10 Of The Most Reliable Hybrid Cars

The last few years have seen buyers get access to a wider range of powertrain options than ever before. The number of great electric cars on offer continues to increase, and hybrids continue to become increasingly ubiquitous options in dealerships alongside regular gas-powered cars. With those added options comes added complexity for buyers, and inevitably, more questions. Chief among them, is an electrified car going to be just as reliable as a solely gas-powered one?

The answer, quite simply, is yes; the best hybrids can last up to a few hundred thousand miles without issue if looked after correctly, and sport reliability ratings are equivalent to that of the best pure combustion cars. Hybrids are now available across almost every segment of the car market, and perhaps unsurprisingly, there are a few manufacturers whose names consistently crop up at the top of the reliability charts. Many also offer plug-in hybrid variants of their bestselling models, but for the purposes of this article, we're only focusing on mild and full hybrids (cars that can't be plugged into a charger).

From sleek sedans to family-hauling SUVs, here's a quick roundup of some of the most reliable hybrids on the market in 2023, plus a few choice used picks that should remain just as dependable as a new car.

While it was once the case that Japanese automakers unquestionably ruled the roost on reliability, South Korean sister brands Kia and Hyundai have made great strides in recent years and have rapidly climbed the tables. The Hyundai Sonata Hybrid is one of the brand's best hybrid models in that regard, achieving a "great" "quality & reliability" rating from JD Power for the 2023 model year. We reviewed the Sonata Hybrid at launch in 2021 and found it to be generously equipped for the price, even if its handling left a little to be desired.

The critically acclaimed solar roof on the Limited trim tester car was replaced for 2023 with a panoramic sunroof, but it's not as if the panels had much effect on the car's all-electric range anyway. Hyundai estimated the roof added only a few hundred miles of range per year, and potentially added another electrical element to go wrong later down the line. So, for those looking for the most hassle-free, affordable Sonata Hybrid trim, the 2023 model is a better option than previous years, even if it misses out on the car's biggest party trick.

The Prius has been given a makeover for the 2023 model year, with new exterior styling. The styling, seemingly for the first time ever, accounts for form as well as function. It's undoubtedly a significant improvement over the outgoing vehicle, and might even tempt some efficiency-conscious buyers who were previously on the fence about being seen in one. However, the freshly revamped car doesn't stray too far from its roots in terms of the driving experience. It's still reassuringly adequate –- that is, brisk enough that highway driving shouldn't be a concern, but with virtually zero concessions made to improve driver enjoyment.

The new 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine is also far from perfect, with our reviewer noting that it sounded whiny under hard acceleration. Nonetheless, we felt that the new Prius was markedly better to drive than older generations, making better use of its torquey all-electric drive modes at low speeds. Efficiency is also as strong as ever, although, in our own mixed driving, we couldn't quite match the EPA's official estimates. As for reliability –- it's a Prius; a car that's long been popular with high-mileage commuters and taxi drivers (and for good reason). To date, there's been nothing to suggest that the latest Prius will be any less reliable than its predecessors, which are famously able to rack up hundreds of thousands of miles without missing a beat.

Sales of sedans keep falling in America, but the likes of the Toyota Camry Hybrid prove that there are still plenty of competitive options out there for now. We crowned it one of the best hybrids on sale in 2023 thanks to its winning mix of affordability, space, and efficiency. The latter of those is a particular highlight — in its most fuel-sipping form, the Camry Hybrid delivers an EPA-estimated 52 mpg combined, better than almost anything else in its class.

Like many of Toyota's other models, the Camry Hybrid comes well equipped as standard, with all trims getting Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility, alongside Toyota's Safety Sense driver assistance tech. The current generation of the car has been on sale for a few years now, gaining consistently high-reliability ratings across previous model years. Consumer Reports predicts it should continue to remain more reliable than most of its rivals for 2023, which is no surprise given Toyota's reputation for consistently high build quality.

The RX 450h is an exceptionally reliable Lexus and was one of the key models that helped popularize the luxury SUV segment over two decades ago. The 2021 model year was the last of the fourth-generation RX, and it's estimated to last more than 300,000 miles with proper servicing. It's plush inside, as any Lexus should be, and the cabin is both smooth and quiet at any speed. However, there were a few issues that stood out on our tester car, most notably the clunky infotainment system, which felt completely out of place on a luxury vehicle in 2021.

The standard equipment list was also a little stingy compared to similarly priced rivals, and the efficiency figures seemed very optimistic — our reviewer saw significantly lower figures than the official 30 mpg combined estimate. However, for all its missteps, the 2021 RX 450h claims one key advantage over other luxury SUVs, and that's simply that with its very strong reliability ratings, it should outlast them all.

The 2023 Highlander Hybrid is a family hauler that promises to cut fuel costs over the regular gas-powered Highlander, but doesn't do much else to differentiate itself apart from that. It sports a 2.5L four-cylinder engine backed up by a choice of two or three electric motors, and sports roughly the same power output as its purely combustion-engined sibling. All the key points of appeal from the regular Highlander are carried over: There's plenty of space for a large family, a range of trims that stretch from mundane to near-luxury, and Toyota's Safety Sense 2.5+ suite of driver assistance tech for extra peace of mind.

The Highlander Hybrid also boasts class-leading reliability scores, with iSeeCars giving the 2023 model a 9.3/10 rating. That should mean many years of trouble-free driving, which in turn helps keep the car's resale value strong too. The one big criticism we made of the car is that it's not particularly memorable in any aspect, be that its design, or its driving dynamics. However, the tradeoff for that conservatism is Toyota's top-notch build quality, and that's enough to seal the deal for many buyers.