5 Most Reliable Hybrid Cars
When you’re selecting a new car, reliability is a crucial consideration. What makes a car reliable? A highly reliable one doesn’t cost a lot to maintain or repair. It also has great gas efficiency. A reliable car also typically enjoys excellent warranty coverage and safety ratings. Here are five great picks to choose from if you’re searching for the most reliable hybrid cars.
1. Toyota Camry
Using their data and reviews from multiple well-known industry publications, the writers at carVertical recently put together a list of the most reliable hybrid vehicles on the market. It’s a great place to start if you’re looking for a new or used one. And if you’re generally familiar with how different car brands distinguish themselves, you won’t be surprised by most of the names on their list.
As per carVertical, the fifth most reliable hybrid is the Toyota Camry. Toyota has long and deservedly held a reputation for reliability, as it manufactures dependable and affordable cars that don’t cost much to maintain. The Camry might have placed higher on the list. However, its fuel efficiency numbers aren’t as high as some of its competitors.
Car and Driver list the 2023 Camry’s fuel efficiency at 51 mpg in the city and 53 mpg on the highway. It also boasts considerable advanced safety tech, including automated emergency braking with forward collision warning, lane departure warning and lane keeping assistance, and adaptive cruise control.
Toyota also offers respectable warranty coverage: limited for three years or 36,000 miles, powertrain for five years or 60,00 miles, and complimentary maintenance for two years or 25,000 miles.
2. Kia Niro
Coming in at number four is the Kia Niro. Edmunds notes that the 2023 Niro offers drivers up to 53 mpg in the city and 54 on the highway, which likely substantially brings down the hybrid’s long-term ownership costs over the long term.
The Niro hybrid also includes a bevy of advanced safety systems standards. There’s adaptive cruise control with lane centering assistance, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking, and forward collision warning available without any upgrades.
Niro drivers also get Kia’s excellent warranty coverage. Limited warranty coverage is available for five years or 60,000 miles, and powertrain coverage is available for 10 years or 100,000 miles. No complimentary scheduled maintenance is offered, but the warranty package is still substantial.
3. Toyota Yaris
If you’re looking for a reliable used vehicle, look no further than the Toyota Yaris. Toyota stopped manufacturing them in the U.S. in June 2020. Still, the Yaris offers drivers quite competitive fuel efficiency. Driving Electric puts the Yaris’ numbers at 57 mpg in the city and 69 mpg on the highway, which are a huge selling point.
carVertical also notes that the Yaris received a 99.5% reliability rating on What Car?. The Yaris earned that rating because owners reported few malfunctions. Of those reported on What Car?, none of them left drivers stranded.
Unlike the Camry, the Yaris doesn’t have many advanced safety systems without upgrades. But it does offer the Camry’s warranty coverage, which is solid for this segment.
4. Toyota RAV4
The runner-up on carVertical’s list is the Toyota RAV4. While, according to Car and Driver, the 2023 model’s fuel efficiency numbers are relatively low (41/38 mpg city/highway), the RA4 has plenty of other things going for it in terms of reliability.
carVertical’s research indicated that only 7% of RAV4s had issues, all of which were battery-related. Further, the publication indicated that none were expensive and none rendered the car undrivable.
New RAV4s also comes with Toyota Safety Sense 2.5, which includes adaptive cruise control, auto high beams, automatic braking, rear cross-traffic alerts, lane departure assistance, blind-spot monitoring, front and rear parking assistance, and more. Warranty coverage is almost identical to the Camry and Yaris, with one addition. Hybrid components are covered for eight years or 100,000 miles.
5. Lexus NX
With Toyota’s reputation for reliability, is it any wonder that the automaker would also manufacture the number one vehicle on this list? The 2023 Lexus NX leads the pack, with carVertical noting that only 2% had owner-reported issues.
The 2023 NX also offers solid fuel efficiency: 41 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on the highway, as per Car and Driver. While these may be the lowest of the five, the NX also comes with Lexus Safety System+ 3.0, which offers automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control with curve speed management, oncoming vehicle detection, lane-keeping assistance, and several other features.
The NX offers the same warranty coverage as the RAV4. And if you’re looking for a reliable luxury hybrid, the NX is an ideal choice.
