Buying guides
Nine of the best used hybrid SUVs
If you love SUVs for their high driving position, good practicality and tough image but want to keep your carbon footprint (and running costs) to a minimum, hybrid power might be the answer. Here’s our guide to the best used hybrid SUVs you can buy.
By Cazoo editorial team
SUVs are hugely popular and with their unique combination of style and practicality, it’s easy to see why. Their extra weight and size means that SUVs tend to have higher fuel consumption and CO2 emissions compared with a saloon or hatchback, but there are now plenty of SUV models that offer a solution: hybrid power.
Hybrid SUVs combine an electric motor with a petrol or diesel engine for greater fuel economy and lower emissions. Whether you’re talking about a hybrid that you have to plug in and charge, or a hybrid that charges itself, the efficiency benefits are clear. Here, we pick out some of the best hybrid SUVs around.
1. Audi Q7 55 TFSIe
The Audi Q7 is such a good all-rounder that it’s difficult to fault in any single area. It’s classy, spacious, versatile, fabulous to drive, well equipped, safe and competitively priced. So it ticks a lot of boxes.
The plug-in hybrid version has all those attributes too, but it adds incredible efficiency into the mix. It combines a 3.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine with an electric motor, which not only provides lots of power, but also allows you to drive up to 27 miles on zero-emissions electric power alone and gives an average fuel economy figure of 88mpg. As with any plug-in hybrid, your real-world mpg will depend on where and how you drive and whether you keep the battery fully charged. If you tend to do a lot of shorter journeys and plug in regularly though, you may be driving in electric-only mode more often than you expect.
2. Honda CR-V
Honda was one of the first car brands to bring the technology to the mass market, so you can be confident that the Japanese firm knows a thing or two about making a good hybrid.
The CR-V is definitely that. The 2.0-litre petrol engine and a pair of electric motors combine to give you strong, smooth progress, and while the efficiency figures of this self-charging hybrid aren’t as impressive as they are in the plug-in hybrids on this list, the benefits are still compared with conventional combustion-engined cars.
The CR-V is also an exceptional family car, with a huge interior, a big boot and a hard-wearing feel throughout. It’s comfortable and feels reassuringly solid on the road too.
3. BMW X5 xDrive45e
The BMW X5 has always been a regular sight on the school run and nowadays, this big SUV is capable of such journeys without using any fuel whatsoever.
A full charge of the xDrive45e’s batteries, which is achieved by plugging the car into the mains, gives you an electric-only range of 54 miles, which is enough to take care of both the school run and most people’s daily commute. Official figures give average fuel consumption of over 200mpg and CO2 emissions of about 40 g/km (that’s less than half most city cars, as a bit of context). As with every plug-in hybrid, you’re unlikely to match those laboratory test figures but should still get great fuel economy for such a big car.
4. Toyota C-HR
Remember what we said about Honda being one of the first car brands to bring hybrid technology to the mass market? Well Toyota was the other one and while Honda has dabbled with hybrids over the past twenty years or so, Toyota has stuck with it the whole way through, so the firm’s expertise in the area is unmatched.
The C-HR is a self-charging hybrid, so you can’t top up the battery yourself and it doesn’t offer the incredible fuel efficiency figures of the plug-in cars on this list. It’ll still be very affordable to run, however, with an official fuel economy figure of over 50mpg.It’s a very stylish little car too and should prove to be a very reliable option. Compact and easy to park, the CH-R is also enjoyable to drive and remarkably practical for its size.
5. Lexus RX450h
The Lexus RX is the real trailblazer of this list. While the other SUVs on this list have only begun offering hybrid power options quite recently Lexus – Toyota’s premium brand – has been doing it for years.
Like a few others on this list, this hybrid is of the self-charging variety rather than being a plug-in, so it won’t travel anywhere near as far on electric-only power or tempt you with such dazzling official fuel economy. It does mean that you can enjoy its hybrid benefits if you don’t have a driveway or a garage, however, and it’s also a very comfortable car to drive.You also get a lot of equipment for your money and bags of interior space, especially if you opt for the ‘L’ model which is longer and has seven seats rather than five. On top of all that is Lexus’ legendary reputation for reliability.
6. Peugeot 3008 Hybrid
The Peugeot 3008 has been dazzling buyers for years thanks to its good looks, futuristic interior and family-friendly practicality. More recently this popular SUV has become even more appealing thanks to the addition of not just one but two plug-in hybrid models to the range.
The regular 3008 Hybrid has front-wheel drive and gives you good performance, while the Hybrid4 has four-wheel drive (thanks to an extra electric motor) and even more power. According to official figures, both are able to travel up to 40 miles on electric power alone given a full charge of the batteries, but while the regular Hybrid can achieve up to 222mpg, the Hybrid4 can achieve up to 235mpg.
7. Mercedes GLE350de
Mercedes is one of the few car brands that offers diesel/electric hybrids but the official efficiency figures for the GLE350de prove that there’s certainly something to be said for the technology. The combination of a 2.0-litre diesel engine and an electric motor result in an official fuel economy figure of just over 250mpg, while the car’s maximum electric-only range is also very impressive at 66 miles.
Figures aside, the GLE has a luxurious, high-tech interior to recommend and it makes light work of long journeys because it’s so quiet and effortless at speed. It’s a very practical family car too and should allow you to do the school run on electric power alone.
8. Volvo XC90 T8 Twin Engine
The Volvo XC90 pulls off a trick that none of its rivals can. You see, in other large seven-seat SUVs such as the Audi Q7, Mercedes GLE and Mitsubishi Outlander, the rearmost seats have to make way in the hybrid version to fit the extra mechanical hardware in, making them five-seaters only. In the Volvo though, you can have both the hybrid system and seven seats, giving it a unique appeal.
The XC90 is a fabulous car in other ways too. It’s very stylish inside and out, has a real feeling of quality and it's packed with clever tech. With huge space for people and luggage it’s every bit as practical as you’d expect. And, being a Volvo, it’s about as safe as cars come.
9. Range Rover P400e PHEV
Luxury SUVs are everywhere these days, but the Range Rover has always been the boss of them all. This huge, imposing 4x4 has more luxury and desirability than ever before thanks to its incredible quality and cutting-edge tech, while its smooth ride and comfortable, beautifully finished interior help to make you feel like you’re travelling first-class.
While Range Rovers used to cost you an arm and a leg in fuel, the latest one is now available as a plug-in hybrid that, according to the official figures allows you to travel up to 25 miles on the batteries alone and is capable of an average fuel return of up to 83mpg. It’s still an expensive car to buy, but it’s a proper luxury car that, in hybrid form, is surprisingly cost-effective to own.
There are lots of high-quality used hybrid cars to choose from at Cazoo. Simply use the search function to find one you love then buy or finance it online. You can choose to have it delivered to your door, or you can collect it from your nearest Cazoo Customer Centre.
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