--- title: "The best hybrid cars: PHEVs and regular hybrids rated" type: "News" locale: "en" url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/273618203.md" description: "The article reviews the best hybrid cars, highlighting their convenience and eco-friendliness. With the UK banning new petrol and diesel cars by 2028, hybrids remain a viable option until 2035. The Volkswagen Golf eHybrid is recommended as the top choice, praised for its electric range and driving experience. Other notable hybrids include the Toyota Corolla for daily economy, Skoda Superb iV for families, and Volvo V60 T6 for versatility. The advancements in hybrid technology have made them appealing for both private buyers and company car drivers due to lower running costs and tax benefits." datetime: "2026-01-25T18:26:15.000Z" locales: - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/273618203.md) - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/273618203.md) - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/273618203.md) --- > Supported Languages: [简体中文](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/273618203.md) | [繁體中文](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/273618203.md) # The best hybrid cars: PHEVs and regular hybrids rated In just four years time, new petrol and diesel cars will no longer be sold in the UK, but there’s a lifeline for those who aren’t yet ready to go fully electric: new hybrid cars will still be sold until 2035. Whether 'self-charging' or plug-in (PHEV), hybrids are already the go-to choice for those who want to combine green emission ratings with low running costs and the ability to refuel in minutes at a pump. For private buyers, they offer a safety net: you can cruise around silently in urban areas while running solely on EV power, then switch to a combustion engine for longer journeys along the motorway. For company car drivers, PHEVs bring much lower benefit-in-kind (BIK) tax rates, helping drive down running costs further. The technology surrounding hybrids and PHEVs has matured significantly in just the last few years, with a handful of new PHEVs now promising an electric-only range of more than 80 miles. Hybrids like the Honda Civic e:HEV have also risen in popularity, appealing to those who don’t have a driveway for charging, but still want 60mpg-plus. We think the Volkswagen Golf eHybrid is the best hybrid money can buy today. It’s a practical family hatchback that’s good to drive, easy to use and comes with a truly commendable all-electric range. But which other hybrids make our top 10? Read on to find out. ## 1\. Volkswagen Golf eHybrid **Best for:** All-around ability The latest Golf is a real return to form for what was the archetypal family hatchback. It comes in two PHEV forms, the 201bhp eHybrid and the 268bhp GTE, the former of which is our pick of the range - and we think it's the best hybrid you can buy today. Named the Best Hybrid at the 2025 Autocar Awards, the Golf eHybrid offers a simply enormous 88 miles of electric range in a package that drives well and has slick steering, assured handling and a reasonably supple ride. And while it’s not a car that will have you grabbing the keys for an illicit B-road blast, its ability to effortlessly tackle any task is endearing, as is a chameleon-like quality to fit into any surroundings. Downsides include the touchscreen infotainment is a little frustrating to use and hybrid variants get marginally less boot space, reduced to 273 litres. ## 2\. Toyota Corolla Toyota Corolla best hybrid cars **Best for:** Daily economy Toyota is now well advanced with normalising hybrid power, and no car on sale does it better than the Corolla. 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. ## 3\. Skoda Superb iV **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. 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. ## 4\. Volvo V60 T6 Volvo V60 best hybrid cars **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. 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. ## 5\. BMW 330e **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. 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. ## 6\. Renault Clio E-Tech **Best for:** Supermini lovers The Clio is the smallest car on this list and also the cheapest. 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. ## 7\. Range Rover Sport P460e **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. 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. ## 8\. BMW 550e BMW 5 Series best hybrid car **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 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. ## 9\. Honda Civic **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. 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. ## 10\. Mercedes-Benz E300e **Best for:** BIK-busting The new car market is moving at an alarming pace. New brands are the new norm, all with their different marketing strategies and reasons to buy. The E-Class goes against this and offers steadfast adherence to what it has always done: provide drivers with quality, comfort, space and refinement. The E300e is the one to go for company car drivers. It’s rated for 70 miles of EV range and is one of the very few PHEVs to offer 6% company car tax. It’s frugal in real-world conditions too. We averaged 45.5mpg in most of our testing and frequently saw 60mpg - which makes for a near-900-mile total range. It averaged 3.0mpkWh in EV mode too - a figure that some pure EVs would be jealous of. \]\]\> ### Related Stocks - [Volkswagen AG (VWAPY.US)](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/VWAPY.US.md) - [Volkswagen AG Pref (VOW3.DE)](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/VOW3.DE.md) - [Toyota Motor Corporation (TM.US)](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/TM.US.md) - [Toyota Motor Corporation ADRhedged (TMH.US)](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/TMH.US.md) - [Volkswagen AG (VWAGY.US)](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/VWAGY.US.md) - [Toyota Motor Corp. 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