While Mitsubishi sells both the Mirage hatchback and the L200 pick-up truck in the UK, the core of its range is in SUVs – handy, since this is one of the largest markets worldwide.

There’s an SUV to suit everyone, too. If you’re a company car driver, the Outlander PHEV mixes low fuel bills with a spacious interior. The ASX, meanwhile, is attractively priced against key rivals such as the Nissan Qashqai and Seat Ateca. Or, if you prefer mud to asphalt, the Shogun offers genuine off-road ability.

More SUVs are on the way, too, including one that’s rumoured to bring back the ‘Evo’ name made famous in rallying.

MITSUBISHI

OUTLANDER PHEV

Hatchback

Audi is a brand that sets the standard for interior quality, and this, combined with its vast and ever-growing model line-up, has helped it become one of the ‘big three’ German prestige car makers, along with BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

The A3 hatchback, A4 executive saloon and Q7 SUV are all common - yet upmarket - sights on UK roads.

At least some of Audi's success over the past 30 years can be attributed to the growth in sales of vehicles with four-wheel drive; the company arguably led the way in bringing 4x4 technology into the mainstream, with its Quattro coupé in the early 1980s.

Today, most Audis are available with at least the option of four-wheel drive, while the list of SUVs from the brand includes the Q2, Q3, Q5 and Q7.

AUDI

<h4>The Audi A3 e-tron is a pricey used buy, but it has all the classiness of the regular versions with potentially cheaper running costs.</h4>

Used Audi A3 e-tron 2014-2018

<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Usefully long electric-only range</li> <li>Exceedingly frugal</li> <li>Cheap company car tax rates</li> <li>Smooth switching between electric and petrol power</li></ul>

If you're not ready to commit to a fully electric vehicle&nbsp;but have the capacity to charge your car at home or at work, a plug-in hybrid could be the perfect compromise. Electric batteries paired with a petrol or diesel&nbsp;engine means you'll never be left short of charge&nbsp;but can capitalise on cheap running costs, thanks to a surprisingly long electric-only range.

There's plenty of choice, too, whether you're after a sporty saloon like the BMW 3 Series, the 330e variant of which providing up to 36 miles of electric-only driving on a full charge, or a large load-lugging large SUV, including the Volvo XC90 T8, which claims an extraordinary&nbsp;113mpg.

Throw in competent handling and driving prowess, despite the added weight of the electric batteries, and a plug-in hybrid&nbsp;makes a compelling case for frugal buyers.&nbsp;

Plug-in hybrid

You’ll struggle to find a used <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/category/family">premium family car</a> that does so much, so well, as the 2013-2020 version of the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/audi/a3/hatchback/used-review/n17405">Audi A3 Sportback</a>. However, if you do mostly short journeys and you have somewhere to plug a car in you might want to consider this plug-in hybrid e-tron model, that was on sale&nbsp;from 2014 to 2018.

You can run the e-tron on the electric motor alone, or, when you need more performance, couple that with the 1.4-litre petrol engine. The combined power units are certainly effective, offering near hot-hatch levels of performance. Mechanical aside, the A3 Sportback is practical too, and it has a very plush interior with plenty of equipment.

If you have any preconceptions that a car using battery power will feel slow, then you’ll find the A3 Sportback e-tron a revelation. Even when using just the electric motor it’s not exactly slow, but when you use it with both the electric motor and the 1.4-litre petrol engine combined it’s decently quick. It pulls hard right from the off and will despatch the 0-62mph sprint in a hot-hatch-bating 7.6sec, and will happily cruise at motorway speeds.

Power goes through a six-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, which means it’s very easy to drive, whether you’re mooching around town or tackling a long cross-country trip.

There are three powertrain modes available: EV, Hybrid and Battery Hold. EV keeps the car running on pure electric power only (offering a realistic range of 15-20 miles). Hybrid uses a mix of electric and petrol power, while Battery Hold helps to preserve the battery by getting the petrol engine to do all the work.

Having the extra weight of the batteries does reflect in the handling, because the e-tron will wash wide through fast corners earlier than the standard A3 models, but no more so than the similar versions of the Golf or i3. Even so, the steering is well weighted and makes it easy to place the A3 on the road, and body lean is progressive and nicely controlled.

Ride comfort is great over high-speed undulations, and the e-tron feels settled and comfortable in most situations, but it can become a bit bouncy and jarring over hard-worn or rougher town roads.

Refinement is also an e-tron strong point. The brakes are a bit grabby, but don’t suffer from the snappiness that some hybrid cars do, while in electric mode it’s whisper quiet. You do notice a slight vibration and added noise as the petrol engine kicks in, but the engine is still smooth and a lot less intrusive than the two-cylinder engine found in the old range-extender versions of the BMW i3. As your speed builds so do the levels of road and wind noise, but not to excessive levels.

It’s easy to get comfortable behind the wheel of the A3 Sportback e-tron. There’s plenty of movement to the steering wheel – up and down as well as in and out – while the seat moves every which way, too. Once you have your driving position set, you’ll also find the steering wheel and pedals are nicely aligned.

It’s not as futuristic inside as the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/i3/hatchback/used-review/n874">BMW i3</a>, but the clean-looking, minimalist-style dash means there’s not a confusing array of buttons. Instead, there are just the essential controls, such as those for the heating and air-con, positioned logically to hand.

Many of the car’s functions are controlled using the rotary dial and menu buttons placed behind the gearlever, and viewed on the clear and well-sighted 7.0in screen that rises out of the dashboard. It’s perhaps not quite as good as the BMW system but it’s still intuitive, and the rotary controller makes it easier to use on the move than the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/golf-gte/hatchback/used-review/n18035">VW Golf GTE</a>’s touchscreen system. It’s well equipped too, with sat-nav and DAB radio as standard, as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The A3 has one of the best-finished cabins in the class. Predominantly, the surfaces look and feel upmarket, with soft to the touch materials, and switches that operate with a slick, precise action.

The A3 Sportback e-tron offers decent space for a car of this size. The driver and front-seat passenger are the best catered for with lots of head and leg room, and there’s plenty of storage, too. This includes deep door bins, a couple of cup holders behind the gearlever, as well as a cubby under the front armrest. Space for knick-knacks is a little short, apart from a tray for a mobile phone on the centre console.

In the rear, there’s space for two tall adults to be reasonably comfortable, or three with some squeezing, but it’s worth pointing out that the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/passat-gte/estate/used-review/n18007">Volkswagen Passat GTE</a> is a much bigger car for those that need more cabin space.

That applies to the boot as well, which isn’t the A3 e-tron’s strongest point. The batteries sit under the rear seats, so the fuel tank (reduced to 40 litres) has been moved to beneath the boot, eating into the boot space and reducing it to 280 litres (down from 380 in the conventionally powered A3 models).

Still, while the boot lacks the capacity and depth of the rest of the A3 range, it’s still a broad, square-shaped space that’ll be fine for light family use or weekend luggage. Also, there are 60:40 split-folding rear seats to manage longer loads, and it should be said that neither the BMW i3 nor Golf GTE are any bigger. Once again, look to the Passat GTE for the best load-lugging capability.

If you're interested in buying a used Audi A3 e-tron, or any of the other cars listed here, check out our used car classifieds site <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/audi/a3?used=true&amp;nearlynew=true&amp;postCode=tw1%203sp">here</a>.&nbsp;

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&nbsp;

Audi A3 Hatchback

Though it&nbsp;sports plug-in hybrid tech, the popular Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV feels a little old-fashioned next to its more modern rivals

Used Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV 2014-2021

Being in the right place at the right time can make you look like a hero. The uncanny knack of knowing exactly what is needed at a particular moment will earn you the admiration of many and do wonders for your reputation. Back in 2014, <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/mitsubishi">Mitsubishi </a>found itself in just that situation with the Outlander PHEV, which quickly found favour with company car buyers thanks to its low CO2 output and minimal tax liability. &nbsp;

The ordinary <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mitsubishi/outlander/4x4/used-review/n769">Outlander </a>was a rather dull <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/category/large-suv">large SUV</a>, but the addition of&nbsp;a plug-in hybrid powertrain&nbsp;meant the PHEV version stood out in its segment. But that was then. Over the subsequent years, until its withdrawal from sale in 2021, many newer and fresher rivals have come along to shake the Mitsubishi tree, many with ranges equal to or sometimes superior to the Outlander PHEV's. The latest&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/toyota/rav4/4x4/used-review/n844">Toyota RAV4</a> Hybrid is perhaps still the closest competitor, in terms of its rugged feel, followed by more premium SUV offerings such as the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/lexus/nx/estate/used-review/n995">Lexus NX</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/lexus/rx/4x4/used-review/n17886">RX</a>&nbsp;–&nbsp;both of which cost considerably more.

Under the bonnet of the earlier Outlander is a 2.0-litre petrol engine (2.4-litre on the later models), but it is supplemented by a hybrid system with two electric motors – one for each axle. The engine can either drive the wheels with the help of the batteries, or it can charge the batteries to keep them topped up, or it can be switched off entirely and run in electric mode for 30 miles (less in winter), for driving in town, for example. Charging the battery takes five hours from a conventional plug or about three hours from a dedicated EV charging point.

GX3h kicked off the range and came with 18in alloy wheels, dual-zone climate control, Bluetooth and rear parking sensors. GX4h added heated leather seats, sat-nav, a reversing camera (but removed rear parking sensors) and xenon headlights.

Higher-spec GX5h was added after the 2016 facelift and gets Nappa leather and an uprated Alpine sound system. GX4hs and GX5hs models have additional safety tech such as lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control and front and rear parking sensors.

After the 2019 model revisions, GX3h became Verve with the addition of heated front seats; GX4h was renamed Design but the infotainment screen was increased to 8in; a new trim level called Dynamic was added that got blindspot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert, while GX5h became Exceed. Dynamic Safety and Exceed Safety models are much like the previous GX4hs and GX5hs Outlanders in that these have additional safety features.

Early Outlander PHEVs suffered&nbsp;from a poor ride, but this was improved as part of the 2015 facelift. Regardless, this isn't a particularly&nbsp;enjoyable car to drive, but it can be peaceful in EV mode. The steering is light and uncommunicative, and the nose generally washes wide sooner in corners than is the case with most of its rivals. Road and wind noise are an ever-present part of travelling in the Outlander, so it’s not the best for long journeys. A tight turning circle helps you out when parking, though.

Unfortunately, the PHEV misses out on the option of a third row of seats that the regular Outlander can be had with, due to the extra batteries required for the hybrid system. While that might not be too much of an issue, considering that&nbsp;those rearmost seats are tight even for children, you might notice that the overall boot volume is smaller than the regular car's, because the floor has had to be raised to make room for the batteries. The wheel arches also intrude quite a lot. It’s still big enough for four bags of golf clubs or&nbsp;five people's&nbsp;holiday luggage, though.

Space for those in the second row is good and people in the front have enough room too. A tall driver might like a bit more head room, though, and some might like a bit more adjustment in the steering wheel. Sadly, the dashboard is a bit of a mess, with various controls dotted around, and it can take some getting used to.

If you're interested in finding a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/mitsubishi/outlander?nearlynew=true&amp;used=true&amp;derivative.fuelType=petrol%2Fplugin%20elec%20hybrid">used Outlander PHEV</a>, or any of the other large&nbsp;SUVs mentioned here, head over to the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars">Used Car Buying</a> pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.

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