The Best Hybrid SUVs of 2018
Owning a hybrid SUV can give you pride in knowing you get great fuel economy while also helping to protect the environment. For those in the market for a new hybrid SUV, these are some of the best choices you can make.
Best Sports Hybrid SUV: 2018 Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid
A powerful hybrid might sound like an oxymoron, but nothing is as distinctive as the 2017 Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid. This SUV has everything you’d expect from Porsche, including elegance and performance while offering an estimated 47 MPGe. Being a plug-in hybrid, that’s good enough for about 14 miles on the electric motor alone before the gas engine takes over.
Once it does, expect around 21 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway thanks to regenerative braking and help from the electric engine. You don’t have to sacrifice power with your hybrid, and Porsche knows this since the Cayenne Hybrid gets 416 horsepower and can go from 0 to 60 in just 5.4 seconds. It’s a little on the expensive side at $79,900, but you get what you pay for in this luxury hybrid SUV.
Best Luxury Hybrid SUV: 2018 Lexus RX Hybrid
The 2018 Lexus RX is a comfortable vehicle that anyone would love to own. Add in the fact that they created a hybrid that costs as little as $45,695, and it’s a winner. It has 308-hp and can go from 0 to 60 in 7.9 seconds. There’s more than just that quick pace, however. The 2017 Lexus RX Hybrid comes with great features like voice command, Bluetooth connectivity, Lexus Enform Remote, Smart Access, Siri Eyes-Free, a HomeLink System, and more. Most importantly, that hybrid technology achieves 31 city mpg and 28 highway mpg fuel economy ratings.
Best Affordable Hybrid SUV: 2018 Kia Niro
Extra cargo space may not be something you’re aiming toward, which means you should check out the Kia Niro Hybrid. This SUV is a crossover subcompact which means it has less room to store stuff but gets much better fuel economy when compared to others on this list. It gets an estimated 52 mpg in the city and 49 mpg on the highway. Plus, the MSRP starts at $23,340. You’ll get savings at the pump and on the car note. Unlike other models on this list, the Niro is a hybrid model by design. It’s not just a hybrid version of an already existing model offering.
Best Compact Hybrid SUV: 2018 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid
The 2018 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid might be the best compact on our list, but that doesn’t mean it’s small. While it’s technically within the “compact SUV” category, it has the largest interior volume of any SUV on the list (excluding the Chrysler below). With 35.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row of seats, there’s nothing compact about this vehicle. Being a Toyota, the RAV4 Hybrid has a reasonable MSRP of $27,235. That’s pretty stellar for an SUV with an EPA rating of 34 MPG in the city and 30 MPG on the highway.
Best Family Hybrid SUV: 2018 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid
You may be wondering how a minivan made it onto the list. Technically, the Pacifica is in the Utility segment. It uses the same platform that underpins the Jeep Cherokee. Obviously, there’s hardly any competing with a minivan when it comes to interior space. It’s the leader when it comes to family movers. But the 2018 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid has another trip up its sleeve.
Its electric engine can completely power the car for up to 33 miles. That’s more than enough for a few errands around town. Once the gas engine takes over, the fuel economy is no slouch. Having a combined 32 mpg city and highway, the Pacifica Hybrid beats out many smaller SUVs in saving money on the pump. It’s starting MSRP is $39,995.
