Yahoo Autos Best Plug-In Hybrids for 2024 and 2025
Plug-in hybrids aim to offer the best of both worlds: the possibility of electric-only motoring when the battery is fully charged plus the convenience of a gasoline engine when you need it for longer journeys. Some PHEV (plug-in-hybrid electric vehicle) models achieve this duality better than others, and many of our favorites use their gas-electric powertrains for a performance boost in addition to efficiency gains.
Plug-in hybrids often have larger battery packs than conventional hybrids, and they can be plugged in either at home or at public charging stations to juice up the battery pack. When the battery is depleted, they run the gasoline engine and operate much like a typical hybrid. Of the many plug-in hybrids on sale, we've picked our favorites and ranked them in order of least to most expensive. They range from efficient small hatchbacks all the way up to mega-horsepower supercars, so you're sure to find something on this list to get you excited about the idea of plugging in.
More Car Rankings: Hybrids with the Best MPG | Best Hybrid SUVs | Fastest Hybrids | Best Small Hybrid Cars
2024 Toyota Prius Prime
Base price: $34,070
The Prius name is practically synonymous with hybrid at this point, and the plug-in Prime version has been around for several generations. The latest iteration is the best yet, as its PHEV setup now makes it the most powerful Prius, with 220 horsepower. It's only available with front-wheel drive, unlike the standard model that offers an AWD option, but it makes up for that with up to 45 miles of EPA-rated electric driving range.
The Prime Proves that the Best EV Might Not Be an EV
2024 Kia Niro PHEV
Base price: $35,765
The Niro lineup is made up entirely of electrified options, with the choice of a hybrid, an EV, or a plug-in hybrid. The PHEV may seem like a compromise between the two, but it's arguably the most enticing version in the lineup. It undercuts the EV on price while providing more horsepower than the standard hybrid, thanks to its 180-hp combined output.
2024 Toyota RAV4 Prime
Base price: $45,085
Like the Prius Prime, the RAV4 Prime is the quickest model in the RAV4 lineup. It has an impressive 302 horsepower and is rated to deliver up to 42 miles of electric driving on a full charge. It comes standard with all-wheel drive and, in a nod to its performance-oriented nature, is offered solely in the RAV4's sportier-looking SE and XSE trim levels.
Why the RAV4 Outsells Every Other Car in America
2025 Kia Sorento PHEV
Base price: $49,365
The Sorento is a practical three-row SUV with several powertrain options, including a plug-in-hybrid model. It makes 261 horsepower and is offered with all-wheel drive. It's not as dramatically styled as the related Hyundai Santa Fe, which was redesigned recently, but the Hyundai doesn't offer a plug-in-hybrid powertrain anymore. Plus, the Sorento got its own refresh for 2025 and still looks sharp for a mainstream SUV.
Read Our Review of the Related Santa Fe
2025 Mazda CX-70 / CX-90
Base price: $55,855 (CX-70), $51,400 (CX-90)
Mazda’s duo of mid-size SUVs, the two-row CX-70 and the three-row CX-90, are both offered with a plug-in-hybrid setup producing 323 horsepower. It uses a 2.5-liter gasoline engine and offers around 26 miles of range on a full charge. It may not sound as enticing as the available turbocharged inline-six also offered in these SUVs, but we were impressed with the CX-90 PHEV when we drove it, and it accomplishes a lot with is combination of gas and electric power.
Can Plug-In Hybrids Fix Every Car?
2025 BMW 550e
Base price: $73,875
Although we've only driven it in electric i5 form, we're fans of the latest generation of 5-series. It's adding a new PHEV variant for 2025 called the 550e, which uses an inline-six gas engine. We haven't yet gotten behind the wheel of the 550e, but given that it has the same powertrain as the BMW X5 in a smaller, lighter package, we expect it will offer impressive performance.
We Drive the RWD Base BMW i5 EV
2025 Volvo XC90 T8
Base price: $73,195
Although it’s getting long in the tooth, Volvo’s luxury three-row SUV still offers plenty to like, from its elegant styling to its plush interior. The plug-in-hybrid model, called T8, has also gotten updates over the years and now produces 455 horsepower. A larger battery pack also offers more range than before, with the EPA now rating it to deliver 33 miles of EV range on a full charge.
The XC90 Proves Good Design is Timeless
2025 BMW X5 xDrive50e
Base price: $74,275
For 2024, BMW swapped the X5’s plug-in-hybrid setup from a turbo-four gas engine to a turbo inline-six and changed the model designation from xDrive45e to xDrive50e. The new powertrain produces a whole lot more power—up to 483 hp—and more electric range, as it's now rated to go around 40 miles on a charge.
See the X5's Recent Updates in Detail
2025 Land Rover Range Rover P550e
Base price: $121,550
The Range Rover is all about excess, which makes it an unlikely candidate for the plug-in-hybrid treatment. But the PHEV version, called the P550e, embraces this idea in combining an inline-six gasoline engine with an electric motor for a combined 542 horsepower and an EPA-rated 51 miles of electric range. Those are impressive numbers, and the hybrid makes no sacrifices in terms of luxury, road presence, or capability compared with the standard models.
We Drive the PHEV Range Rover and Come Away Impressed
2025 Porsche Panamera E-Hybrid / Turbo E-Hybrid
Base price: $117,495
The Panamera offers three hybrid models, all of which can be plugged in. The standard E-Hybrid is the most demure, but still offers 463 horsepower (or 563 hp if you opt for the AWD 4 E-Hybrid). The Turbo E-Hybrid has a crazy 670 horsepower, and the 771-hp Turbo S E-Hybrid is the most performance-oriented Panamera you can buy. It'll hit a claimed 202 mph top speed; how's that for hybrid performance?
We Drive the Panamera E-Hybrid
2025 Mercedes-Benz S 580e
Base price: $129,350
The S-class is the ultimate luxury sedan, and the PHEV version lives up to the high standard set by the long history of S-classes that came before it. Its large battery pack means the S 580e offers an impressively long estimated electric driving range of 56 miles, and the powertrain makes 503 horsepower, which is slightly more than the V-8–powered S 580.
There's Also an 800-HP S63 AMG PHEV
2024 Ferrari 296 GTB
Base price: $342,205
Any Ferrari is a special machine, and the 296 GTB has the distinct honor of being both a plug-in hybrid and the over-$100k winner of our Performance Car of the Year award. Its complex drivetrain combines a turbocharged V-6 with an electric motor for a whopping 819 horsepower. It's also outrageously good to drive. Dare we say it's worth every penny of its steep asking price?
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