Choosing a family car is always a tricky business, and making sure you choose the right fuel is more important than ever. As well as petrol, diesel, or electric, you may find hybrid power is on your shortlist – and that’s no bad thing, as the best hybrid cars on sale today are a really excellent bunch from which you can choose a selection of excellent family cars.
Hybrids come in all shapes and sizes these days, from hybrid estate cars to hybrid 7-seaters and even hybrid luxury cars. Hybrid power is no longer the reserve of virtue-signalling Californians and weird little eco-boxes – now, it’s applied to a vast array of great cars.
We’ve compiled this list of self-charging and plug-in hybrid cars. All are ideally suited to family life, with some hefty seven-seaters for those with large broods and some smaller for young families, single parents, or generous grandparents. Read on to find out what we recommend.
The best hybrid family cars 2024
Parkers award-winning hybrid hatchback
Better yet, the Civic is great to drive, expertly blending comfort and handling with an excellent and very efficient hybrid powertrain. It’s better suited to country lanes or city driving than long motorway slogs, but we can’t hold that against it too much.
Read our full Honda Civic review
Pros
- Great to drive
- Efficient hybrid powertrain
- Practical, well-built interior
Cons
- Small fuel tank
- Not so efficient on the motorway
Plug-in hybrid people-carrier with a versatile interior
Combine that with seven seats that slide and rotate every which way, plus a really premium-feeling interior, and the Multivan’s a great choice for large families. It is pricey, though, especially as a PHEV, though reasonable running costs make this a bit more palatable.
Read our full Volkswagen Multivan review
Pros
- Up to seven seats
- Powerful plug-in hybrid option
- Drives more like a car than a van
Cons
- Rubbish infotainment
- Expensive
One of our favourite seven-seat SUVs
The Sorento’s comfortable to drive and has a solidly-built interior. Plus, Kia’s seven-year warranty remains a big draw, showing the faith that the brand puts into its products.
Read our full Kia Sorento review
Pros
- Seven-year warranty makes for painless ownership
- Comfortable, spacious interior
- Choice of self-charging hybrid or plug-in hybrid
Cons
- Only one pricey trim level
- Not entertaining to drive
Ageing people-carrier is still a great steer
The S-Max is spacious inside for five, though the third row of seats is better suited to children or teens than it is burly adults. And though the dashboard’s solidly built, it is definitely showing its age with regards to the tech on offer.
Read our full Ford S-Max review
Pros
- Handles brilliantly
- Efficient hybrid
- Seven seats in a compact package
Cons
- Cramped third row
- Lacks some modern tech
Posh wagon comes with a brilliant diesel hybrid option
The result is smooth, powerful and hugely efficient, and suits the E-Class perfectly. There’s a lot else to like too, from the huge load capacity to the comfortable ride. The dashboard can be a little confusing, and there are some areas of creaky plastic that somewhat spoil the experience, but these are small niggles.
Read our full Mercedes E-Class review
Pros
- Superb diesel hybrid with excellent economy and long range
- Massive boot
- Premium interior
Cons
- Doesn’t feel as well-built as the price tag suggests
- Some tech is overbearing
Top-seller is available with a really smooth hybrid system
We like Nissan’s e-Power hybrid system, which has no physical link between the engine and the wheels – instead, electric motors drive the wheels while the engine acts purely as a generator. It makes the Qashqai very smooth, especially round town, and adds up to an altogether relaxed ambiance.
Read our full Nissan Qashqai review
Pros
- Interior well-suited to family life
- Clever e-Power hybrid system
- Nissan’s best interior yet
Cons
- Not particularly exciting
- Rivals are more spacious
More powerful facelifted Corolla is a great option
After a 2022 update, the Corolla comes with an incredibly efficient 1.8-litre or a pretty powerful 2.0-litre engine. They’re both self-charging hybrids, and with Toyota’s years of experience prove smooth and powerful enough for a fully-loaded Corolla.
Read our full Toyota Corolla review
Pros
- More space than Corolla hatch
- Super-efficient 1.8 hybrid
- Genuinely rapid 2.0-litre hybrid option
Cons
- Dull interior
- Not the largest boot
The value champ, now available as a hybrid
The real story with the Jogger is its value, with prices well under £25,000, even for a top-spec model. That’s unbeatable in this area of the market and makes the Jogger one to consider instead of a slightly leggier used model.
Read our full Dacia Jogger review
Pros
- Seven adult-sized seats
- Amazing value
- Hybrid system works well
Cons
- Feels its price in places
- Not exactly stylish
The most spacious small car
The Jazz’s hybrid powertrain has good performance and great fuel economy, and because it’s a Honda, you can be sure it’ll be dependable.
Read our full Honda Jazz review
Pros
- Loads of space in flexible back seats
- Tall, uncluttered interior
- Solid and easy-to-use functions
Cons
- Not the largest boot
- Not big enough for growing families
Much-improved family classic, with an excellent PHEV option
The rear bench is big enough for adults or child seats, and if the hatchback’s boot won’t accommodate the trappings of family life, you can opt for a roomy Sport Tourer (estate) instead. The plug-in hybrid model doesn’t have the longest electric range, but it’s still usable and efficient.
Read our full Vauxhall Astra review
Pros
- Looks great inside and out
- Comfortable to drive
- Spacious estate model available
Cons
- Not the biggest electric range
- Gets pricey – for a Vauxhall
What is the most economical hybrid family car?
This is hard to answer as there isn’t a definitive definition of a family car. The most economical car on this list is the Vauxhall Astra PHEV, which will officially do up to 256.8mpg. As ever, official mpg figures for PHEVs are largely irrelevant unless you drive short journeys and plug-in religiously. During our long-term test of the Vauxhall Astra, we achieved around 80mph.
What is the biggest hybrid family car?
The largest hybrid family car question is hard to answer as there’s no clear definition on what constitutes a family car. The Mercedes GLS is certainly one of the largest cars on sale and is available with mild hybrid diesel and petrol engines.
What hybrid family car is the best for child seats?
We like the Volkswagen Multivan. It’s available with the same eHybrid plug-in powertrain as many of VW’s hybrid passenger cars, and there’s seating for up to seven. All seats in the second and third rows get Isofix for securing child seats too.
Tom Wiltshire
Tom Wiltshire is a Senior Staff Writer on Bauer’s Digital Automotive Hub. He’s written for numerous outlets, including Auto Express, evo and the Press Association, and now divides his time between Parkers and CAR. Tom’s a committed Peugeotist but buzzes off almost any car that’s tiny and silly.
