► Not all hybrid cars have to be expensive
► Electrified mobility from £18,495
► But are the cheapest hybrid cars worth it?
Never mind the very best hybrid cars – what if you simply want one of the cheapest hybrid cars? Are the two things even incompatible? We don’t think so. With hybrid technology now well into its third decade of mainstream motoring, things have moved a long way since the original Toyota Prius and Honda Insight. In 2024, hybrids come in all shapes and sizes. We’ve driven the lot, and you do not need to pay top dollar to get a really good one.
The best cheap hybrid cars are no longer tin boxes with unconventional bodystyles, sluggish performance and a weird image. In 2024, a hybrid is a perfectly conventional choice of powertrain, available in a wide range of cars from hybrid SUVs to hybrid 7-seaters, and everything in between.
The best cheapest hybrid cars at a glance:
The list below covers the 10 cheapest hybrid cars on sale in the UK in price order, starting with the most affordable. All are conventional full hybrids – also known as self-charging hybrids. These are different to mild-hybrid models, which only bring small efficiency benefits but are usually cheaper. However, self-charging hybrids normally cost less than plug-in hybrids. We wouldn’t necessarily recommend all of the cars we’re going to mention here, but there are some inexpensive gems here. Pricing was correct at the time of writing in May 2024.
Cheapest hybrid cars in 2024
MG3 – from £18,495
Best cheap hybrid car for the lowest price
PROS: Mega value, powerful, generous equipment
CONS: Nothing special to drive, interior quality could be better
MG has put its stamp on the affordable end of the EV segment, and it’s now doing the same with the new MG3 Hybrid. The replacement for a very ageing supermini, it’s a big step forward in many ways, but especially for what’s under the surface. It’s MG’s first self-charging hybrid, and while not quite up to Toyota levels, it’s an impressive first effort.
The trick the MG3 has up its sleeve is its impressive 191bhp figure, considerably more than all its rivals. It doesn’t feel like a hot hatch to drive, but is pleasantly brisk. It also retains MG’s typical selling points; great value for money, generous equipment and a long warranty. When you consider it’s the cheapest new hybrid car by more than £3,000, it’s certainly worth considering.
To find out more, read our full MG3 Hybrid review
Renault Clio – from £21,595
Spacious small car with F1 hybrid tech – too good to be true?
PROS: Fantastic finance deals, handles nicely, looks good
CONS: The petrol Clio is a bit better… and quite a lot cheaper
The Renault E-Tech hybrid system is supposedly derived from Formula 1 technology, and is quite complicated. This doesn’t stop the Clio E-Tech being the very cheapest new hybrid you can current buy, with a starting price of £21,595
To be honest, we prefer the regular petrol-powered Clio – the E-Tech system can be a little clunky. But if you like how it looks and love the idea of some silent electric running at times, this little Renault also impresses with a spacious interior and neat handling. The Toyota Yaris does the hybrid thing better, but the Clio is usefully cheaper, especially if financed or leased. A recent facelift has kept the design looking fresh too.
To find out more read our full Renault Clio E-Tech hybrid review
Toyota Yaris – from £22,640
Best cheap hybrid car for low running costs and long warranty
PROS: Excellent hybrid tech, great fuel economy, long warranty
CONS: Average interior, OAP image
Toyota is a hybrid-tech pioneer, with a number of firsts and decades of experience behind it. Which means the Yaris hybrid is much more than self-charging hype – we know it can deliver seriously impressive real-world mpg. And while previous Yaris hybrids were pretty painful to drive this model is peppier, quieter, and actually rather good on a twisting road.
All Yaris models (except the GR Yaris hot hatch) are hybrids now, and the cheapest ones are a little bit depressing inside in material terms. But they come well-equipped, and if you need a little more space inside you can try the larger Yaris Cross that also features in this list, which uses similarly efficient technology. Yaris hybrid prices start at £22,640.
To find out more read our full Toyota Yaris review
Dacia Jogger – from £22,995
Best cheap hybrid car if you want seven seats
PROS: Great value, very practical, seats seven
CONS: Petrol model drives better, poor Euro NCAP score
The Dacia Jogger makes great use of the Renault parts bin and deploys the same E-Tech hybrid system as the Clio – but to greater effect. Despite its size, this is a lightweight car and the system appears to have been tuned differently to its siblings, so while it’s not exactly seamless in operation it seems less offensive here. We would still choose the petrol version, however, which is more than £3,000 cheaper.
It helps that the Jogger has many other attractive attributes. The stretched SUV-meets-estate form factor delivers a cavernous interior, the interior design is appealingly no nonsense, and the budget price means you get seven seats for the price of a mid-spec supermini. Don’t expect much standard equipment, though. Prices start at £22,995 for the hybrid.
To find out more read our full Dacia Jogger review
Mazda2 Hybrid – from £24,135
Best cheap hybrid car… if you want a Yaris-but-not-a-Yaris
Pros: Just like a Yaris
Cons: More expensive than a Yaris, worse warranty than a Yaris
When is a Toyota Yaris not a Toyota Yaris? When it’s a Mazda2, of course! Yes, in a measure to help Mazda drop its average emissions, it’s teamed up with Toyota to literally repurpose its best-selling Yaris supermini. Minus the Mazda badges, it previously looked identical to its Japanese twin, but the revised version now gets a slightly different grille, but it’s fundamentally still the same car.
It retains many of the Yaris’ excellent traits, such as its excellent hybrid system, strong fuel economy and generous equipment levels. However, it’s quite a tough one to recommend next to the Toyota, given its starting price is around £1,500 more, it gets a far shorter warranty and also lacks some of the Yaris’ new interior tech. Prices for the Mazda2 Hybrid, not to be confused with Mazda’s own mild-hybrid ‘2’, start from £24,135.
Renault Captur – from £24,595
Best cheap all-round hybrid crossover
PROS: Comfortable, spacious for its size, high-quality interior
CONS: Renault’s hybrid system isn’t the slickest
Renault has rapidly expanded its line-up of hybrid models, and now offers one of the widest range of ‘self-charging’ vehicles. One of its most popular is the Captur, a stylish compact SUV that delivers the properties of many larger cars in a smaller package. The Captur uses the same setup as you’ll find in Renault’s Clio and Arkana too.
The Captur has been tuned to deliver a more comfortable driving experience, which we think suits the nature of a small, family-friendly SUV. The Renault also has a much nicer interior, especially on higher-specification models, where the fit and finish begins to feel rather posh. It’s had a recent facelift to freshen things up, and the price has even dropped slightly – now starting from £24,595 for the hybrid.
To find out more read our full Renault Captur review
Toyota Yaris Cross – from £25,530
Best cheap hybrid SUV for fuel economy
PROS: More practical than a conventional Yaris, good to drive, very efficient
CONS: Not sporty, not quick
If you like the real-world economy promise of a conventional Toyota Yaris but yearn for a little more space then this is the car for you. The Yaris Cross is small SUV in very much the same technological vein, and in our experience offers mpg that can near-as-dammit match the smaller hatchback. Which makes it very efficient indeed.
It’s not exactly sporty, nor is it quick. But the Yaris Cross handles tidily and is very comfortable. Add that famed Toyota reliability and the 10-year warranty coverage, and this is about as pragmatic as hybrid SUVs get. It’s not as nice inside as the Captur, but otherwise worth the tiny extra cost. Prices start at £25,530.
To find out more read our full Toyota Yaris Cross review
Honda Jazz – from £26,685
Best cheap hybrid car for its ingenious use of space
PROS: Great fuel economy, spacious rear seats, generous safety equipment
CONS: Expensive, the de facto choice of the over-80s
The Jazz is a prime example of Honda doing Honda things. The slightly awkward exterior design hides an exceedingly clever interior, complete with the latest iteration of Honda’s ‘magic’ rear seats that fold in more ways than seem probably possible, while the e:HEV hybrid system operates like a range extender a lot of the time.
At town speeds the 1.5-litre petrol engine only fires up to produce electricity for the electric motors, it doesn’t turn the wheels directly. But once you’re going faster it does drive the wheels as well, making the Jazz zippy and efficient around town, yet motorway comfortable beyond it. The bargain-basement basic trim has been discontinued, and it’s quite expensive for a small car at £26,685.
To find out more read our full Honda Jazz review
Nissan Juke Hybrid – from £27,095
Best cheap hybrid car… if you want a yellow car, maybe?
Pros: Stylish, well-equipped, good interior layout
Cons: Tight rear space, average to drive
The Nissan Juke continues to be one of the UK’s most popular cars, and the addition of a hybrid version a few years ago no doubt bolstered its appeal. Though the Juke has style on its side, if you like this sort of thing, it underperforms in many areas.
Even with a recent update, the interior still looks and feels a generation old, while rear-seat space is tight. The fuel economy from its hybrid system, which is loosely shared with Renault, is also disappointing, as is the engine refinement. In short, you can do better than a Juke.
To find out more, read our full Nissan Juke Hybrid review.
Renault Arkana – from £27,395
Best cheap hybrid car for… hmm, we’re not so sure
PROS: Looks good, efficient hybrid system, spacious
CONS: Hybrid doesn’t suit it, you should just buy a Captur
Though Renault’s 1.6-litre hybrid system works in cars like the Clio and Captur, it begins feeling rather stretched in vehicles like the Arkana – the firm’s slightly oddball coupe-SUV. This hybrid system is loud, unresponsive and not recommendable in this model, and we’d advise looking to Renault’s smaller hybrid models instead.
That said, the Arkana looks smart with its rakish roofline, while the generous equipment levels and efficient hybrid powertrain mean it shouldn’t cost too much to run. Though some very attractive finance deals are available, as is often the case with the Renault, better vehicles are available for the money than this.
Cheap hybrid cars FAQs
What is a hybrid car?
We won’t go into full detail here as we have a full guide to hybrid technology but, in short, a hybrid car is one that mixes power from both a combustion engine and one or more electric motors, and is capable of being powered by either or both of these power sources as the car sees fit.
We’re focusing this list on self-charging hybrids, rather than mild hybrids (which are barely electrified and don’t really count) or plug-in hybrids (which are much more expensive).
Hybrid models typically offer low running costs, with cost-effective CO2 emissions making them good company cars and excellent fuel economy. And, unlike a diesel, they offer that economy on short runs – rather than just through extended cruising.
Why not buy an EV instead of a hybrid?
Electric cars dominate the headlines, but the price of purchasing a full EV – not to mention the potential faff of running one – means that they’re not for everyone yet. If you live rurally, or don’t have a home charge point, an EV can be more trouble than it’s worth, and relying on public charging could also mean you’re unlikely to save any money.
Are hybrid cars are reliable?
Yes, despite the general complexities of hybrid systems, they’re generally among some of the most reliable cars on the road – particularly those from Toyota and other Japanese carmakers Honda and Suzuki. Though you might be worried about how long the batteries in hybrids last, it’s worth noting there are hybrid vehicles like the Toyota Prius still on the roads with several hundred thousand miles under their belt. If you’re viewing a used hybrid car, it’s worth looking out for any dashboard faults that relate to the battery, however.