What car? Hybrid?

[ADogg]

My good lady does a round trip commute of circa 70 miles, through a lot of country roads. She’s after something to replace her Fabia 1.0 tsi as she’d prefer an auto, and possibly a hybrid. We’ve tried and liked a Niro, (as we could do with a bigger car for family duties etc), is there anything else to consider? We tried both Niros, the newer being much better, but it worked out too much. Our budget is up to 20k.

Thanks!

[lord trumpton]

Yaris hybrid is the ticket

[Silvanus]

lord trumpton said:

Yaris hybrid is the ticket

Not sure that's any bigger than the Fabia, possibly smaller.

[Silvanus]

As you like the size and Hybrid of the Kia, how about looking at the Hyundai Bayon, very similar to the Niro.

Might also be worth looking at the Ford Puma Hybrid or the Dacia Duster LPG

[samoht]

If it's only for a 70 mile round trip commute, you could consider going the whole hog and going EV, eg with a mk2 Leaf
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202207217...

[Silvanus]

samoht said:

If it's only for a 70 mile round trip commute, you could consider going the whole hog and going EV, eg with a mk2 Leaf
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202207217...

If going full EV, an MG ZS would be closer to the Nero

[V8 Bob]

Our hybrid Niro is averaging 54.2 since new and now will consistently do 60 on a normal run. It’s now got 5000 miles under its belt and 8mproving. It’s the non plug in one albeit a level 4 with all the toys. A nice car to drive.

[ADogg]

V8 Bob said:

Our hybrid Niro is averaging 54.2 since new and now will consistently do 60 on a normal run. It’s now got 5000 miles under its belt and 8mproving. It’s the non plug in one albeit a level 4 with all the toys. A nice car to drive.

Thanks for that! Fuel economy is important to her hence the hybrid idea. If you’re the new shape or old shape one?

[Turtle Shed]

samoht said:

If it's only for a 70 mile round trip commute, you could consider going the whole hog and going EV, eg with a mk2 Leaf
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202207217...

Absolutely this IMHO (I've got a MK1.5 Leaf, 70 miles is borderline, the MKII will do it with ease).

[Snow and Rocks]

I had a Corolla hybrid as a hire car a while back and was really impressed - was expecting to hate it! Effortlessly smooth around town and quick enough on the open road, refined and comfortable but surprisingly decent on a twisty road. Couldn't fault it.

Was averaging low 60s MPG without any effort. 10 year/100k mile warranty on all Toyotas now too.

[Bannock]

Turtle Shed said:

samoht said:

If it's only for a 70 mile round trip commute, you could consider going the whole hog and going EV, eg with a mk2 Leaf
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202207217...

Absolutely this IMHO (I've got a MK1.5 Leaf, 70 miles is borderline, the MKII will do it with ease).

Thirded. I've got an 2017 30kwh mark 1.5 and it would do 70 miles with ease all year round. If the OP's got 20k to spend, get a 40kwh model though.

If OP wants to insist on a hybrid though, then a PHEV is attainable within budget also and would be better than a non-chargeable hybrid. In fact, save some money and buy the best Vauxhall Ampera or Chevrolet Volt you can find. Maybe even a Mercedes C350e would be in budget.

But I'd go Leaf. I've been running them for 5 years (had a 24kwh originally), never had a moment's range anxiety and do near 400-mile round trips in mine.

The Leaf is smooth, quiet, a piece of piss to drive and rides very nicely. My missus loves ours.

[Snow and Rocks]

Bannock said:

If OP wants to insist on a hybrid though, then a PHEV is attainable within budget also and would be better than a non-chargeable hybrid. In fact, save some money and buy the best Vauxhall Ampera or Chevrolet Volt you can find. Maybe even a Mercedes C350e would be in budget.

It's worth finding out what MPG the PHEV will do once the battery is depleted before blindly assuming that it's automatically better than a (potentially more efficient) normal hybrid over the distance of the commute.

I remember a colleague raving about a Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV that was going to save him so much money compared to his previous diesel CRV. It barely did 30mpg after the initial electric range ran out so the 50mpg CRV was quite a bit cheaper to run and much less faff.

I suspect a c350e will actually end up using more fuel than her existing car over that length of commute.

Also worth looking at the Prius if you can get on with the looks - a decent gen4 should achieve 70+ mpg.

[raspy]

Snow and Rocks said:

It's worth finding out what MPG the PHEV will do once the battery is depleted before blindly assuming that it's automatically better than a (potentially more efficient) normal hybrid over the distance of the commute.

I remember a colleague raving about a Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV that was going to save him so much money compared to his previous diesel CRV. It barely did 30mpg after the initial electric range ran out so the 50mpg CRV was quite a bit cheaper to run and much less faff.

I suspect a c350e will actually end up using more fuel than her existing car over that length of commute.

Also worth looking at the Prius if you can get on with the looks - a decent gen4 should achieve 70+ mpg.

Batteries don't get depleted down to 0% in a PHEV. Once they get down to their minimum level of charge, the car will simply drive like a normal hybrid. You will get some form of electric assistance, regardless of the state of charge. I don't know why so many think batteries on a PHEV get discharged down to 0%. It's some kind of myth that gets perpetuated.

Stuff like C350e are wickedly rapid and super luxurious with the air suspension, but they have stupidly thirsty petrol engines. EV range in winter temps is going to be 4-6 miles. I wouldn't touch one without an extended warranty from MB (same applies to BMW 330e) I ran a C350e for 4 years, never had issue with hybrid system but would not like to take chances with german hybrids (vs toyota)

Even a prius (or any hybrid) may not be a worthwhile choice for the OP's commute. It all depends upon the type of traffic. If it's a freeflowing commute without many traffic jams, then why go for a hybrid? Cheaper and easier to get a normal diesel or petrol. Use case for hybrids is for low speed urban driving, and the more traffic jams you get stuck in, the more useful a hybrid (of any kind) becomes.

I got long term average of 70mpg from my Gen 4 Prius but that was because I am driving mostly at low speeds in London. Had I been driving on country lanes/A roads at higher speeds all year round, it would have somewhere around 55mpg.

[ninjag]

Snow and Rocks said:

I had a Corolla hybrid as a hire car a while back and was really impressed - was expecting to hate it! Effortlessly smooth around town and quick enough on the open road, refined and comfortable but surprisingly decent on a twisty road. Couldn't fault it.

Was averaging low 60s MPG without any effort. 10 year/100k mile warranty on all Toyotas now too.

Some friends of mine have one and they love it as well. I got a lift in it a few times and it was actually very nice and more spacious than expected.

[Snow and Rocks]

raspy said:

Batteries don't get depleted down to 0% in a PHEV. Once they get down to their minimum level of charge, the car will simply drive like a normal hybrid. You will get some form of electric assistance, regardless of the state of charge. I don't know why so many think batteries on a PHEV get discharged down to 0%. It's some kind of myth that gets perpetuated.

Stuff like C350e are wickedly rapid and super luxurious with the air suspension, but they have stupidly thirsty petrol engines. EV range in winter temps is going to be 4-6 miles. I wouldn't touch one without an extended warranty from MB (same applies to BMW 330e) I ran a C350e for 4 years, never had issue with hybrid system but would not like to take chances with german hybrids (vs toyota)

Even a prius (or any hybrid) may not be a worthwhile choice for the OP's commute. It all depends upon the type of traffic. If it's a freeflowing commute without many traffic jams, then why go for a hybrid? Cheaper and easier to get a normal diesel or petrol. Use case for hybrids is for low speed urban driving, and the more traffic jams you get stuck in, the more useful a hybrid (of any kind) becomes.

I got long term average of 70mpg from my Gen 4 Prius but that was because I am driving mostly at low speeds in London. Had I been driving on country lanes/A roads at higher speeds all year round, it would have somewhere around 55mpg.

While I understand your point about them still recovering energy from braking eyc, the initial full battery still gets depleted and the initial quoted incredibly high economy (or even no petrol usage) soon becomes much closer to that of a normal ICE or conventional hybrid on a longer trip.

My point was more that you need to try and work out what the genuine MPG (+ electricity cost) is likely to be during your usage. An earlier poster insinuated that a PHEV would offer better economy than a conventional hybrid when in many cases that isn't true.

I also agree about the complexity and potential repair bills of some hybrids. The advantage of the well proven Toyota Hybrid setup is that it's actually much simpler than even a conventional ICE. There's no clutch, no gears, no turbo, no starter motor, no alternator, no timing belt, no belts at all in fact - it's incredibly well engineered. Even ignoring the 10 year warranty, they are incredibly durable and easy to maintain.

[ZX10R NIN]

If you go fully electric then the MG ZS is a very good choice & it'll give you the extra space you're looking for.

MG ZS:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202208058...

E Golf:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202208158...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202209019...

Hybrid wise the Kia Sportage is a good option & you'll be in warranty until 2028 & have added peace of mind.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202204144...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202205266...

[lord trumpton]

ninjag said:

Snow and Rocks said:

I had a Corolla hybrid as a hire car a while back and was really impressed - was expecting to hate it! Effortlessly smooth around town and quick enough on the open road, refined and comfortable but surprisingly decent on a twisty road. Couldn't fault it.

Was averaging low 60s MPG without any effort. 10 year/100k mile warranty on all Toyotas now too.

Some friends of mine have one and they love it as well. I got a lift in it a few times and it was actually very nice and more spacious than expected.

I run one as a daily. Best car I've had for years!

[Bannock]

ZX10R NIN said:

If you go fully electric then the MG ZS is a very good choice & it'll give you the extra space you're looking for.

MG ZS:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202208058...

E Golf:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202208158...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202209019...

Hybrid wise the Kia Sportage is a good option & you'll be in warranty until 2028 & have added peace of mind.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202204144...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202205266...

Just wondering why you ignore the Leaf in your suggestions, ZX? IMHO it's a superior EV to the e-Golf, for less money.

[lornemalvo]

ninjag said:

Snow and Rocks said:

I had a Corolla hybrid as a hire car a while back and was really impressed - was expecting to hate it! Effortlessly smooth around town and quick enough on the open road, refined and comfortable but surprisingly decent on a twisty road. Couldn't fault it.

Was averaging low 60s MPG without any effort. 10 year/100k mile warranty on all Toyotas now too.

Some friends of mine have one and they love it as well. I got a lift in it a few times and it was actually very nice and more spacious than expected.

<Maybe so, but paying over £20,000 for a 3 year old example of the ultimate white goods car is pretty depressing and not something I could bring myself to do.

[ZX10R NIN]

Bannock said:

Just wondering why you ignore the Leaf in your suggestions, ZX? IMHO it's a superior EV to the e-Golf, for less money.

I'm not a fan of the Leaf the gen2 is a much better car but yes you're right as an EV it is better than the E Golf, OP include the Leaf on your short list.