Best Hybrid SUVs for 2023: The Best of All Worlds (2023)

The days of a hybrid needing to sacrifice other attributes for efficiency are long past, and the 2023 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid is proof. The best compact hybrid SUV in our MotorTrend rankings, the RAV4 Hybrid delivers at least as much value as the standard compact SUV, with standard all-wheel-drive in addition to the superior gas mileage you would expect from a hybrid SUV. That's the overall theme with the compact segment's best hybrid SUV: spend a little more money, get a whole lot more value. That value proposition does wear off as you climb the trim level ladder, but the lower trims of the RAV4 hybrid make it a worthwhile investment even for many buyers not formerly interested in a hybrid SUV.

Base Price: $30,225
Maximum Cargo Space: 70.0 cu-ft
Power: 219 hp
Fuel Economy: 41/38 city/hwy mpg

One rung up the size bracket is the sharp 2023 Kia Sorento Hybrid. The Sorento provides a great first impression through solid exterior and interior design, and as a hybrid SUV it manages to return fuel economy ratings that small hatchbacks would've struggled to match not long ago. The Sorento doesn't excel in any one area, but offers a good mix of traits, including good safety ratings, spacious first and second rows, and admirable driver-assistance tech. The plug-in hybrid Sorento gets even better gas mileage, and has the ability to run purely on electrons for up to 32 miles.

Base Price: $36,590
Maximum Cargo Space: 75.5 cu-ft
Power: 227 hp
Fuel Economy: 39/35 city/hwy mpg

Toyota has taken up the hybrid torch with more enthusiasm than any other automaker, and the 2023 Toyota Highlander Hybrid shows that this decades-long effort has paid off. The Highlander Hybrid is a large, long-range cruiser with space for all your people and stuff. While its fuel economy isn't exceptional compared to other hybrid SUVs, the Highlander excels at crossing huge distances without fuel stops a breeze when road tripping. In addition, the Highlander offers a cavernous amount of cargo space, which also lends itself to long journeys. That said, while the Highlander Hybrid is a solid and effective machine, it isn't built for excitement.

Base Price: $40,220
Maximum Cargo Space: 84.0 cu-ft
Power: 243 hp
Fuel Economy: 36/35 city/hwy mpg

The alluring contemporary bodywork of the 2023 Volvo XC60 T8 Recharge hides some impressive engineering from the forward-looking folks at Volvo. This is a plug-in hybrid SUV with extraordinary efficiency and some features common to the best pure electric vehicles, such as one-pedal driving. As a plug-in hybrid, the T8 Recharge can be driven in EV mode for 36 miles, which is more mileage than the average American puts on a car in a day. Despite annoyances like an imperfect infotainment system, the T8 Recharge has many advantages that make its comparatively high purchase price worth it.

Base Price: $57,200
Maximum Cargo Space: 49.0 cu-ft
Power: 247 hp
Fuel Economy: 28 mpg combined / 63 mpge (2022 model year extended range)

The 2023 Lincoln Aviator Grand Touring Plug-In Hybrid is not the best plug-in hybrid SUV with three rows because it plays that archetype better than the rest. It is the best because this fuel-sipping SUV understands that archetype and flips it on its head. With practically 500 horses and well over 600 lb-ft of torque, this variant of Aviator most certainly flies. The ground-bound private jet uses electrification as the afterburner on top of an already powerful turbocharged V-6 that comes with the standard Aviator, turning this three-row luxury SUV into a forcefully effective performance vehicle with all the comforts you would expect from a top-shelf Lincoln, and more.

Base Price: $69,190
Maximum Cargo Space: 41.8 cu-ft
Power: 494 hp
Fuel Economy: 23 mpg combined / 56 mpge

The best plug-in hybrid SUV that we've ever tested just so happens to be the quickest and most powerful RAV4 ever to come out of the factory: the 2023 Toyota RAV4 Prime. The reasons the RAV4 Prime is our top rated machine are numerous, but are largely similar to the standard RAV4. The Prime variant just offers more performance and efficiency, with substantial power backed up by the ability to drive 42 miles purely in EV mode. We've used that capability to great effect in testing, enabling far better combined gas mileage than the EPA numbers. The RAV4 Prime offers all the advantages of the standard RAV4 as well, with impressive interior space, array of safety features, and good looks. To top it off, the Prime has even better driving dynamics than the gasoline-powered RAV4 or the standard hybrid RAV4.

Base Price: $41,590
Maximum Cargo Space: 70.0 cu-ft
Power: 302 hp
Fuel Economy: 38 mpg combined / 94 mpge (2022 model year)