Over the past five or six years, buyers have been flocking to hybrids as a more affordable electrified option. With the current sticker price on EVs and the popularity of hybrids, here is a list of reliable hybrids that cost less than the average EV. Even though you can get a Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid or a Prius for under $30,000, these tend toward the budget side. This list focuses on hybrids that are a step or two above what most would consider a budget car.
2025 Lexus ES Hybrid – 89/100
Starting MSRP: $44,835
The Lexus ES The 300h is a super-luxury sedan, built for comfort and style, rather than performance. While this hybrid is certainly not a small car, it is remarkably fuel efficient with a combined rating of 44 MPG, compared to the 28 MPG of the most efficient ICE ES. The ES gets an overall rating of 83/100 from JD Power, and its 89/100 for reliability is among the top scores in this category.
Although the ES300h shares its hybrid powertrain and basic structure with the Toyota Camry, its interior features, equipment and trim are more in line with similarly sized German luxury sedans, although not in terms of performance.
2025 Lexus NX hybrid – 85/100
Starting MSRP: $45,470
The Lexus NX 350h is a luxury compact SUV. It is built on the same platform as the popular Toyota RAV4 and also shares engine and hybrid components. The NX 350h is more spacious than most comparable luxury SUVs, and the interior is exceptionally well appointed.
As with the ES sedan, the NX’s performance focus is more on comfort and luxury than on driving hard and fast. The NX350h has good fuel efficiency for a crossover of its size, with a combined rating of 39 MPG. It has a 2.5-liter inline four-cylinder engine, three motors and all-wheel drive.
2025 Toyota Highlander Hybrid – 84/100
Starting MSRP: $47,020
The Toyota Highlander hybrid is a seven-seat SUV/crossover with a 2.5-liter engine, three motors and AWD. It’s also a bit of a mystery because of the Toyota Grand Highlander, also a seven-seater with the same engine, motors and drivetrain. The Grand Highlander is larger, longer, and taller overall than the Highlander, but it starts at just over $2,000 less. Unsurprisingly, the Grand has taken over sales from the regular Highlander, and the only reason it’s not on this list is because JD Power apparently can’t believe it either and doesn’t even list the Grand Highlander under Toyota.
The Highlander is a comfortable family crossover with good practicality and equipment. Although it is a seven-seater, the last row is a bit cramped and more suitable for younger children. With a combined rating of 35 MPG, the Highlander’s fuel economy is quite good for a vehicle of this size. Almost as good as the Grand Highlander, which gets 36 MPG.
2025 Hyundai Palisade Hybrid – 84/100
Starting MSRP: $47,520
The Hyundai Palisade Hybrid is new to the gas-only Palisade that has been around for a few years. It is a seven/eight-seat SUV that competes directly with the Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid and the Mazda CX-90 Hybrid. The Palisade Hybrid comes with a four-cylinder turbo and two engines that produce 329 horsepower, more than the ICE version’s 3.5-liter V-6. It also has a six-speed automatic transmission, which is refreshing in the days of the CVT.
This mid-size SUV is spacious and has the many features associated with Hyundai vehicles. The middle row bench seat can be replaced with two captain’s chairs, adding a touch of luxury and more space per passenger. The FWD gets a combined rating of 34 MPG, which drops to 29 MPG if AWD is chosen.
2025 Honda CR-V hybrid – 83/100
Starting MSRP: $35,630
The Honda CR-V hybrid is another case where the addition of a hybrid powertrain makes a great car even better. This five-seat compact crossover competes directly with the best-selling Toyota RAV4, with the CR-V gaining a significant lead in RAV4 market share so far this year.
When describing the Honda CR-V hybrid, reviewers often use the terms “practical,” “refined,” “efficient” and “value for money,” even though the CR-V hybrid isn’t particularly cheap for its class. The hybrid drive produces 204 hp, with the FWD achieving an impressive 40 MPG combined, and the AWD 37.
2025 Lexus RX Hybrid – 82/100
Starting MSRP: $53,475
The Lexus RX hybrid is a mid-size luxury SUV that moves in the same circles as the Volvo XC60 and Mercedes-Benz GLC hybrids. Like many Lexus models, the RX is firmly rooted in plush comfort, rather than serious speed or sharp handling. Although the most affordable version, the RX, with its 2.4 liters and 246 hp, starts comfortably lower than the average EV price benchmark, the range quickly becomes more expensive.
The RX350h has AWD and gets 36 MPG combined. There’s also a sportier RX500h F-Sport, which adds a turbo to the 2.4-liter engine and delivers 366 horsepower.
2025 Toyota Crown Signia – 82/100
Starting MSRP: $44,090
The Toyota Kroonsignia and the original Crown both belong on this list, and the only reason the Signia is included is because it’s an SUV, a more popular and practical body style than the Crown sedan. That aside, the two Crown models are outliers in the Toyota range because they lean significantly towards the luxury side of motoring, a bit like Lexus on a Toyota budget.
The Toyota Crown Signia is only available with hybrid powertrain and features the proven 2.5-liter hybrid used in the RAV4, Highlander and other models. In this case it’s tuned to deliver 243bhp, which is adequate, but not sporty. The Crown Signia has AWD and gets 38 MPG combined.
2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid – 81/100
Starting MSRP: $36,595
The Subaru Forester has been the somewhat exotic Japanese crossover for decades and now has a hybrid drivetrain that makes this perennial favorite even better. As a compact five-seat crossover, the Forester must compete in the crowded class that also includes the RAV4 and CR-V.
Subaru as a brand and the Forester as a model have never been top sellers, but its practical AWD, spacious interior and sturdy four-cylinder engine have built a strong, brand-loyal base in the US. The hybrid drive is called a series/parallel system because it can switch between the engine and the motors to drive the wheels. Fuel economy at 35 MPG combined, like the Forester, is solid rather than spectacular.
2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid – 81/100
Starting MSRP: $36,150
The Hyundai Santa Fe is a three-row SUV with seating for six to seven passengers. It’s the perfect city SUV to transport a large family in comfort, and its generous cargo space makes it ideal for weekend getaways. Like the comparable Toyota Highlander, the third row is a bit tight and more suitable for children.
The Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid has a 1.6 liter capacity four-cylinder turbo engine with an electric motor that delivers a lot 231 hp. Like the Palisade, the Santa Fe has a six-speed automatic transmission. FWD is standard and AWD is an option. This gives a combined rating of 35 MPG, compared to 24 for the ICE version.
2025 Toyota Tacoma Hybrid – 80/100
Starting MSRP: $46,720
The Toyota Tacoma Hybrid is at the fat end of mid-size trucks, a rugged and capable workhorse that can go anywhere. The i-Force Max hybrid setup features a 2.4-liter turbo inline-four with an electric motor. It produces 326 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque. Fuel economy is 24 MPG combined, which is slightly better than the 20 MPG for the ICE Taco.
The Tacoma seats five, has a payload capacity of 1,709 pounds and can tow 6,000 pounds. It comes in five trims, with the first two under $50,000 and the last two pushing past $60,000.
Sources: The EPA, Cox AutomobileJD Power
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