Real MPG: most economical hybrid cars

 If you’re thinking about going green with your next car but don’t want the hassle of charging, then a hybrid might be the car for you.

Hybrid cars combine an electric motor with a traditional combustion engine and, while they can’t go as far on only-electric power as plug-in hybrid or electric cars, they can help cut fuel costs, especially if you drive mainly on urban roads. However, some models perform much better than others, even though they mostly use similar technology.

To make things even more complicated, the official WLTP figures aren’t always a true reflection of how far your car will get you in the real world. That’s why we’ve conducted our own Real MPG tests to see what your car can actually achieve.

Here, we’ve listed the cheapest hybrids to run based on our Real MPG data, as well as the models that will cost you more to run.

How we test for a car's Real MPG

Our Real MPG tests are based on a real-world route that simulates town, country and motorway driving. Our tests are also repeatable, meaning we can directly compare one car with another.

After weighing each car and checking its tyre pressures, we fit an exhaust connection to accurately measure emissions. We then set the climate control in each test car to 21 degC, or the midway point if it has manual air conditioning, with the fan speed on its lowest setting. We also turn off the car's headlights, as well as any other electrical equipment – such as the heated seats or stereo – so it doesn't interfere with our tests.

With the test under way, we sample the emissions from the car's tailpipe every second, and the average of those results is used to calculate the overall Real MPG score.

Find out more about how we test for Real MPG >> 

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