing checklist will help narrow down the type of car that best suits you. But there are some standout PHEV models worth mentioning, so if that’s what you’re after, this list is a good place to start.
We’ve included a range of different plug-in hybrid cars of all sizes, although you’ll find that the majority are SUVs. That’s a reflection of the current car market, with most buyers tending to go for that style of car these days. Still, all the cars on this list feature cutting-edge hybrid tech, with many of them offering an electric driving range of over 60 miles.
A long range is key to the appeal of a PHEV. When fully charged, you’ll probably be able to cover your daily commute without needing the combustion engine at all, slashing your running costs. Be warned though, the sky-high MPG figures quoted by manufacturers will only be achievable if you spend most of your time driving in electric mode. If you don’t have somewhere to recharge, a PHEV won’t be for you, as you’ll be lugging around a heavy, empty battery which will hurt your fuel economy.
Below, we list the best plug-in hybrids. You might also want to check out our guides to the most economical cars, the best company cars and the best electric cars.
- Priced from around £37,000
The car that kickstarted the hybrid revolution is now available solely as a plug-in hybrid, and we think it’s better than ever. With its new tech, the latest Toyota Prius has a new-found style that gives it real desirability in the competitive hatchback market. It’s more than just a pretty face though – the Prius is fun to drive, very comfortable and incredibly efficient. It’s the Carbuyer Best Plug-in Hybrid award winner for 2025 for good reason.
Under the sleek bodywork lies a 2.0-litre petrol engine and an electric motor which work together to produce 223bhp; that’s a lot more than you’ll find in similar PHEVs, and gives the Prius plenty of poke off the line. Most buyers will be impressed by the efficiency of the Prius, though – Toyota claims up to 565mpg is possible, but that will always be a bit of a stretch. In our testing, we easily saw 85mpg through different driving conditions, which is still very impressive.
The only drawbacks for the Prius are its price and limited practicality. There are more affordable PHEVs out there, but we think the Prius does well to justify its £37k starting price. Rear seat and boot space isn’t the most generous either, so if you’re looking for a larger PHEV, keep reading…
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- Priced from around £50,000
Plug-in hybrid powertrains work well in SUVs as they can boost efficiency without the need to sacrifice engine power. There’s no better example of this than our Best Large Plug-In Hybrid, the Lexus NX. Like most Lexus models, the NX gets a striking exterior design and a well-appointed interior. The NX has ditched the clunky touchpad Lexus infotainment systems of old in favour of a stunning 14-inch touchscreen, with sleek-looking digitised climate control dials.
The NX 450h+ plug-in hybrid is rather expensive to buy, but it should no doubt be a hit with company car drivers. With an electric range of up to 40 miles, the NX not only should be able to cover most commutes on electric power alone, but it falls into the low 8% BiK tax bracket (until April 2025), too. With the petrol engine working in tandem with two electric motors, the plug-in NX offers a smooth and refined driving experience and will even act as a regular self-charging hybrid once the battery is depleted.
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- Priced from around £50,000
The Mercedes C 300 e is a former Best Plug-in Hybrid award winner and it isn’t hard to see why. The interior is not only comfortable but fitted with the latest MBUX infotainment software, making it feel like you’ve stepped into a smaller version of the Mercedes S-Class saloon.
The quoted electric-only range of 62 miles is not only impressive on paper, but when we tested it we managed to get nearly exactly the same figure before the petrol engine chimed in. Charging can take as little as 30 minutes if you can find a fast 55kW charger, which will be useful for drivers stopping for a coffee break on longer journeys, while a total output of 328bhp means the plug-in variant is actually one of the fastest C-Class models you can buy.
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- Priced from around £45,000
The Skoda Kodiaq is just the sort of car we like here at Carbuyer, and thankfully, it makes a lot of sense in plug-in hybrid guise, too. It’s spacious, practical and priced reasonably well, offering an impressive level of refinement for the money. The plug-in hybrid model uses a mammoth battery to achieve an equally large 71-mile electric driving range, making it one of the longest range PHEVs on the market. That’ll be particularly useful for buyers who spend a lot of time pootling around town.
With 201bhp, the plug-in Kodiaq is never going to feel particularly sporty, but it’s punchy enough. More importantly, it’s smooth, and the transition between electric and petrol power feels pretty seamless. Only when you really put your foot down does the 1.5-litre petrol engine begin to sound rather strained, but in every other scenario, it’s a very competent machine. There is one downside to the PHEV engine option – it’s only available as a five-seater. Some will see that as a bit pointless given the size of the Kodiaq, but if you only need five seats, then you’ll struggle to find a more practical plug-in hybrid SUV.
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- Priced from around £47,000
The BMW 3 Series is a car that can pretty much do it all – it’s comfortable, fun to drive, fairly practical, and efficient. That last point is even more relevant for the plug-in hybrid 330e. With a big 20kWh battery, you’ll manage up to 62 miles under electric power alone, putting it right on par with the Mercedes C 300 e. That brings huge efficiency gains, especially if you spend most of your time driving in EV mode – BMW claims over 350mpg is possible.
Many executive car buyers will already have their preference set in stone, but there’s little separating the 3 Series from the Mercedes C-Class on paper. Its interior is just as comfortable and premium-feeling as the Merc’s, albeit a little less screen-heavy. That’ll be a plus point for some, as will the BMW’s sportier nature on the road. With 288bhp, the 330e is pretty quick, and the chassis is still just as sweet as BMWs of old.
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- Priced from around £47,000
The Kia Sorento was treated to a mid-life facelift in 2024, bringing updated styling and a more up-to-date cabin. The plug-in hybrid engine option was unchanged, but that’s no bad thing – the 1.6-litre petrol engine and 13.8kWh battery work together to deliver a refined driving experience with impressive fuel efficiency. Keep the battery topped up and you’ll see economy figures well into the triple digits, while CO2 emissions of just 38g/km mean company-car drivers will benefit from a low BiK rate.
No matter which Sorento model you pick, you get an upmarket cabin with a clean, modern layout. Above the dashboard you’ll find a pair of 12.3-inch screens – one for the driver and one for infotainment – while there’s masses of space in the back. Seven seats are fitted as standard, and you’ll even be able to squeeze a couple of adults into the rearmost pair for short journeys. While the boot is slightly smaller for the PHEV compared to diesel and MHEV Sorentos, you still get a decent 604 litres of space.
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- Priced from around £43,000
Buyers are spoilt for choice with the latest BMW X1, with petrol, diesel, electric (badged iX1) models, and the plug-in hybrids we’re interested in here – the xDrive25e and 30e. Both use a three-cylinder petrol engine paired with an electric motor, producing 242bhp in the xDrive25e and 322bhp in the xDrive30e. The xDrive25e is available on the entry-level Sport models with a claimed 53-mile official range, while xLine xDrive30e models can go for up to 51 miles between charges.
There’s a lot to like about the latest X1 – it’s a small SUV with a very premium feel to it. The interior is superb, with a minimalist design that feels sturdy and well-built, complete with the latest BMW iDrive software that sports slick graphics and intuitive controls. While the all-electric iX1 will be cheaper still to run, the plug-in hybrid X1s are your next best choice if you’re buying one as a company car, given that they emit as low as 16g/km of CO2, placing them in a low BiK (Benefit-in-Kind) tax bracket.
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- Priced from around £39,000
The current generation of the Hyundai Tucson is a previous winner of our Car of the Year Award, and the plug-in hybrid version is definitely worth your consideration. It uses a 1.6-litre petrol engine combined with a powerful electric motor for a total output of 261bhp – more than enough for an SUV of its size. What’s more, the Tucson even feels fairly good to drive with nimble handling and good body control despite the weight of its hybrid setup.
We like the Tucson’s interior, which stands out with its sweeping, vertical dashboard which cocoons the driver and passenger, and feels rather Germanic in terms of quality and design – sturdy and well-built. The plug-in version is available in N-Line trim or above, so it gets a generous amount of equipment as standard, including a 10.25-inch digital gauge cluster and 10.25-inch infotainment screen with sat nav, wireless device charging, lane keep assist tech, front and rear parking sensors and a rear view camera among a long list of other features.
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- Priced from around £90,000
The Range Rover Sport won’t be for everyone – plug-in hybrid models cost upwards of £90,000 – but it’s still one of the most efficient luxury cars on sale today. That brutish SUV bodywork would’ve once hidden a thirsty diesel V8 engine, but today you’ll find a 3.0-litre six-cylinder and an electric motor if you opt for the P460e or P550e. Both use a giant 38kWh battery, which is as big as the battery fitted to some small electric cars. As a result, you can drive for up to 76 miles in EV mode, making this Range Rover very efficient.
But don’t think that Land Rover has forgotten about the ‘Sport’ part. Even the lesser P460e develops a combined 454bhp, which is enough to launch it from 0-62mph in little over five seconds. Not quick enough? Well, the P550e ups power to 542bhp, which is more than the old V8-powered P530 model. The added hybrid tech does add some weight though, so these models don’t feel quite as nimble as their non-hybrid counterparts. But thankfully comfort, refinement, and build quality are still just as impressive, making the Range Rover Sport an excellent all-round luxury PHEV.
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- Priced from around £44,000
Toyota has been building hybrid cars for longer than practically every other manufacturer, with models like the Prius synonymous with the technology. However, it's the plug-in hybrid RAV4 SUV that makes the most sense for families wanting to cut their fuel bills and CO2 emissions, or for company-car drivers looking for a spacious SUV. A pair of electric motors assist a 2.5-litre petrol engine, combining to deliver a healthy 302bhp. It’s a refined system, with the electric motors taking over for low speeds around town for a maximum of 46 miles.
The RAV4 may be fairly conventionally styled in a crowded mid-size SUV market, but it gets the fundamentals right. The cabin is simple but sturdy, while the plug-in hybrid gets 520 litres of cargo capacity, which stacks up positively against rivals like the Kia Sportage PHEV. Throw in Toyota’s renowned reputation for reliability, and you’ve got an impressive, fuel-sipping family car.
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Plug-in hybrid buying guide
Combining the swift and silent around-town driving experience of an EV with the range and dependability of a combustion engine, plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) make a lot of sense for many car buyers. While the future of driving looks to be fully electric, not all drivers are ready to take the leap just yet, perhaps put off by the lack of charging infrastructure and relatively high purchase price of electric cars.
Plug-in hybrids offer an excellent compromise. They use a traditional combustion engine mated to a battery and one or more electric motors, resulting in greater efficiency and improved refinement. Most PHEVs can switch to fully-electric driving for short drives too, ideal for those who frequently drive in urban environments or zero-emission zones. With both systems working together, plug-in hybrids tend to be quite powerful, so many claim acceleration times that are close to those set by hot hatchbacks and sports cars.
Don’t expect to be travelling very far on pure-electric power, though. The electric range will suffice for short trips around town, but most PHEVs will manage around 40 to 50 miles before the combustion engine has to step in.
Manufacturers often quote astronomical MPG figures for their PHEVs, sometimes into the 200s, but be warned that achieving these numbers in the real world is uncommon and depends on the types of journeys you do and how often you recharge the battery. On longer journeys where you’ve depleted the electric range, you’ll be relying on the engine to get you to your destination, and the car’s fuel efficiency will drop noticeably. That being said, PHEVs will return better fuel economy than their non-hybrid and mild-hybrid (MHEV) counterparts when charged regularly.
Because of the way emissions tests are undertaken, PHEVs offer very low quoted CO2 figures, and this makes them ideal for UK company-car drivers looking to slash their Benefit-in-Kind tax bills. But more and more private buyers are opting for plug-in hybrids too, often as a way to test the waters of electric-car ownership.
Best plug-in hybrids: prices and score table
We’ve included a table for you to compare the price of each plug-in hybrid model, as well as their Carbuyer scores.
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Best plug-in hybrids ranking |
Make and model |
Priced from |
Carbuyer rating (out of 5) |
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1 |
Toyota Prius |
£37,000 |
4.3 |
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2 |
Lexus NX |
£50,000 |
4.3 |
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3 |
Mercedes C-Class |
£50,000 |
4.3 |
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4 |
Skoda Kodiaq |
£45,000 |
4.3 |
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5 |
BMW 3 Series |
£47,000 |
4.4 |
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6 |
Kia Sorento |
£47,000 |
4.3 |
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7 |
BMW X1 |
£43,000 |
4.2 |
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8 |
Hyundai Tucson |
£39,000 |
4.5 |
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9 |
Range Rover Sport |
£90,000 |
4.4 |
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10 |
Toyota RAV4 |
£44,000 |
4.0 |
Want to go as far as possible on electric power alone? Check out our list of the Top 10 longest-range electric cars
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