Let’s face it. The average American car buyer is stuck between a rock and a hard place when it comes to swollen new car prices and volatility at the pumps. So what about an EV, then? Well, maybe you don’t want to contend with factors like range anxiety or the now-extinct federal EV tax credit. That leaves a solitary standout for the green-minded American buyer who isn’t willing to jump into a battery-electric vehicle: hybrids.
Fortunately, nearly every major automaker offers multiple hybrid models. That does, however, mean an almost overwhelming collection of options for hybrid shoppers. Don’t fret, though. You have solid options beyond the tenured Toyota Prius badge. From sensible compact cars to midsize SUVs and luxury sedans, these 10 hybrids promise fuel-sipping economy figures you’ll want in your driveway for the new year.
Models are listed in ascending order, from the lowest starting MSRP to the highest.
2026 Kia Niro Hybrid
Starting Price: $28,535
A quirky-but-still-cool entry in the compact crossover market, the 2026 Kia Niro offers both a standard hybrid and a plug-in model. The former summons just 139 horsepower from its single-motor hybrid 1.6-liter four-cylinder platform, although the standard Kia Niro Hybrid makes up for the relatively anemic output with efficiency. For 2025, the Niro Hybrid’s ratings came in at 49 mpg city and 45 mpg highway, for a combined 49 mpg.
The plug-in hybrid doesn’t quite match the conventional hybrid’s fuel economy figures, falling just one mpg shy of its standard hybrid sibling. In addition to its dainty appetite for fuel, the starting price of $28,535 makes the 2026 Kia Niro Hybrid one of the most affordable hybrid crossover SUVs on the market.
2026 Toyota Camry
Starting Price: $30,195
For 2026, the always-popular Toyota Camry is available as a hybrid. It’s actually the second year that the best-selling midsize sedan has ditched its non-hybrid ICE options in favor of a hybrid-only lineup. Unfortunately, that means sensible sedan shoppers with driving excitement in mind haven’t been able to buy a Camry with the now-extinct 301-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 since the Camry’s 2024 model year. On the plus side, the 2026 Toyota Camry offers a 225-horsepower front-wheel drive application and a snappier 232-horsepower all-wheel drive option. In the less potent of the two, power is courtesy of a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and two electric motors. The all-wheel drive models get a third motor.
So, what about fuel economy? Last year’s Toyota Camry managed to return up to 53 mpg in the city and 50 mpg at highway speeds in the front-wheel drive LE trim. Adding all-wheel drive drops fuel economy figures a bit. The EPA says the four-wheel grip shaves off about two mpg in the city and one mpg highway.
2026 Honda Civic Hybrid
Starting Price: $30,490
Like its larger sibling, the Honda Civic is available as a hybrid. The hybridized version of the popular compact car pairs a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with a duo of electric motors to produce 200 horsepower and 232 pound-feet of torque.
In hybrid form, all the Civic’s qualities seem to be enhanced. Including its performance.
But even with a 0-60 mph time in the low six-second range, the Civic Hybrid doesn’t compromise efficiency. For the 2025 model year, the EPA rated the Honda Civic Hybrid at 50 mpg city and 47 mpg. Still, at $30,490 for the 2026 Honda Civic Sport Hybrid trim in sedan guise, the Civic is a bit pricier than its perennial rival, the Toyota Corolla. The most affordable hybridized 2026 Toyota Corolla, the Corolla Hybrid LE, starts at around $25,770, nearly $5,000 less than a Civic Sport Hybrid.
2026 Kia Sportage Hybrid
Starting Price: $31,735
The 2026 Kia Sportage Hybrid has a thorn in its side. No, it’s not self-inflicted; it’s the Toyota RAV4, the best-selling SUV in America. But that doesn’t mean the Sportage Hybrid isn’t a top contender among compact hybrid SUVs. With a starting price of $31,735, the Sportage Hybrid undercuts the new, redesigned 2026 Toyota RAV4’s heftier $33,350 ask. There’s that, and then there’s Kia’s five-year, 60,000-mile basic warranty, something you won’t find on a comparable Toyota or Honda.
The Sportage Hybrid accelerates smoothly under light load and handles highway passing easily, but it’s not the quickest in its class. It responds to a heavy foot on the gas with strong acceleration, but it’s not outright aggressive.
– Nicole Wakelin, TopSpeed Journalist
Better yet, the 2026 Kia Sportage Hybrid is quicker and more responsive than the non-hybrid Sportages in the lineup, if also not as athletic as a Mazda CX-50 Hybrid. When it comes to fuel efficiency, the Sportage Hybrid prefers to sip fuel rather than chug it. The EPA says front-wheel drive models may return as much as 42 mpg in the city and 44 mpg on the highway. It’s also available as a plug-in hybrid option with up to 34 miles of electric-only drive.
2026 Toyota RAV4
Starting Price: $33,350
Here it is. America’s favorite SUV. Last year, Toyota sold over 475,000 RAV4s, outselling every other popular SUV on the market. Now, like the Camry, the redesigned sixth-generation RAV4 is a hybrid-only affair. In place of the previous generation’s dinosaur juice-drinking engine options, the all-new 2026 Toyota RAV4 offers a front-wheel drive option as well as an all-wheel drive application, both supported by electric motors. As for the RAV4’s economy figures, things look good for the new kid on the block. Toyota says the new compact SUV will return up to 44 mpg combined. The thirstiest all-wheel drive models, however, may get combined fuel economy figures closer to 36 mpg.
Toyota also offers a plug-in hybrid version of the new RAV4, and it might be worth a look for the nameplate’s fans with a penchant for spirited driving. The plug-in hybrid model produces 324 horsepower. You read that right. You’ll find more horsepower in a RAV4 PHEV than you would in a 4.6-liter Ford Mustang GT of yesteryear. And the Mustang won’t deliver 50 miles of electric-only driving.
2026 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid
Starting Price: $33,800
The Hyundai Tucson Hybrid is back for 2026, wearing the handsome styling of the Tucson’s fourth-generation platform. Hyundai’s best-selling model is available as both a conventional hybrid and a plug-in hybrid, alongside the longer-running ICE model. But for the best fuel economy in the Tucson’s lineup, buyers will have to go for the hybrid.
The Tucson Hybrid feels like the right balance between an efficient car and one that isn’t so downright slow you’ll be cursing its design team while getting on the highway.
According to the EPA, the 2026 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid is just as efficient in the city as it is on the highway, returning a figure of 38 mpg in both categories. And like the similar Kia Sportage Hybrid, the 2026 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid comes with a five-year, 60,000-mile basic warranty.
2025 Honda Accord Hybrid
Starting Price: $34,850
Honda updated the Accord for the 2023 model year, launching the nameplate’s 11th generation just a few years ago. But even with a relatively recent refresh, the 2026 model isn’t populating dealership lots quite yet. That said, the 2025 Honda Accord Hybrid delivers more than enough practicality and fuel efficiency to contend with its closest rival, the now hybrid-only Toyota Camry.
Under the hood, a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine joins forces with two electric motors to produce 204 horsepower and 247 pound-feet of torque. It’s enough grunt to propel the five-seater sedan to 60 mph in just 6.7 seconds, a slim 0.1 second ahead of a comparable all-wheel drive 2025 Toyota Camry XSE. The 2025 Honda Accord Hybrid is rated for up to 51 mpg city and 48 mpg highway. However, unless things change for the 2026 model, the Accord Hybrid’s 48 mpg combined won’t quite match the 2025 Toyota Camry’s 51 mpg.
2026 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid
Starting Price: $35,415
For 2025, the Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid was one of our Buzz Award nominees. It’s the formula of a balanced, all-wheel drive off-roader with seating for five, liftback usability, and now an abstemious hybrid platform. And while the Crosstrek Hybrid didn’t end up winning this year, the 2026 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid is a well-rounded hybrid you should consider as we roll into the new year.
The addition of a hybrid option improves the Subaru Crosstrek’s fuel economy figures over the standard, non-hybrid trims. For 2026, the Crosstrek Hybrid is good for around 36 mpg combined. That’s roughly seven to nine mpg better than the non-hybrid variants.
2025 Lexus ES 300h
Starting Price: $44,715
Should you want a luxury hybrid option in your driveway this holiday season, the 2025 Lexus ES 300h could have you covered. Instead of the ES 250’s 203-horsepower 2.5-liter inline-four or the ES 350’s 302-horsepower 3.5-liter V6, the ES 300h pairs a four-cylinder mill with two electric motors to produce 215 horsepower. And while not as thrusty as the six-cylinder ES 350, the ES 300h makes up for it with commendable fuel efficiency.
The EPA puts the 2025 Lexus ES 300h at 43 mpg city and 44 mpg highway. That’s a full 21 mpg and 12 mpg better than the thirstier V6 model, respectively. For those who want to spice up the luxury hybrid sedan, the ES 300h is available with the F SPORT treatment. However, doing so will bump the starting price from $44,715 to $49,100.
2026 Hyundai Palisade Hybrid
Starting Price: $45,760
Let’s say a compact hybrid SUV simply won’t do. Instead, you need seating for up to eight and space for hockey gear as you roll into the new year. Enter the freshly redesigned 2026 Hyundai Palisade Hybrid, boasting deceptive comfort and surprising efficiency for a midsize SUV.
The hybrid setup is excellent. It delivers good fuel economy with strong acceleration, which is a challenging combination not every hybrid manages to balance.
– Nicole Wakelin, TopSpeed Journalist
Don’t think you’ll get Toyota Prius figures from the comparably hulking Palisade Hybrid. But don’t imagine lumpy V8 levels of gluttony, either. The EPA puts the handsome, front-wheel-drive Hyundai SUV at around 21 combined mpg. However, evaluators at Car and Driver managed to get the all-wheel drive Palisade Hybrid Calligraphy to hit 25 mpg during a highway economy test, better than the EPA’s expectations for the all-wheel drive model.
Sources: The EPA, Car and Driver