Personal Shopper: best practical hybrid
Want a new car but don't know where to start? Just send us your criteria and we'll give our new and used car choices, and tell you how much we can save you...
Buying used
- Our recommended choice: 2019 Kia Niro 1.6 GDi Hybrid 2 DCT Auto
- Price: £19,995
- Mileage: 8000
The Kia Niro is available in three forms: hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fully electric. The last of those, the electric e-Niro, is so good that it won our overall What Car? Car of the Year Award last year. It's a fantastic thing, with a huge range, but you're after a hybrid car that you don't have to plug in, so you'll be interested in this one we found.
It's a nearly new 2019 car with just 8000 miles on the clock from a franchised Kia dealer. It's in 2 trim, so it comes with plenty of goodies, including sat-nav. Its official fuel consumption figure is a great 58.9mpg, with corresponding CO2 emissions of just 86g/km. It's good to drive, there's loads of space inside and, although it's an SUV rather than an estate, there's plenty of room in its easily accessible boot.
- Also consider: 2019 Toyota C-HR 1.8 Hybrid Dynamic CVT Auto
- Price: £20,000
- Mileage: 6000
It may be a tad smaller and less spacious than the Niro, but that means the Toyota C-HR is nimbler and easier to manoeuvre in town. What’s more, your budget will get you an almost-new example of the Dynamic model, which comes loaded with equipment. You also get eye-catching styling, both inside and out, and the boot is wide and easy to access.
Read our used Toyota C-HR review
- Also consider: 2017 Lexus NX 300h Luxury
- Price: £19,995
- Mileage: 20,000
The Lexus NX is undoubtedly one of the better hybrid SUVs out there. Integration of the petrol and electric motors is very good and, with the smooth CVT automatic gearbox, acceleration is seamless. The ride is a little choppy around town, but it smooths out on the motorway. It’s quiet, too, if you’re gentle with the accelerator. The NX has a beautifully appointed interior that, although hampered by a fiddly infotainment system, is generally a pleasure to sit in and use.
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Best hybrid SUVs 2023
Sales of SUVs and hybrids are booming, making hybrid SUVs some of the most desirable cars around. But which of them are worth a place on your shortlist and which are best avoided?
