Used Car of the Year Awards: Hybrid cars
With living costs on the rise, getting a good deal on your next car is more important than ever. That's where our Used Car Awards come in. These are our favourite hybrid cars...
BMW 330e
Price from £17,000 Our pick 330e M Sport (Pro Pack)
If we were to pretend that executive cars were a group of friends on a night out, we reckon the BMW 3 Series would be first in the karaoke queue. As sophisticated saloons go, it’s never been afraid to let its hair down.
Even the 330e plug-in hybrid version – the one you might assume would be the tamest member of the bunch – has a strong sense of fun. Its rear-wheel drive (or four-wheel drive if you opt for an xDrive version) handling is playful and involving, while its 2.0-litre petrol engine and electric motor produce a total of 288bhp, for an impressive 0-62mph time of just 5.2sec. The rival Mercedes-Benz C300e, by contrast, is both slower and less fun to drive.
The 330e knows when to mellow out, mind you. Switch over to electric mode and, provided you have a full battery, you officially have up to 37 miles of quiet, zero-emissions motoring at your disposal; that’s more than the Volkswagen Golf GTE gives you. And when the 330e’s engine finally needs to kick in, it does so in a smooth and refined manner.
The interior has a polished feel about it, with the materials being of a suitably premium quality and build quality being suitably solid. What truly sets it apart from its rivals inside, though, is its class-leading infotainment system. This is easy to use, aided by a handy rotary controller between the front seats.
The 3 Series is roomier inside than a C300e or Volvo S60 Recharge, with more head and leg room in the rear seats. The seatbacks split in a 40/20/40 fashion, and that makes loading longer items through from the boot easier. The boot itself is a decent size, with enough room for five carry-on suitcases.
Despite all of this good news, used prices are hugely tempting, with early examples starting at just £17,000 and 2022 cars at around £22,000 (or roughly half the price they cost new). You won’t find a C300e for that little, nor the (admittedly larger) Volvo XC90 Recharge.
We recommend M Sport trim (because it’s the most common), but try to seek out a car that has the optional Pro Pack fitted; this brings adaptive suspension, making for a plusher ride in Comfort driving mode.
Also consider...
Best for value
Volkswagen Golf GTE (2015-2020)
Price from £10,000 Our pick 1.4 TSI GTE
Like the BMW 330e, the Volkswagen Golf GTE is a plug-in hybrid with a sporty edge.With a 0-62mph time of 7.6sec, it certainly feels quick, helped by the instantaneous response of its electric motor.
It’ll also officially cover up to 31 miles on electric power alone, and if that fits with your commute well enough that you rarely use petrol power, it can be very affordable to run.
With used prices starting at £10,000, the GTE is cheaper to buy than the closely related Audi A3 e-tron. However, it doesn’t feel cheap; it’s well screwed together inside, and you get lots of equipment, including climate control and front and rear parking sensors. The GTE feels a more premium product than a Hyundai Ioniq plug-in hybrid, for instance.
The GTE should be dependable, too. In our 2024 Reliability Survey, this generation of the Golf scored a respectable 91.8% in the family car class.
Read our full used Volkswagen Golf GTE review >>
Find a used Volkswagen Golf GTE for sale >>
Best seven-seater
Volvo XC90 (2016-present)
Price from £23,000 Our pick Recharge T8 Inscription
Your plug-in hybrid might need to juggle a lot more than just petrol and electric power; perhaps a bustling family life is in the mix. If so, we’d point you towards the Volvo XC90 Recharge. It’s a genuine seven- seater, with a third row roomy enough for adults – for short distances, at least.
Boot space is slightly reduced compared with regular XC90s (to accommodate the battery), but there’s still loads; in five-seat mode, it can hold more carry-on suitcases (10) than the Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Sorento.
The XC90 Recharge is generous elsewhere, too, with up to 43 miles of official electric range, a power output of more than 400bhp and a classy, well- made interior. What’s more, you can readily pick up an example in high-spec Inscription trim for roughly the same price as lesser versions, while owner feedback suggests the XC90 Recharge is more reliable than the Sorento.
Find a used Volvo XC90 for sale >>
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