The best new hybrid cars & trucks under $40K

While fully electric vehicles have surged in popularity, they remain impractical for most car shoppers due to their battery charge times, limited ranges, and prohibitively high prices. The average sale price of a new EV was $56,351 in September of 2024, according to Kelly Blue Book.

For drivers seeking a mix of fuel efficiency affordability — and who don’t want to deal with the hassles of long charge times and running out of power — hybrids may be a more realistic option than EVs.

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Here, we list 2024 hybrid vehicles that start at under $40,000, ranked by overall Consumer Reports score.

Quick facts:

Consumer Reports is a nearly 90-year-old nonprofit that surveys its millions of members about their cars and tests vehicles directly on its private, 327-acre test course in rural Connecticut.

A car’s overall Consumer Reports score incorporates its road-test performance, reliability ratings, and owner satisfaction ratings into a number between 0 and 100.

How do hybrids work?

Hybrids combine the practicality of a gas-powered combustion engine with the fuel efficiency of an electric battery and propulsion system.

Traditional vs. plug-in hybrids

In traditional hybrids, regenerative braking charges a small battery, which is then used in conjunction with the gas engine to power the vehicle’s acceleration.

Plug-in hybrids also use regenerative braking to generate power, but they have larger batteries that can be recharged at home, and these batteries provide even more power, allowing them to travel farther on electric power alone.

Both types of hybrids — traditional and plug-in — offer greater fuel efficiency than most non-hybrid vehicles, and they also come with a peace of mind that fully electric vehicles lack. Their gas engines mean that a dead battery or lack of a nearby charging station can’t suddenly strand their drivers, so long as gasoline is available.

10 affordable 2024 hybrids ranked by Consumer Reports score

The base models of these six 2024 hybrids are available for under $40,000, making them relatively affordable options for car buyers who want to balance price with fuel efficiency.