Compare the best hybrid family cars

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Best family hybrid cars of 2024

Family cars are all about convenience and practicality: they need to take the stress out of busy daily routines involving ferrying the kids to school, shopping trips and last-minute dashes to an appointment. That’s why a self-charging hybrid car is one of the best options out there: it can help lower running costs, but you needn’t hunt around for charging points every few hundred miles.

They are more efficient in town than non-hybrids too, and cost less than similarly specced plug-in hybrid vehicles, making them a perfect fit for families looking for decent economy, fuss-free usability and a sensible price tag. Here are our top 10 hybrid family car picks.

Nissan Qashqai

1. Nissan Qashqai

8/10
Nissan Qashqai review

What's good

  • Practical, solid interior
  • Lots of standard kit
  • Comfortable at a cruise

What’s not so good

  • Not much fun to drive
  • Boot space is a bit limited
  • Not as efficient as some hybrids
The Nissan Qashqai might seem like an uninspired choice of family car because it's so ubiquitous, but the latest model looks great inside and out, and is really comfortable to drive. What's more, its hybrid engine puts a spin on the traditional setup by running predominantly on electric power. Although this doesn't return big economy improvements over alternatives, it does mean it's quiet and refined to drive around town.

What's good

  • Practical, solid interior
  • Lots of standard kit
  • Comfortable at a cruise

What’s not so good

  • Not much fun to drive
  • Boot space is a bit limited
  • Not as efficient as some hybrids
Hyundai Kona

2. Hyundai Kona

7/10
Hyundai Kona review

What's good

  • Striking styling
  • Really practical
  • Quiet motorway cruiser

What’s not so good

  • Infuriating assistance bings and bongs
  • So-so hybrid engine
  • Alternatives comfier over bumps
While older Konas were pretty small inside, the latest model is anything but. It has a big boot and a spacious interior that will happily fit a child seat, and it's really quiet for long motorway drives. And if you go for the hybrid option, it has an official fuel economy figure of 60mpg.

What's good

  • Striking styling
  • Really practical
  • Quiet motorway cruiser

What’s not so good

  • Infuriating assistance bings and bongs
  • So-so hybrid engine
  • Alternatives comfier over bumps

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Kia Niro

3. Kia Niro

7/10
Kia Niro review
Battery range up to 40 miles

What's good

  • Good refinement
  • Low running costs
  • Great interior quality and space

What’s not so good

  • Not the most fun car to drive
  • Prices have risen compared to previous Niro
  • Hybrid and PHEV have smaller boot than the electric Niro
The Kia Niro is available with a 139bhp self-charging hybrid engine which gives decent performance around town and can run for short periods on electric power, too. It handles well although it can be a bit jiggly over bumps as a result. It’s pretty spacious too, and the 451 litres of boot space is better than most alternatives can offer.

What's good

  • Good refinement
  • Low running costs
  • Great interior quality and space

What’s not so good

  • Not the most fun car to drive
  • Prices have risen compared to previous Niro
  • Hybrid and PHEV have smaller boot than the electric Niro
Lexus NX Hybrid

4. Lexus NX

7/10
Lexus NX Hybrid review

What's good

  • Electric motors give plenty of punch
  • Aggressive, sporty looks
  • Lots of hi-tech features

What’s not so good

  • Noisy under acceleration
  • No wireless Android connectivity
  • Poor towing capacity
The Lexus NX is as impressive as its looks suggest, and the hybrid engine offers good performance. An automatic transmission is standard, and the two-wheel-drive model returns 50mpg, with the four-wheel-drive version dipping a bit to 47mpg. The 545 litres of boot space is up there with other luxury SUVs like the BMW X3 and Audi Q5.

What's good

  • Electric motors give plenty of punch
  • Aggressive, sporty looks
  • Lots of hi-tech features

What’s not so good

  • Noisy under acceleration
  • No wireless Android connectivity
  • Poor towing capacity
Toyota C-HR

5. Toyota C-HR

8/10
Toyota C-HR review

What's good

  • Looks great
  • Comfortable suspension
  • Low running costs

What’s not so good

  • Noisy engines
  • Feels cheap in the back
  • A touch pricey
The Toyota C-HR majors on style over practicality, but if you don't need loads of space it's a great option for those who want an economical hybrid car for family duties. Sure, big kids might feel a bit cramped in the back, but for smaller families who just want something comfortable and cool-looking for the school run, it's a great option.

What's good

  • Looks great
  • Comfortable suspension
  • Low running costs

What’s not so good

  • Noisy engines
  • Feels cheap in the back
  • A touch pricey
Toyota Corolla

6. Toyota Corolla

8/10
Toyota Corolla review

What's good

  • Cheap to run
  • Good quality inside
  • Enjoyable to drive

What’s not so good

  • Drony automatic gearbox
  • Rear space for adults
  • More expensive than alternatives
The Toyota Corolla offers low running costs, impressive interior quality and is quite fun to drive. You have a choice of either a 122bhp or 184bhp self-charging hybrid motor, the former offering an impressive 63mpg, the latter a quick 7.9-second 0-60mph time. Negatives? Adults may feel a bit cramped in the rear on long journeys and it can cost more than some alternatives.

What's good

  • Cheap to run
  • Good quality inside
  • Enjoyable to drive

What’s not so good

  • Drony automatic gearbox
  • Rear space for adults
  • More expensive than alternatives
Toyota RAV4 Hybrid

7. Toyota RAV4

8/10
Toyota RAV4 Hybrid review

What's good

  • Practical cabin with good passenger space
  • Comfortable to drive
  • Hybrid comes as standard

What’s not so good

  • Some scratchy cabin plastics
  • Awkward and noisy CVT gearbox
  • No through-loading from boot to rear seat
Comfortable to drive and packed with practical features that will appeal to families, the Toyota RAV is also quite frugal thanks to a hybrid motor that manages 50mpg. Opting for the four-wheel-drive model lowers fuel economy by just 1mpg, and the only drawbacks are a slightly noisy CVT automatic transmission and a few below-par trim materials in the cabin.

What's good

  • Practical cabin with good passenger space
  • Comfortable to drive
  • Hybrid comes as standard

What’s not so good

  • Some scratchy cabin plastics
  • Awkward and noisy CVT gearbox
  • No through-loading from boot to rear seat
Hyundai Tucson

8. Hyundai Tucson

7/10
Hyundai Tucson review

What's good

  • Excellent interior quality
  • Huge boot
  • Digital display and big infotainment as standard

What’s not so good

  • Looks are jarring
  • Awkward rear seat shape
  • Suspension feels on the firm side
The Hyundai Tucson's styling is certainly striking, if a touch Marmite. But if you fall on the side of 'love it' you will be pleased to know that on top of having an economical hybrid engine, the Tucson has a big, practical boot and a high-quality, high-tech interior.

What's good

  • Excellent interior quality
  • Huge boot
  • Digital display and big infotainment as standard

What’s not so good

  • Looks are jarring
  • Awkward rear seat shape
  • Suspension feels on the firm side
Honda CR-V

9. Honda CR-V

7/10
Honda CR-V review

What's good

  • Comfortable seats
  • Spacious inside
  • Good assistance tech as standard

What’s not so good

  • Quite expensive
  • Noisy on the motorway
  • Infotainment system is far from the best
The Honda CR-V is a big, imposing SUV that's really comfortable and spacious inside, as well as being packed full of tech. It's quite expensive, but you can offset this somewhat with the hybrid engine, which gets 43mpg in official tests – that's not too bad for a car of this size.

What's good

  • Comfortable seats
  • Spacious inside
  • Good assistance tech as standard

What’s not so good

  • Quite expensive
  • Noisy on the motorway
  • Infotainment system is far from the best
Ford Kuga

10. Ford Kuga

7/10
Ford Kuga review
Battery range up to 35 miles

What's good

  • Good fun to drive for an SUV
  • Keen price and generous equipment
  • Plug-in hybrid has a decent electric range

What’s not so good

  • Alternatives have plusher interiors
  • Smaller boot than alternatives
  • Infotainment isn't great
Family practicality meets a fun driving experience in the Ford Kuga, which also comes with a decent level of standard equipment and a keen price. The self-charging hybrid manages 51mpg and gets to 62mph in a spritely 9.1 seconds. Aside from a smallish boot and an average infotainment system, this one is hard to fault.

What's good

  • Good fun to drive for an SUV
  • Keen price and generous equipment
  • Plug-in hybrid has a decent electric range

What’s not so good

  • Alternatives have plusher interiors
  • Smaller boot than alternatives
  • Infotainment isn't great

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Hybrid cars FAQs

The Nissan Qashqai and Hyundai Kona are among the most affordable hybrid family cars you can buy. You can see how much you could save on all models by browsing carwow's new car deals.

The Kia Sorento and Hyundai Santa Fe are impressively large and spacious, and both can be had with either self-charging or plug-in hybrid engines. They also come with seven seats.

Most large SUVs are well suited to accommodating bulky car seats, the Kia Sorento in particular offers tons of passenger space, is tall enough so you don’t have to bend down when seating your child and undercuts most similarly-sized SUVs on price.