The best hybrid cars: PHEVs and regular hybrids rated

Best for: Daily economy

Toyota is now well advanced with normalising hybrid power, and no car on sale does it better than the Corolla.

While the 2.0-litre does offers some performance gains, the 1.8 will be sufficient enough for most people.

Illya Verpraet, Road Tester

It combines a healthy dose of visual style with strong perceived cabin quality and has been dynamically developed and tuned – quite successfully – for distinguishing ride and handling sophistication.

In its range-topping 2.0-litre hybrid form, it even performs with a bit of sporting edge. Alternatively, the more humble 1.8-litre hybrid (which even comes in Corolla Commercial van form, for those who need it) will routinely return a day-to-day 70mpg if you drive with one eye on efficiency.

All-round ownership credentials mean Corolla owners can feel equally as good about owning and driving as they do about their outgoings at the pump.

Best for: Families

Be it company car buyers or those looking for an efficient, family estate car with an exceptional EV range, the Skoda Superb PHEV is a highly appealing option. 

The iV offers a real-world 70-mile electric range and DC fast-charging for topping up, and it still returns 50mpg when the battery is depleted.

Illya Verpraet, Road Tester

Skoda has a knack for taking Volkswagen Group hardware and software and using it to create a more desirable and usable car, and the Superb iV is no exception.

This PHEV gained big upgrades over its predecessor: with a large 25.7kWh installed in the boot, it promises an impressive electric range of up to 85 miles – and it falls into a very wallet-friendly 6% BIK tax band. 

The addition of such a large battery means the standard car’s 690-litre boot capacity drops to 510 litres, but the Superb remains a brilliant family wagon, and a standout car in the estate class. 

Best for: Versatility

You can spend rather a lot more money on a modern electrified Volvo than this, but the way this particular V60 combines grounded value for money with efficiency, usable electric range and everyday versatility reminds you of the very best family cars that the Swedish firm made so many decades ago, before it became preoccupied with sharp-edged modern design.

It's ultra-responsive on electric power at lower speeds and refined under combustive power thereafter.

Matt Saunders, Road test editor

Who in their right mind would claim that 345bhp and 0-62mph in 5.4sec isn’t enough for their comfort-first family car, after all?

Who would object to ride and handling that pretty squarely aims at the first of those concepts at the expense of the second but disgraces itself at neither?

Who wouldn’t be delighted by a smart, appealing, well-packaged interior full of neat storage solutions and a 519-litre boot that comes with its own pop-up load-bay-organiser-cum-elasticated-bag-holder?

The V60 T6 Recharge seals the deal here with a hybrid system that delivers 55 miles of lab-verified electric range and plenty of associated running-cost savings potential.

Best for: Sporting character

BMW has brought significant updates to the PHEV version of the 3 Series, returning it to a more competitive position within its class in terms of electric range. 

BMW’s one-time default-choice exec is now as recommendable as a 330e as ever it was as a 320d. We may miss the diesels, but at least we needn't mourn them too hard.

Matt Saunders, Road test editor

With a large 19.5kWh battery, the 330e has a claimed EV range of up to 63 miles, although you will probably get closer to 50 miles in real-world conditions.

What makes the 330e so compelling as a hybrid package is how well it hides the complexity of its powertrain. 

One minute it's a quiet, urban electric cruiser, the next it's a poised, rear-driven saloon or estate with oodles of driver appeal and sporting character. 

The duality of the 330e means that the lack of an efficient 320d diesel model in the 3 Series line-up is no longer an issue.

Best for: Supermini lovers

The Clio is the smallest car on this list and also the cheapest.

The Clio’s talents are best displayed at urban speeds, thanks to its excellent mid-range torque.

Matt Saunders, Road test editor

Badged E-Tech Full Hybrid, the hybrid version uses a 1.6-litre petrol engine and two electric motors, which combine to drive 143bhp and 151lb ft through the front wheels.

It can only be had with an automatic gearbox, but performance is strong. It will hit 0-62mph time of 9.3sec while boasting a 67.3mpg fuel consumption figure. 

The Clio's interior is stylish and comfortable, with an intuitive layout and useful buttons.

If you want to put your foot down, the Clio also holds itself well on the road. It's agile and composed in the corners, and while it's not quite as impressive as the Ford Fiesta once was, it's engaging and fun in several scenarios.

Best for: Luxury appeal

The Range Rover Sport delivers everything you would expect of a luxury SUV: practical, supremely versatile, smooth, refined and brilliant to drive. 

Careful tuning of steering weight, pace and feel and supple but surprisingly taut and sophisticated damping are the car’s calling cards.

Matt Saunders, Road test editor

The plug-in hybrid P460e brings efficiency into the fold, thanks to its large 31.8kWh (usable) battery, which gives it an excellent 76 miles of EV range – more than the rival BMW X5 xDrive50e (64 miles). 

Despite the P460e’s 2660kg kerb weight, it’s still a quick SUV. Its 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine and 215bhp electric motor give a combined output of 454bhp, allowing for a sub-5.5sec 0-60mph time. 

Of course, being a luxury offering, the Sport isn’t cheap (prices start from £90,310), but few PHEV SUVs offer the same level of comfort, refinement and seamless drivability. 

Best for: Long commutes

The BMW 5 Series is a real ‘have your cake, eat it and lose weight’ kind of car, and we think the 550e model is one of the best hybrids on sale today.

The 550e is savage when it comes to roll-on acceleration.

Matt Saunders, Road test editor

The engine range opens with a 2.0-litre four-pot petrol, available as a 205bhp mild-hybrid (badged 520i), followed by the 295bhp, plug-in hybrid 530e.  

At the top of the range sits the 550e xDrive, which takes a 308bhp B58 six-cylinder petrol engine partnered with a 194bhp electric motor. Total output stands at 483bhp, meaning a 0-62mph time of 4.4sec. 

Its strengths are its impressive handling and its cosseting ride, aided by adaptive dampers. Its engines are very refined too and offer substantial pace throughout the range, although the range-topping 550e is quite expensive. 

Best for: Comfort

Despite the growing number of SUVs, Honda has stuck to the traditional family hatchback template for the Civic, which recently received a number of tweaks as part of a mid-life update. 

The engine is complex. Sometimes the gearbox behaves like a CVT. Sometimes it's like a traditional automatic gearbox. But most of the time you're not aware of it.

Illya Verpraet, Road Tester

Incredibly, the Japanese machine is in its 11th generation, but it shows no signs of slowing down or resting on its laurels. 

Like the HR-V crossover and Jazz supermini, it uses Honda's clever e:HEV drivetrain, which in most situations uses the 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine as a generator for a 1.05kWh battery that powers an 181bhp electric drive motor. 

Honda claims the Civic is good enough for 56.5mpg, and during out testing it was easy to match this figure without any real effort. 

The Civic is much better to drive than many of its rivals. It offers engaging handling, quick steering and impressive body control. Thanks to its composed ride, it's also one of the most comfortable hatchbacks on sale.