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Identifying the First-Gen Ford MustangThe Most Affordable 2024 Hybrids
In the market for a new hybrid, but worried about the cost? We rounded up the top new Hybrids of 2024 to help make your purchase of a hybrid car a bit smoother.
Hybrid Vehicles Under 35K
Electric vehicles may be getting all the headlines these days, but for those looking to move away from internal combustion, don’t forget about hybrid vehicles. In traditional form, a hybrid blends a small fuel-efficient gas engine with a small battery pack and, typically, 2 or 3 electric motors to move that fuel efficiency needle significantly.
This rundown of the most affordable hybrids you can buy in 2024 skips plug-in hybrids and focuses solely on this traditional format. There are of course hybrid hatchbacks like the standard-bearing Prius, but don’t be surprised to find crossovers and even pickup truck hybrids here. To fit the billing of “affordable”, the base MSRP has been capped at $35,000.
2024 Ford Escape – $34,985
Ford’s 2024 Escape in hybrid form creeps just under our $35,000 affordability cap. These models are offered in front- (FWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD) with a 2.5L hybrid inline-4 good for 192 horsepower and up to 42 mpg around town.
These Escapes also come with the benefit of 61 cubic feet of cargo space thanks to crossover bodywork. Even base hybrid Escapes are nicely equipped with 18-inch wheels, dual-zone automatic climate control, and a power-operated liftgate.
2024 Honda Accord – $33,990
With a highway fuel economy rating of 51 MPG from its hybridized 2.0L four-cylinder powertrain, the FWD-only 2024 Honda Accord hybrid makes the case for skipping heavier hybrid SUVs and crossovers in favor of generally lighter sedans.
The Accord’s fastback profile affords it a relatively large trunk with 17 cubic feet of room. These hybrid Accord variants also come with a 12.3-inch central touchscreen, 19-inch rims, a sunroof, and adaptive cruise control (ACC).
2024 Hyundai Tucson – $33,950
Thanks to turbocharging, the hybrid 2024 Hyundai Tucson is on the peppy side with 226 horsepower, while still managing 38 MPG in city and highway driving.
It has a relatively huge maximum cargo hold of 74 cubic feet and only comes with AWaccaD. Plus, Hyundai sets itself apart from the hybrid pack by adding 3 years of complimentary maintenance to its warranty coverage.
2024 Toyota RAV4 – $33,120
Like many of the affordable hybrids on this list, the 2024 Toyota RAV4 can be upgraded with higher-end trims that bring features like a panoramic moonroof and heated rear seats.
But the base model is where it’s at in the context of affordability with a roughly $33,000 price point and relatively potent 219-horse 2.5-liter hybrid-four. The standard AWD, wireless smartphone mirroring, 17-inch alloy wheels, and LED headlights are pretty nice too.
2024 Hyundai Sonata – $31,950
Adopting Hyundai’s Robocop-esque front end, the 2024 Sonata hybrid gets a refresh this year. It also boasts more than 50 MPG on the highway from its 2.0L hybrid inline-4 and a standard 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen.
Other content included on these hybrids ranges from heated front seats and a 6-speaker audio system to digital key technology, reverse automatic braking and a wireless phone charging pad.
2024 Toyota Camry – $29,990
Sneaking under the $30,000 mark is Toyota’s venerable Camry in hybrid form. For 2024, this long-running sedan earns more than 50 MPG in both city and highway driving even with a fairly strong 208-horse four-cylinder powertrain.
Steel wheels are the lone concession to affordability here as these Camrys come standard with LED headlights, forward collision mitigation, a lane-keeping system, and ACC.
2024 Kia Sportage – $29,965
A mechanical twin to the Hyundai Tucson hybrid with the same engine and exactly 1 extra horsepower, the 2024 Kia Sportage hybrid is several thousand cheaper.
It also does a better job of sipping fuel versus its corporate cousin at 42 mpg in city driving, but is set up as FWD in base spec with the option for AWD. Otherwise, much of the content is similar, including the 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty. However, Kia does not include any complimentary maintenance.
2024 Toyota Corolla Cross – $29,570
Bigger than a Corolla, but smaller than a RAV4, the 2024 Toyota Corolla Cross bridges that gap in price and fuel economy with a 45-mpg city rating from its 2.0L hybrid-four powertrain.
This AWD mini-crossover also boasts an outsize cargo capacity of up to 62 cubic feet. Not to mention being impressively equipped with an 8-inch central display, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 120-volt power outlet, and automatic climate control.
2024 Toyota Prius – $29,085
Arguably the most famous hybrid, the 2024 Toyota Prius is the only hybrid currently on sale that fits the technical billing of a hatchback. It’s a body style that splits the difference between a sedan’s trunk and an SUV’s squared-off cargo hold.
In the Prius, that translates to 24 cubic feet of space, but the bigger news are the slinky lines of this current generation. And of course, tremendous fuel economy metrics like 57 MPG around town from its 194-horse four-cylinder setup.
2024 Kia Niro – $28,315
The 2024 Kia Niro is cheap at well under $29,000, spacious with a 64 cubic foot cargo hold, and miserly with fuel as evidenced by its 53 MPG city rating.
The 1.6-liter engine is puny, with just 139 horsepower, but it’s a value champ with alloy wheels, five USB ports, an 8-inch touchscreen, and automatic high beams. Spend up and you can enjoy amenities like an oversized 10.25-inch interface and rain-sensing wipers.
2024 Hyundai Elantra – $27,400
Hyundai and Kia share the same FWD-only hybrid powertrains for the Elantra compact sedan and Niro compact crossover-meets-hatchback.
It’s a setup that favors the Niro around town, but the Elantra – by a long shot – on the highway with a 58 MPG rating. In the Elantra, there’s more standard content too, like heated front seats, a digital gauge cluster, and the bigger 10.25-inch center screen.
2024 Ford Maverick – $27,015
The Ford Maverick is the only hybrid pickup truck on this list and one that happens to be very affordable. It eschews the typically poor fuel efficiency of gas-powered trucks by delivering 42 mpg around town from its 191-horse 2.5L hybrid-four engine.
This compact hybrid pickup seats 5, has rear under-seat storage, and a 6-speaker audio system. It’s also one of the few vehicles on the market that manages to make steel wheels look cool.
2024 Toyota Corolla – $24,635
Of all the hybrids on sale in 2024, the Toyota Corolla is the most affordable by a significant margin. It may not shine as excitingly as its Corolla Cross brother or seem as adventurous as a RAV4 Woodland Edition.
But there’s no denying the inherent goodness – and incredible affordability – of a relatively basic Corolla hybrid. Fuel economy ratings of 52 mpg city and 46 mpg highway certainly help on that goodness metric too.
