Best Hybrid Cars Of 2023, Ranked

When Toyota dropped the Avalon from its lineup in 2022, it seemed like a logical move based on America's general shift towards SUVs over sedans in recent years. It was, however, unexpected that the Japanese automaker would replace the Avalon with the Crown. It's a similar enough vehicle that it could have just been a redesign, but the Crown is a lot more than that.

The 2023 Toyota Crown falls somewhere in between a midsize sedan and a large one. Its design features a two-tone setup not seen on many four-door cars, with black blocking on the fastback-style back window, rear end, and doors. It rides higher than a traditional sedan by about 4 inches as well, making it kind of a crossover that leans more towards the sedan side than the SUV. The interior has a good-sized infotainment screen and wireless charging pad, and the suspension is soft and comfortable like one might expect from a luxury ride.

What's most important is the gas mileage, and the Crown does not disappoint in that regard. The base hybrid engine boasts around 41 miles per gallon – although that drops to around 30 mpg if drivers opt for the Platinum trim and its beefier engine.

Introduced in 2022, Ford's little four-door pickup has a front-wheel-drive hybrid under the hood in the base XL model that can get drivers around 42 miles per gallon in the city and 33 on the highway. It's a decent, reliable truck that's smaller, but also more affordable, than Ford's other offerings, the F-150 and Ranger. And while it's not technically a hybrid car, the fact that Ford made a hybrid compact pickup made us want to mention it anyway.

As one of the only remaining compact pickup trucks being produced today, the Maverick tries to balance efficiency, comfort, and work-truck ability while sharing a skeleton with Ford's SUVs like the Escape and Bronco Sport. It succeeds for the most part, as the hybrid engine setup provides 191 horsepower and 155 ft-lbs of torque. The bed can safely stow up to 1,500 pounds, although the hybrid Maverick is limited to towing 2,000 pounds. A reasonable 4.5-foot bed and several storage points around the cabin allow room for whatever gear the Maverick is hauling, and all trims feature an 8-inch infotainment system and onboard Wi-Fi hotspot. There's even a bottle opener built into the tailgate!

As the most efficient and affordable pickup available in 2023, the Ford Maverick has a lot going for it, even with the hybrid engine as opposed to the more powerful gas options that are available.

Back in 2019, Kia introduced a concept car they called the "HabaNiro." This all-electric crossover impressed with its bold design, "shark's snout" inspired front end, eclectic red interior, and the ability to read and react to drivers' emotions via Kia's "Realtime Emotion Adaptive Driving" system. Kia has taken some of the more practical cues from that concept vehicle and applied them to the Kia Niro, a hybrid with some interesting design ideas and a full-on redesign for 2023. It's more of a crossover than previous Niros, with a larger footprint and a contrasting aeroblade. The interior went fully eco-friendly, using recycled materials for the headliner and a seat made using components from pulverized eucalyptus trees.

The Niro includes a ton of driver assistance features as standard components as well, including Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist and Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist. Unfortunately, the emotion-sensing software from the HabaNiro didn't make the cut.

With the hybrid engine getting about 53 miles per gallon and a base price of around $28K, the Kia Niro Hybrid is a roomy, sporty, and fuel-efficient addition to our list.

Its outstanding storage space, generous number of safety tech, and easy to live with hybrid powertrain make the 2023 Honda CRV a great choice for anyone looking for a hybrid crossover. Prices range from $31,610 for the basic hybrid trim, to $39,100 for the "Sport Touring." At the top end, expect features like keyless entry and a power moonroof. If you're purely in it for the safety tech, a cheaper trim may be tempting as Honda seems to be cramming that in everything these days. There is also a firm middle ground in the form of two "Sport" models.

The CRV's 2.0-liter inline-four is a larger engine than you tend to find in hybrid vehicles. Coupled with a pair of motors it produces 204 horsepower and 247 lb-ft of torque, which is a significant amount in this vehicle class. That larger engine doesn't seem to have hurt fuel economy, with the CRV posting a reported 40 mpg in the city and 34 mpg on the highway respectively. However, Honda does not currently offer a plug-in option for the CRV, so if you're looking for something that can function as a pure EV on a short commute and a hybrid on the occasional longer trip — you should be looking elsewhere.

In many ways, the 2023 Toyota Camry Hybrid is exactly what one would expect from a Camry: it's a nice-looking, reliable car with a slightly aggressive front-end design and a bevy of standard driver safety aids. It's not well-regarded in terms of pickup, power, or fun, but it does get great gas mileage and offers a feature-rich package, even at the base level.

It's comfortable on the inside, with plenty of room for passengers and no sacrifice in trunk space for the hybrid battery pack. While the infotainment screen is a little small at only 7 inches standard, Camry includes compatibility with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa, giving drivers a lot of flexibility in their smartphone integration options.

The base trim for the Camry Hybrid, the LE, averages around 52 miles per gallon – one of the highest mpg in our rankings. Other, pricier trims offer more bells and whistles, but even with just Toyota's standard features, the Camry Hybrid is a well-appointed hybrid sedan that starts at under $30,000. Toyota also includes maintenance for the first two years, saving drivers a little more money.

For decades, the Mercedes S Class has been the place to go when you want to experience cutting-edge tech a few years before other luxury brands get it, and potentially 10 years before it appears on standard road cars. The S Class pioneered the crumple zone, functional adaptive cruise control, and electronic anti-lock brakes — amongst other things we take for granted these days. And it doesn't stop with the stuff that is commonplace in 2023. The German automotive giant still uses the S Class as a platform for innovation to this day. So, it's no great shock that a vehicle that's spent its life on the technological forefront offers a plugin hybrid option in the form of the Mercedes S 580e. If you want to stay conscious of your fuel usage, without compromising on luxury, this is more than likely the car for you. As of last year, it even began offering a vegan leather option — so you don't even have to have any cows on your conscience as you blast down the road in exquisite comfort.

In terms of performance, it will go from 0-60 in just 4.4 seconds, It also comes with the Mercedes 4Matic all-wheel-drive system as standard. Fuel economy is worse than many other modern hybrids though, averaging 20 mpg in a city and 29 on the highway. Prices for the Mercedes S 580 e start at $122,555, before taxes and fees.

Modern hybrids are about more than mere fuel economy. An electric motor operating in tandem with an internal combustion engine can provide staggering amounts of power and torque. This is the case with the 2023 McLaren Artura — a full-fledged supercar that just so happens to share a category with the likes of the Toyota Prius. It also shares a category with every other supercar, and it's arguably the best one you can get in 2023.

The motor boosts the 3-liter twin-turbo V6 engine's standard 577 horsepower all the way up to a slick 671 horsepower. It also adds just shy of 100 pound-feet of torque. All in all, the Artura takes just three seconds to go from 0-60 and will hit a top speed of 205 miles per hour if you keep your foot down.

Admittedly, the Artura isn't cheap. It's a supercar that is built by one of the most desirable, and most expensive, companies in the automotive world. You could probably purchase a car from this list for every member of your immediate family without hitting the base price of a McLaren Artura. If you can get your hands on a base model, expect to part with $225,000 plus taxes and fees. Any additions or comfort features will push the price further upwards.

The weird little car that drivers made fun of when hybrids were just starting to enter the market, the Toyota Prius now stands tall as the best hybrid of 2023. Ironically, while it's the best hybrid option, it's a little less "Prius" overall, as the fresh redesign seems to have leaned into aggressive design over utilitarian functionality.

The Prius is longer and sleeker this time around. Its new shape is paired with more power — at 194 horsepower, the front-wheel-drive 2023 Prius produces 75 more horses than last year's model. Acceleration has improved as well, with the new Prius going zero to 60 in 7 seconds, compared to last year's 10.7. Prius still leads the way in combined miles per gallon as well, with an estimated 57 mpg. The LE trim, the most affordable at $27,450, still has all the safety features that come standard with Toyota's hybrid lineup, and it includes two years of free Toyota maintenance and three years of 24-hour roadside assistance.

The new design has somewhat reduced cabin space, something Prius owners long valued for their weird little eco-car. The roofline is a little lower, the center console features a standard 8-inch infotainment screen, and the gauges now sit behind the steering wheel. The rear seats have a little less room, and the hatchback is a little smaller than in past years — but at 20.3 cubic feet, it's still got plenty more room than most comparable sedans.