Top 5 Best and Worst Plug-In Hybrid Vehicles
What are some of the best and worst plug-in hybrid vehicles that you can buy.
I’m gonna share five plug-in hybrid vehicles that are reliable, well designed and offer excellent value.
And I’m also gonna share five that are the complete opposite that you should just stay away from because they are a complete waste of your money.
Best Plug-In Hybrid Vehicles of 2024
Mazda CX-90: A Luxurious and Reliable Plug-In Hybrid
Let’s start off with the first plugin hybrid that you should buy, and that one is the Mazda CX 90.
The CX 90 is a new mid-sized three row SUV that was introduced for 2024, and it’s available with both a regular turbo six cylinder engine and as a plugin hybrid with an efficient four cylinder engine that combines with an electric motor and an eight speed automatic transmission,
the CX 90 plugin hybrid is able to travel around 42 kilometers or 26 miles on electric power when fully charged.
Now admittedly, that’s not really the best electric range for a plugin hybrid, but if you keep it charged on a regular basis, you will definitely save a lot of money on gas.
And what the CX 90 has going forward is that it has a very smooth and refined hybrid system.
It offers excellent power and it’s also surprisingly luxurious.
Mazda has been doing a phenomenal job making its latest vehicles a lot more upscale than they’ve been in the past, and we can really see that with the CX 90.
And not only does it have a luxurious feel, but this is also a very safe SUV and it offers plenty of interior space.
And even though some buyers might have some quality or reliability concerns, given that this is an all new model,
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it doesn’t really apply to the plugin hybrid version really because it uses a very well proven SKYACTIVE two and a half liter four cylinder engine, which Mazda has been using in many of its models for over a decade now.
And not only does it have a well proven engine, but the CX 90 is also manufactured in Japan.
And as of late, Mazda has been known for being one of the most reliable brands that you can buy on the market.
So if you wanna, well-designed, luxurious and practical mid-sized SUV, that happens to be a plug-in hybrid, the CX 90 is definitely one of the best options that you can look at.
Toyota RAV4 Prime: All-Rounder Plug-In Hybrid
Now moving on to a much more affordable vehicle and one of the best plugin hybrids that you can buy, we have the Toyota RAV4 Prime.
The RAV4 Prime is one of those vehicles that really delivers almost everything a consumer could want in affordable, efficient, and reliable SUV.
It uses Toyota’s super reliable and well-proven three motor hybrid system producing just over 300 horsepower and with a dedicated electric range of around 42 miles or 68 kilometers went fully charged.
And even when running in hybrid mode with the gas engine on, it’s still remarkably fuel efficient.
So there’s no question you are going to save a lot of money on gas with the RAV4 prime, but not only is it a huge money saver when it comes to efficiency, reliability, and value, but the RAV4 Prime is also a really well designed SUV.
It has great performance, a very spacious interior, plenty of features, and really good safety technology as well because of its incredible desirability is certainly not an easy SUV to get your hands on, especially for MSRP, but if you are able to do so, there’s no question you are getting one of the best plugin hybrid SUVs that you can buy for the money.
Lexus TX 550H+: Premium Performance and Proven Reliability
If you want a luxurious three-row SUV that happens to be a plugin hybrid, you’d be much better off going with the next vehicle on the list, which is the Lexus TX 550H plus.
Now like the CX 90, the TX is a brand new mid-sized three row SUV that was introduced for 2024.
But unlike Lincoln Lexus is a brand that has a really solid track record for making really well made and reliable long lasting hybrid vehicles.
In the case of the TX plugin, hybrid Lexus has resurrected a hybrid system from the previous generation RX 450 H, which means it uses a naturally aspirated 3.5 liter V six engine that comes connected to a two motor hybrid system and an ECVT transmission.
And because of its larger battery pack, the TX is able to travel around 32 miles or 50 kilometers when it’s fully charged.
So you not only get the efficiency and the electric driving range that you would want for a plugin hybrid, but you also have a proven track record for really strong reliability as well.
The TX also benefits from being one of the most spacious three row SUVs that you can buy on the luxury market with a lot of interior space and cargo space.
And of course it has a luxurious interior, tons of technology and all the safety and refinement benefits that you would expect to find in Lexus.
It’s certainly not a cheap vehicle, but if you want a well-made plug-in hybrid three-year SUV, the TX 550H plus is certainly an excellent choice to go for.
Lexus NX 450H+: A Compact Luxury Plug-In Hybrid
Instead go for a different SUV like the next one on the list, which is the Lexus NX 450H plus. The NX is a small compact crossover SUV from Lexus.
if you want a really well designed and also really well made plug-in hybrid, this is one of the best luxury SUVs that you can buy for the money.
It shares the exact same hybrid system that’s used in the RAV4 prime, which means you get just over 300 horsepower with plenty of performance, along with a really efficient hybrid system that’s also able to travel around 32 miles or 50 kilometers when fully charged on electric power.
You also get a really smooth and comfortable ride, a really luxurious well-designed and well-made interior and an excellent safety rating with a lot of safety technology.
It’s also worth mentioning that you can also get the exact same benefits in the larger RX 450H plus, which has the exact same plugin hybrid system only in a larger, more spacious package.
Either way, whether it’s the NX or the RX, these are easily two of the best luxury SUVs that you can buy on the market.
Toyota Prius Prime: Efficiency and Best Value
And finally, that brings us to the last plug-in hybrid on this list and one of the best ones that you can buy, and that is the Toyota Prius Prime.
Without question, the Prius Prime is easily one of the best plug-in hybrid vehicles on sale today.
It really delivers everything that you could want in an efficient, reliable, well-made and value packed vehicle.
The hybrid system is one of the best on the market and the fifth generation in Toyota’s hybrid technology.
It produces great performance with around 220 horsepower, more than enough for a vehicle of this size.
it also has a really impressive electric driving range up to around 44 miles or 72 kilometers on one charge.
And because it’s a Prius known for being one of the most efficient cars that you can buy, it also has incredible fuel economy even when you just drive it in hybrid mode.
Now, the Prius Prime is certainly not going to give you the same benefits of an SUV.
It doesn’t have the same ground clearance, you can’t get it with all wheel drive and it doesn’t have the most interior space or cargo space either.
But if you just want a well-designed, efficient, reliable car to get around in and for a really reasonable price, you really can’t go wrong choosing the Prius.
Worst Plug-In Hybrid Vehicles of 2024
Chrysler Pacifica: The Plug-In Hybrid You Should Avoid
Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the next vehicle, which is the Chrysler Pacifica Plug-in hybrid.
The Pacifica plug-in hybrid has been around for quite some time now, and yet for 2024 it was ranked as the least reliable vehicle of the year in the Consumer reports annual reliability study.
And Chrysler as a whole was the worst ranked brand as a result, not only does it suffer from a lot of quality issues and recalls,
but its extremely overpriced and uses somewhat dated hybrid technology that’s not very efficient or performs well in cold weather. So why even bother with it? Clearly you shouldn’t.
Volvo XC90 Recharge: Luxurious but Problematic
The next vehicle on the list, which is the Volvo XC 90 recharge.
Now admittedly, the XC 90 does have quite a few benefits, which a lot of buyers do appreciate.
For one thing, it is considered a very safe vehicle.
It is quite luxurious and it offers plenty of interior space and cargo space.
But with all that said, the XC 90 has just had too many quality concerns and reliability issues over the years to make it worth recommending.
It has consistently ranked at the very bottom of Consumer Reports annual reliability study.
And there have been many complaints when it comes to engine fuel system issues, transmission problems, and several different electronic issues as well.
And like the Aviator, the XC 90 also has a really poor value score by Car Edge, which only gave it a D rating.
If you really like the XC 90. When it comes to reliability, this is one that’s much safer to lease during the warranty period and just return.
But when it comes to long-term ownership, this is one that’s just best to avoid.
Dodge Hornet RT
On the other side, we have another plugin hybrid That you should not be wasting your money on.
And that vehicle is the Dodge Hornet RT If you’re not familiar with this one, the Hornet is a new small crossover SUV that Dodge recently introduced to the market.
The RT version uses a plug-in hybrid system that uses a small 1.3 liter turbocharge engine combined with a hybrid system that allows it to travel around 32 miles or 50 kilometers on electric power when fully charged.
Now, the real issue with the Hornet has to do with its potential reliability concerns.
Not only is this an entirely brand new vehicle that has an unproven track record, but it’s also a vehicle that comes from Dodge, which is a company that’s not exactly known for making the most reliable vehicles.
And not only that, but the Hornet shares the exact same platform and all the same components with the new Alpha Romeo, which is essentially the exact same vehicle.
So what we have here is an SUV that was co-designed by two companies, neither of which is known for making especially high quality vehicles, which is basically a recipe for potential disaster down the road.
It might be worth the risk if the Hornet was really aggressively priced in a really good value, but unfortunately that doesn’t seem to be the case either.
So I really wouldn’t bother taking a shot on it or the Alfa Romeo version for that matter, either.
Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe: Overpriced with Disappointing Performance
I certainly would not say the same of the next vehicle on the list, which is the Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe.
For those not familiar with this one, the 4XE is the plugin hybrid version of the Grand Cherokee, which was introduced in late 2022.
Unfortunately though it’s just not a very good hybrid system.
On paper, it might appear to be okay with similar electric range and performance to other similar luxury SUVs, but in the real world, the 4xe just doesn’t have the performance, the efficiency or the refinement that you would expect, especially for an SUV at this price.
But not only is the hybrid system in need of some major polishing, but the Grand Cherokee is an SUV that’s known for having very spotty reliability at best.
There have been many complaints and quality concerns with these SUVs over the years, but not only is the build quality questionable,
but it’s just an overpriced vehicle for what you’re getting with a price tag that can approach $90,000, which is pretty ridiculous for a Jeep.
So whatever you do, don’t go and waste your money on this one because you have way better options that you could buy instead.
Jeep Wrangler 4xe
But we do have one more plug-in hybrid vehicle to go through and without question, one of the worst ones that you can buy, and that vehicle is the Jeep Wrangler 4xe.
Now before getting into what makes the Wrangler 4xe such an underwhelming vehicle, I do understand the appreciation and love for the Wrangler.
They do have an undeniably cool and unique character and they are a lot of fun to drive, especially when you put the roof down, take the doors off and take them offroading.
But with that said, there are just so many compromises that you have to deal with when buying a wrangler.
Not only the really unrefined uncomfortable ride, the terrible road noise and also having really underwhelming performance and really poor efficiency, but like other Jeep models, they’re also known for having really spotty reliability and a lot of quality concerns.
The 4xe version in particular has been subject to a number of safety recalls, including some very concerning ones that have to do with the battery and even the engine shutting down while driving.
And not only is the reliability questionable, but just like the Grand Cherokee, the plugin hybrid system in the Wrangler is just not a very good or a very efficient one.
In fact, the performance and the efficiency of this hybrid system are so underwhelming.
The only real reason it makes sense to even consider one is if you live in a location where you’re able to take advantage of electric vehicle incentives and able to get a much better deal when compared to the normal gas engine version.
That’s really the only situation where I could see the Wrangler 4xe making any kind of sense to consider because in almost every single way, it just needs a whole ton of work.
But really compromise and potential risks really seem to be part of the Wrangler experience and something that any buyer needs to be prepared for if this is the vehicle that you really want to go for.
So there you have it, the best and worst plugin hybrids that you can buy right now.