Best used hybrid cars

Small, but mighty – that’s exactly what the Audi A3 TFSIe is. It’s one of the smallest PHEVs you can buy – both new and used – but this doesn’t make it any less capable than its larger competition.

It’s great to drive, with a comfortable ride and strong performance, while a 40-mile official electric-only range is competitive with the VW Golf eHybrid and larger alternatives, like the Hyundai Tucson PHEV.

Used prices for the A3 TFSIe are temptingly low, starting at around £12,000. The 40 TFSIe is cheaper to buy than the Mercedes A250e, and yet it comes just as well equipped. Our favourite Sport trim offers auto lights and wipers, a leather-trimmed steering wheel, part-leather upholstery and dual-zone climate control as standard.

It’s a small premium family car with a competitive price that, if regularly charged up, could be very cheap to run. 

"The A3 might be one of the smallest cars on this list, but as a six-footer-plus, I still managed to fit comfortably in the back." – George Hill, Used Cars Writer

We found 2022 Audi A3 TFSIe 40 Sport, 54,694 miles, £14,490

Read our used Audi A3 review

Search for a used Audi A3 for sale

This latest Toyota Corolla is a great all-rounder and a wonderful used choice. 

It's a self-charging hybrid rather than a plug-in hybrid. And it seems to work, because the 1.8 version racked up a True MPG figure in our tests of 60.6mpg, making it really economical.

It's good to drive, comfortable inside, well-equipped and spacious. On top of that, you can expect top-notch reliability. Toyota always finish at or near the top of the brands in our What Car? Reliability Survey, and if you take your Corolla to be serviced every year at a main dealer, you'll get another year's worth of warranty, which you can keep doing until the car is 10 years old. 

Used prices look really good, too; it's much cheaper like-for-like than the equivalent Honda Civic, for example. 

You can also choose between a regular family hatchback or an impressive estate version known as the Touring Sports, if you want even more practicality. 

"It's incredibly close between this and the Civic. It's not as much fun to drive as the Civic, but because it's been on sale longer, you can buy them cheaper. You'd be more than happy with one of these on your driveway." - George Hill, used cars writer

We found: 2021 Corolla Touring Sports 1.8 Hybrid Icon tech, 46,000 miles, £12,995

Read our used Toyota Corolla review

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Available in both saloon and estate forms, this previous-generation of the Volkswagen Passat GTE is a smooth, quiet plug-in hybrid executive car with a smart, capacious interior.

It can cover up to 31 miles on a full charge (39 miles in later versions), leading to potentially impressive fuel economy. It’s great to drive and impressively practical too, especially so in estate car form. In fact, few cars can match it for interior space and load-lugging capabilities. 

In recent years, the Passat's reliability has been a bit mixed, but in our most recent 2025 What Car? Reliability Survey it scored well, giving us the confidence to recommend this nicely finished and smart-looking estate once again. Prices for the oldest cars start from just £10,000. 

"Previously one of our top cars in this class and still a deeply impressive car. I packed it full of my gangly friends and we all had loads of room to spare. Very few here feel as classy." - George Hill, used cars writer

We found: 2021 Volkswagen Passat 1.4 TSI GTE Advance, 75,000 miles, £14,950

Read our used VW Passat GTE review

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The Honda Jazz is the small car to beat for passenger and luggage space, while its unique and incredibly flexible rear seating only adds to its practicality.

Visibility is excellent, too, which helps make it easy to manoeuvre and park, while generous standard equipment, strong resale values and low running costs make it even more desirable.

It's good to drive and very reliable too. Honda finished in first place out of 30 brands in our 2025 What Car? Reliability Survey, and the Jazz finished well up in its class, with very few reported problems. 

"An immensely strong and clever car with easy refinement and almost unequalled practicality. I have one of the old ones, and that one just keeps on running." - Mark Pearson, used cars editor

We found: 2022 Honda Jazz 1.5 i-MMD Hybrid SE, 28,000 miles, £14,500 

Read our used Honda Jazz review

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The Honda Civic is a wonderfully efficient hatchback, easily capable of returning 49mpg in ordinary driving.

Sure, the Toyota Corolla is even more frugal, but the Honda more than compensates in other areas. Performance is strong; the Civic can dash from 0-60mph in 6.8sec. Good grip and precise steering help make the Civic fun to drive. It's classy inside, practical and proving reliable, too, according to our reliability survey. 

Used prices are beginning to look especially tempting, although the Corolla just has it beaten for age-for-age value. 

"This is one of the most impressive cars here and, to be honest, it'd be my favourite if it wasn't for a little bit too much road noise. Still great, though." - Mark Pearson, used cars editor

We found: 2022 Honda Civic 2.0 h i-MMD Elegance, 30,000 miles, £21,995

Read our used Honda Civic review

Search for a used Honda Civic for sale

The 330e takes all that's good about the BMW 3 Series saloon - and that's a lot - and adds a plug-in hybrid capability that gives it up to 37 miles of electric-only motoring.

It goes without saying that it handles beautifully, rides well and is comfortable inside. It's also endowed with a great interior and a class-leading iDrive infotainment system. It's smart to look at and to sit in, and your neighbours will be impressed. 

On top of that, it's really good value, too, with prices starting around £12,000, and its reliability is looking good. In short, it's still a terrific used buy. 

"All the class and glamour and refinement of a regular petrol-engined 3 Series and the ability to run on electric power alone? Sign me up!" - Mark Pearson, used cars editor

We found: 2021 BMW 330e M Sport, 43,000 miles, £14,995

Read our used BMW 3 Series review

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The Kia Sportage delivers on what families demand from a mid-sized SUV and then some.

Passengers of all sizes can fit comfortably in the front and back seats, plus the boot is vast and you can fold the back seats in a useful 40/20/40 split. The Sportage also has a lofty driving position for a grand view ahead.

There are fuel-sipping hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions available, with prices for the regular hybrid starting at just £15,000 and the PHEV starting at £18,000. 

All the versions of the Sportage offer good performance and reasonable running costs, while you'll get the residue of Kia's excellent seven-year warranty, too. Reliability is another feather in the Sportage's cap, with a strong finish in our most recent reliability survey. 

"The Sportage managed to cater for my family of four and, what's more, I was left with space and practicality to spare." – Mark Pearson, used cars editor

We found: 2022 Kia Sportage 1.6 T-GDi 2, 23,000 miles, £19,047 

Read our full used Kia Sportage review

Search for a used Kia Sportage for sale

 

BMW's plug-in hybrid version of its mighty BMW X5 is every bit as comfortable and luxurious as the petrol and diesel versions, and you barely notice the extra weight of its batteries, even on corners.

You can't have seven seats, but that's the only significant downside. Indeed, it has a much longer electric range than the rival Volvo XC90 Recharge T8, and a far more user-friendly infotainment system.

It's not as old as the XC90, so not as cheap, hence it doesn't finish further up our list. However, reliability is looking good, better than the Volvo and significantly better than the Audi Q7, and if you want a bit of luxury and smoothness with your hybrid car look no further. 

"I like the chunkiness and sheer class the X5 exudes. Not cheap, but one of the best, and a great electric-only range." - George Hill, used cars writer

We found: 2020 BMW X5 xDrive45e M Sport, 60,000 miles, £30,995

Read our used BMW X5 review

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For a PHEV of this size, the Mercedes A-Class A250e has a very competitive official range of 44 miles, which is farther than what the contemporary version of the Audi A3 TFSIe can manage.

Along with that, the A250e rides nicely, but it’s not quite as good as the A3 for overall comfort. We prefer the way the Audi drives, too, although the A250e will still please many. It does win back some points for performance – it’s quicker than the A3 from 0-62mph.

Inside, the A250e has a very smart-looking interior, with ambient lighting, metal-effect trim and a crisp infotainment display that easily woos passengers. However, it's not as well-finished as the A3 and one or two other of its rivals. Space is very good for a family car, with just enough head and leg room for two six-footers to sit comfortably in the back.

Used prices are looking more competitive as the car gets older, while its reliability is pretty strong and on a par with its rivals. 

"To get the larger 10.3in infotainment screen, I’d be tempted to look for cars with the optional Executive Pack, which was available on Sport and AMG Line cars from new.” – Mark Pearson, Used Cars Editor

We found 2021 Mercedes A250e AMG Line, 62,925 miles, £14,920

Read our used Mercedes A-Class review

Search for a used Mercedes A-Class for sale

 

We love this generation of BMW 5 Series – especially the plug-in hybrid version.

Like the rest of the range, the 530e is great to drive and wonderfully refined. It’s also able to see off the 0-62mph dash in less than six seconds and polish off motorway cruises in spectacular style. The 530e can officially cover up to 36 miles on electric power, leading to potentially low running costs for such a large, luxurious car.

Inside, the 530e is spacious, comfortable and classy, with the most user-friendly infotainment system on offer. If you're after a whiff of class and more than a dash of luxury from your hybrid car, this one will seriously impress your friends.

It's reliable, too, scoring an impressive 96.4% in our most recent What Car? Reliability Survey. Prices have always been competitive, with the older cars now starting from just £10,000, so this expensive car new looks like a bargain used. 

"So much class on show here, and such a lot of car for the money. My favourite hybrid here.' - George Hill, used cars writer

We found: 2020 BMW 530e M Sport, 45,000 miles, £18,990

Read our used BMW 5 Series review

Search for a used BMW 530e for sale

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