► Not all hybrid cars are hyper-expensive
► Electrified mobility from £21,295
► But are 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 on 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 know as self-charging hybrids – rather than less efficient mild-hybrid models or more expensive plug-in hybrids. We wouldn’t necessarily recommend all of them, but there are some inexpensive gems here. Pricing was correct at the time of writing in January 2024.
Cheapest hybrid cars in 2024
Renault Clio
Spacious small car with F1 hybrid tech – too good to be true?
PROS: Lots of passenger space, handles nicely, looks good
CONS: The petrol Clio is a bit better, to be honest
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 £21,295
To be honest, we prefer the regular petrol-powered Clio – the E-Tech system can be a little clunky. But if you like 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.
To find out more read our full Renault Clio E-Tech hybrid review
Toyota Yaris
Best for real-world economy and a 10-year warranty
PROS: Toyota’s pioneering hybrid tech is highly developed, excellent real-world mpg, attractive
CONS: A bit sad inside, 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 £22,630.
To find out more read our full Toyota Yaris review
Dacia Jogger
Best for lots of space for not a lot of cash
PROS: Great value, very practical, seats seven
CONS: Cheap for a reason, 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.
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.
To find out more read our full Dacia Jogger review
Suzuki Vitara
Best if you need a cheap, capable hybrid SUV
PROS: So cheap for the amount of car you get, good on- and off-road, light and nimble
CONS: Full hybrid is very much the poor relation to the conventional Boosterjet…
The Suzuki Vitara has a bit of a whack image in some quarters, but benefits hugely from lightweight build, decent handling and Suzuki’s generally impressive level of reliability. This is a nice on-road SUV that can still cross the literal countryside if required.
Unfortunately, the firm’s full hybrid system has also left us unimpressed, and this version of the Vitara pales to the point of near translucence compared with conventional Boosterjet turbo. It’s also somewhat cheaper feeling inside than the Suzuki S-Cross that’s also on this list – but since it starts at an even more affordable £23,999 (with current £3k ‘customer saving’) that’s easily forgiven.
To find out more read our full Suzuki Vitara review
Mazda 2 Hybrid
If it looks familiar, that’s because it’s a (more expensive) Toyota
PROS: Great real-world fuel economy, good to drive, should be reliable
CONS: More expensive than the Toyota it’s based on
To be perfectly frank, we haven’t driven the Mazda 2 Hybrid. And although that should change very shortly when Mazda launches the 2024 facelift model, it’s not something we’re especially worried about because this is one of the more blatant rebadging exercises of recent times. The Mazda 2 Hybrid is not related to the regular Mazda 2 at all – it’s a re-branded Toyota Yaris.
This is good news in the sense that you get the same excellent hybrid system and neat handling – which means properly good real-world mpg and a reasonably perky drive. But it’s less good news – in a list of the cheapest hybrid cars – that you have to pay quite a bit more to get behind the wheel of the Mazda versions. Prices start at £23,995.
To find out more read our Toyota Yaris review (see above)
Renault Captur Hybrid
A comfortable compact SUV hybrid
PROS: Comfortable, spacious for its size, high-quality interior
CONS: Renault’s hybrid system isn’t the slickest
No surprise that the Renault Captur uses the same slightly awkward hybrid system as other related models on this list – most notably the Nissan Juke, which competes in the same area of the market. Of these two, the Renault would get our vote, for although it’s available less it’s a better, more modern car.
For starters, 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. Prices start at £24,795.
To find out more read our full Renault Captur review
Toyota Yaris Cross
Toyota’s trusty hybrid system in a small SUV
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 £24,855.
To find out more read our full Toyota Yaris Cross review
Honda Jazz
Not as cheap as it once was, but still a brilliant hybrid
PROS: Very clever interior, slick hybrid system, small but practical
CONS: Basic version no longer available
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, but we still reckon this is steal priced from £26,395.
To find out more read our full Honda Jazz review
Suzuki S-Cross
A nice enough car, but it’s better with the non-hybrid engine…
PROS: Nice interior, no nonsense image, should be reliable
CONS: Conventional engine is better than the hybrid
We genuinely like the Suzuki S-Cross for its practical interior, light-weight engineering and no-nonsense image. But we like it the most with the conventional Boosterjet turbo-petrol engine; the available full self-charging hybrid system may generate enhanced mpg and reduced CO2 emissions, but it also handicaps the S-Cross with a desperately clunky drivetrain.
The S-Cross hybrid has about as much torque as a pedal car and pushes everything through an anaemic 48V hybrid system and godawful automated manual transmission. So while this is a better car overall than the cheaper Suzuki Vitara Hybrid, we still wouldn’t touch this version of it with somebody else’s barge pole. Prices start at £27,849.
Nissan Juke
The most expensive cheap hybrid probably isn’t worth the cost
PROS: one-pedal driving mode is clever, still looks funky, sharp to drive
CONS: stiff ride, old interior
The last model on this list to utilise Renault’s complex hybrid system is also the most expensive – and not a Renault. What’s more, adding it to the aging Nissan Juke feels a little like trying to teach an old dog new tricks. It sort of works on paper, but we’ve found the real-world economy disappointing and hybrid system remains frustratingly annoying.
It does handle a little better than the very similar Renault Captur. But this is in part a consequence of the firmer suspension, which gives this not terribly exciting car an unnecessarily firm ride. The interior isn’t brilliantly attractive either, but at least the e-Pedal driving mode is quite clever. Want a cheap hybrid SUV? We’d suggest the Yaris Cross is a better bet.
To find out more read our full Nissan Juke Hybrid review
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?
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.