Top 10 cheapest hybrid cars to buy
Hybrid cars can save you money thanks to their lower running costs – here are the 10 cheapest hybrid models on sale in the UK today
If you’re looking to reduce your fuel consumption and running costs but aren’t ready to switch to electric, a hybrid car could be the perfect solution. But forget the best hybrid cars, what if you just want one of the cheapest hybrid cars? Thankfully, hybrids now come in all shapes and sizes – from superminis to large family SUVs, and the latest hybrid technology doesn’t need to break the bank, either. Read on as we run down the cheapest hybrid cars currently on the market.
Hybrid cars offer drivers some of the benefits of an electric car through short bursts of all-electric power and the flexibility of a petrol or diesel engine. With hybrid technology well into its third decade of mainstream motoring, buying a low-cost hybrid car doesn't necessarily mean making sacrifices in terms of quality or economy.
Generally speaking there are three types of hybrid car on the market: mild hybrid, full hybrid and plug-in hybrid (PHEV). Almost all cars on this list are full hybrids, also known as ‘self-charging’ hybrids, so there’s no need to worry about using the public charging network or investing in a home wallbox charger to top up the battery. To make things simpler, we’ve also omitted mild hybrids from this list, as the technology is standard on lots of makes and models these days.
We’ve thoroughly tested every car on this list, carefully evaluating areas such as quality, driving experience and practicality, and we’ve included our impressions below to help you decide which is the right hybrid model for you.
The cheapest hybrid cars
Read on to find the top 10 cheapest hybrid cars on sale in the UK listed in reverse order…
10. Honda Jazz - £26,885
Honda bypassed the trend of small capacity turbo charged engines in its small cars and went straight to hybrid power with the newest Jazz. The Jazz features a self-charging hybrid system made up of a 1.5-litre petrol engine and two electric motors.
The transition between all-electric running and the petrol engine taking over is seamless, but where the Jazz really excels is when it comes to practicality. As with its predecessors, the latest model has been cleverly designed and is fitted with Honda’s ‘Magic Seat’ setup, with seat bases that can flip up to create a large space behind the front occupants.
Four adult passengers can easily sit in comfort while there should still be a reasonable amount of room in the back for their luggage, thanks to a decent 304-litre boot. You won’t feel short changed when it comes to in-car kit, either, as wireless Apple CarPlay, adaptive cruise control, front and rear parking sensors and LED lights come as standard on the entry-level car.
9. Suzuki S-Cross Hybrid - £26,699
The Suzuki S-Cross is somewhat overshadowed by many of its rivals in the fiercely-fought small SUV sector - such as the Nissan Qashqai and Skoda Kamiq - but it does offer pretty good value for money in hybrid form.
While the S-Cross looks smart in its appearance, the design does impede its ability to serve as a family car; rear passengers will feel quite cramped and the boot is rather average at just 430 litres – for context, the Nissan Qashqai’s boot offers over 500 litres of space, so would be better suited to families who carry luggage regularly. On the plus side, though, plenty of on-board tech and a full suite of safety equipment is included as standard. This Suzuki is also quite lightweight and agile for a car of its size, so it’s pretty good to drive as a result and can also achieve up to 54.3mpg.
If you’re a bit of an off-roading fan then a four-wheel-drive variant of the S-Cross Hybrid is available, but this adds several thousands to the price.
8. Suzuki Vitara Full Hybrid - £26,199
Unlike other Suzuki models, the Vitara doesn’t make use of Toyota’s proven hybrid technology. Instead, the engineering beneath this small SUV was undertaken purely in-house, and while the 133bhp 1.5-litre powertrain is good enough to return up to 53.2mpg, it can’t match the refinement of Toyota’s offerings.
The automated manual gearbox is also a flaw with the Vitara Full Hybrid, as it can be very sluggish to respond at inopportune moments. If you can learn to look past these imperfections, though, there’s still plenty to like. The Vitara looks good, feels well put together, and a lot of safety kit is included as standard, including adaptive cruise control, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Suzuki’s excellent ALLGRIP four-wheel drive system means you should also feel confident driving in cold, wet and slippery weather.
7. Toyota Yaris Cross - £24,840
Toyota is no stranger to producing efficient small hybrid cars, but the Yaris Cross represents a new approach from the brand – taking all the best bits of the Yaris hatchback and placing them into a larger and more practical package.
This is a winning combination that makes the Yaris Cross an ideal choice for a small family. It’s also an affordable one, returning well over 60mpg and emitting less than 100g/km of CO2, and the entry-level Icon trim level has plenty of kit as standard. On the road, the Yaris Cross is just as easy to drive around town as its supermini sibling, and the reversing camera makes parking the small SUV a doddle.
6. Renault Captur E-Tech Hybrid - £24,895
The second-generation Renault Captur has long been one of our favourite small SUVs, we even declared it our Small SUV of the Year at both the 2020 and 2021 Auto Express New Car Awards.
The Captur E-Tech is the hybrid version, and this shares its powertrain with the Clio supermini - along with several other components. This system consists of a 1.6-litre engine combined with two electric motors. The first motor can drive the wheels outright, while the second helps to smooth the gaps between gear changes. The Captur’s practicality does suffer a slight sacrifice in order to accommodate this hybrid setup, but the E-Tech should still take a family of four and their luggage with ease.
5. Mazda 2 Hybrid - £23,955
If you’re thinking the Mazda 2 Hybrid looks very similar to the Toyota Yaris, then that’s because the Mazda 2 Hybrid is essentially a rebadged Yaris. Not only do the two cars look identical, but they also share the same 114bhp 1.5-litre full hybrid powertrain.
Despite Mazda giving the 2 Hybrid a recent facelift and refresh, very little differs between these two superminis apart from pricing and trim levels - the Mazda is the pricier model throughout the range. The 2 Hybrid is enjoyable and easy to drive on urban roads, and it will spend a lot of its time in pure-electric mode, meaning over 65mpg is pretty easy to achieve. While you may be initially lured towards the cheaper Yaris, it may be worth looking at finance or leasing deals on both models before deciding. Do keep in mind that both the Mazda 2 Hybrid and Toyota Yaris aren’t the most refined cars at higher speeds, so if you do lots of motorway miles, you might want to consider other options.
4. Dacia Jogger Hybrid 140 - £22,995
Not only is the Dacia Jogger one of the cheapest hybrid cars currently on sale, it is also one of the cheapest seven-seater cars on the market, offering families a huge amount of space, low running costs and a decent amount of in-car kit for very little money. The best thing, though, is that the efficient hybrid power doesn’t come at the cost of practicality.
The Jogger's van-like appearance may not be as stylish as some of the SUVs on this list, but if you’re in the market for a hybrid family car then few models can match the sheer level of versatility on offer here - especially at this price. It can even return over 55mpg on the WLTP combined cycle. If the battery does start running low, or you go beyond 43mph, the 1.6-litre petrol engine will kick in, but the transition between EV mode and petrol power is relatively smooth and there's no perceivable judder.
3. Toyota Yaris - £22,640
The latest Toyota Yaris is only available as a hybrid, as opposed to a number of rivals that only offer hybrid power as an option. Fortunately, this technology suits the Yaris perfectly in the city, where the car spends a surprising amount of time in electric-only mode. We pitted the Toyota Yaris against the Renault Clio E-Tech Hybrid in our hybrid supermini twin test, and managed to achieve a respectable 56.2mpg in the real world.
While the Yaris struggles a bit on the motorway with its 114bhp, the steering is a joy around town, and anyone in the market for a supermini, hybrid or otherwise, should strongly consider it.
2. Renault Clio E-Tech Hybrid - £21,495
The latest Renault Clio comes with the option of an ‘E-Tech’ hybrid powertrain. Prices start from just under £22,000. Despite its low starting price, the Clio comes with almost every bit of kit you could possibly need, including LED headlights, cruise control, a seven-inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a seven-inch digital instrument cluster behind the steering wheel and plenty of safety tech too.
Combining two electric motors with Renault’s 1.6-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine results in fuel economy of up to 64.2mpg on paper, but in the real world, we saw 58.5mpg when we tested the Clio hybrid against the Toyota Yaris. Overall, performance is brisk and 138bhp is enough for 0-62mph in under 10 seconds, meaning merging onto the motorway should be fairly pain-free. The Clio’s sharp steering and comfortable ride make it one of the more capable cars in its class.
1. MG3 - £18,495
The MG3 is currently the cheapest hybrid on the market, and by quite a significant margin. But this doesn’t mean you have to make sacrifices in comfort, tech or luxuries, because that is far from the case. As standard, the MG3 is one of the best-equipped, most efficient and most fun cars to drive in its class.
Unlike its rivals, the MG3 prioritises use of its electric motor over the petrol engine, so the driving experience is much closer to an electric car than a hybrid - but even when the engine kicks in, it’s not intrusive and the transition is smooth. Official figures suggest the new MG3 hybrid can return 64.5mpg, but we averaged 55.4mpg when we drove the car. This is in the same region as its closest cheap-hybrid rivals - the Renault Clio and Toyota Yaris.
The MG3 might be a small car, but it’s not too cramped inside, with plenty of head and knee room for adults in the back, as well as plenty of storage space and cubby holes dotted around the cabin. Standard safety kit is very generous, with lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control and forward collision warning featuring on all models. Overall fit and finish is decent, as is the seven-year/80,000 mile warranty.
Cheapest hybrid cars to buy
- MG3 - £18,495
- Renault Clio E-Tech Hybrid - £21,495
- Toyota Yaris - £22,640
- Dacia Jogger Hybrid 140 - £22,995
- Mazda 2 Hybrid - £23,955
- Renault Captur E-Tech Hybrid - £24,895
- Toyota Yaris Cross - £25,530
- Suzuki Vitara Full Hybrid - £26,199
- Suzuki S-Cross Hybrid - £26,699
- Honda Jazz - £26,885
Different types of hybrid
There are different types of hybrid car, and working out the difference can feel daunting if you’re unaccustomed to this technology. We won’t go into great detail about the differences between each type of hybrid here, although there are three main ones you should be aware of.
The first are ‘mild hybrids’. These typically use an electric motor to give an engine (usually petrol, diesel hybrids are rarer) a boost under acceleration. Crucially, mild hybrids cannot move under the power of an electric motor alone.
The second are ‘full hybrids’. Unlike mild hybrids, these can use electric motors to drive the wheels, although this is usually only for very short distances; no more than a mile or two. Their limited electric range is caused by their typically small batteries, which collect energy lost while braking or directly from the engine itself.
The third are ‘plug-in hybrids’, often abbreviated to ‘PHEVs’. Their batteries are much larger than those of full hybrids, so much so that they need to be charged via a cable when parked. The very latest PHEVs can offer more than 60 miles of electric-only range, so it’s realistic to complete short journeys without needing to use the engine (or any fuel in the tank) at all.
Looking to cut out combustion entirely? Check out our list of the cheapest electric cars…
