10 of the Longest-Lasting Hybrid Cars

There are a lot of ways to save money on gasoline with the latest new vehicles. However, if you want the benefits to really add up, you should pay close attention to our list of the longest-lasting hybrid cars. Otherwise, you could end up spending more on repair bills than you save at the pump.

Now, we can’t promise that all of these vehicles will give you a perfectly trouble-free ownership experience. Individual cars can buck the reliability trend for the rest of the fleet, and it seems like no automaker is safe from recalls nowadays. All these choices have superior reliability scores from top third-party experts, which is a good place to start. And just in case, many offer robust warranty coverage. Here are 10 of the longest-lasting hybrid cars.

Many of the longest-lasting hybrid cars are closely based on non-hybrid entries. That’s the case with the 2019 Honda Accord Hybrid, which starts off with everything you like about the regular Honda sedan. For example, the Accord Hybrid comes with standard safety features like adaptive cruise control, automatic forward emergency braking, forward-collision warning, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assistance, and a rearview camera.

The Hybrid model then adds fuel-economy ratings of 48 mpg in all facets of EPA testing. To back up the car’s reputation for reliability, Honda also offers a dedicated warranty for the hybrid system’s battery pack. It provides coverage for eight years or 100,000 miles (whichever comes first). The powertrain as a whole was named to Wards’ list of 10 Best Engines for 2019.

The 2019 Toyota Camry is another one of the longest-lasting hybrid cars from the midsize-sedan segment. The entire Camry lineup is well-known for its high-reliability scores. This probably explains why Toyota is confident enough to supply its own eight-year/100,000-mile Hybrid-Related Component Warranty for the high-efficiency Camry.

The hybrid model also raises the bar for fuel-economy grades. In its LE trim level, the car is rated at 51 mpg city/53 mpg highway/52 mpg combined. The Camry Hybrid has other notable technologies like mobile Wi-Fi, Apple CarPlay, and a mobile app so you can access Amazon’s Alexa virtual assistant.

If you’ve seen any of Chevy’s “real customer” TV spots, you know the Bowtie brand likes to brag about its J.D. Power awards. But you may not realize that the Chevrolet Malibu has won its segment in J.D. Power’s Vehicle Dependability Study for three of the last four years.

That bodes well for the 2019 Malibu Hybrid, which also checks in with EPA marks of 49 mpg city/43 mpg highway/46 mpg combined. Meanwhile, if you like technology, you should check out the Malibu Hybrid’s new-generation infotainment system. The setup bundles Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and an 8-inch touchscreen. Nor should you worry about the Malibu going off the market, as it’s not one of the vehicles being axed as part of GM’s sharper focus on SUVs.

With EPA ratings of 39 mpg city/45 mpg highway/41 mpg combined, the 2019 Kia Optima Hybrid isn’t quite as efficient as the longest-lasting hybrid cars from Chevy, Honda, or Toyota. On the other hand, none of those competitors can top the Optima for predicted reliability.

Kia continues to showcase plenty of value, too, with high-end standard features like leather upholstery, heated front seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, LED daytime running lights, and even a multi-mode drive system. For driver assistance, a blind-spot monitor, lane-change assistance, rear cross-traffic alert, a rearview camera, and rear parking sensors are standard. The Optima seals the deal with the kind of dynamic design that’s become a hallmark of the Kia brand.

The longest-lasting hybrid cars from Toyota also include the one that started it all. The Prius went on sale in 2001, and the automaker has only sharpened its hybrid expertise since then. As a result, the 2019 Toyota Prius can offer excellent scores for predicted reliability plus fuel-economy ratings estimated at 58 mpg city/53 mpg highway/56 mpg combined. Just keep in mind that those numbers are for the front-wheel-drive version.

The 2019 Prius also is the first one that’s available with all-wheel drive. With this AWD-e system, the regular powertrain drives the front wheels, and a dedicated electric motor for the rear wheels can add extra grip as needed. Toyota projects an EPA line of 52/48/50 for the all-wheel-drive Prius.

The Buick brand is a perennial favorite of the third-party reliability studies. This - and the presence of the 2019 Buick LaCrosse - makes it a great choice if you’re shopping for the longest-lasting hybrid cars. The LaCrosse is a full-size sedan with an expressive design that’s set off by standard LED signature lighting. In the cabin, standard technologies include an 8-inch infotainment touchscreen, Android Auto, and Apple CarPlay. 

But the main reason the LaCrosse is on our list has to do with what’s under the hood. It’s a standard mild-hybrid system with Buick’s “eAssist” technology, which helps boost the car’s EPA grades to 25 mpg city/35 mpg highway/29 mpg combined. That powertrain also delivers 194 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque at the same time.  

Lexus is another long-time dependability leader in the luxury segments, and it has two of our longest-lasting hybrid cars. The first is the all-new 2019 Lexus ES. Like the rest of the lineup, the ES 300h hybrid wears a fresh look with the latest iteration of the Lexus spindle grille. The cabin is even more dramatic, with a detailed multilevel dashboard that’s designed to be both stylish and ergonomic. The ES 300h also matches its stablemates with version 2.0 of the Lexus Safety System+ as standard content.

The difference-maker is a brand-new fourth-generation hybrid drive system that’s good for 215 hp and fuel-efficiency gains of 3 mpg city/6 mpg highway/4 mpg combined versus the 2018 model. The car’s 2019 EPA line is 43/45/44.

Completely transformed for the 2018 model year, the Lexus LS is now a sleek and modern flagship sedan that’s backed by the brand’s historically impressive reliability scores. Indeed, Lexus has been the overall J.D. Power dependability leader for seven years in a row.

The 2019 Lexus LS 500h leverages all of that success as one of the industry’s longest-lasting hybrid cars. It’s also one of the fastest. In the car’s standard rear-wheel-drive configuration, you can count on 354 hp and the ability to sprint from 0-60 in 5.1 seconds. With a lighter foot, you also can see fuel-efficiency grades of up to 25 mpg city/33 mpg highway/28 mpg combined. The car’s EPA line with available all-wheel drive is 23/31/26.

BMW has had its reliability challenges in the past, yet that seems to be changing. Recent third-party studies put the brand well above its rivals in dependability ratings. Certainly helping matters is the predicted reliability for cars from the 2019 BMW 5 Series, which includes the 530e plug-in hybrid.

Available with rear- or all-wheel drive, this upscale sport sedan provides the same amount of horsepower as the 2019 530i, and you also enjoy many of the same premium features. Among the highlights: standard content such as adaptive LED headlamps, 16-way power-adjustable front sport seats, and BMW’s Active Driving Assistant. The 530e stands out from our other longest-lasting hybrid cars with a 370-mile driving range that includes 16 miles using electricity alone.

Toyota isn’t the only automaker here with a long history of both hybrid innovations and high dependability ratings. Honda also fits the bill. Remember, the original Insight hybrid actually launched in the United States ahead of the first Toyota Prius. Honda did put the “Insight” name on the back burner for a while, but the latest model is predicted to be one of the market’s longest-lasting hybrid cars.

The 2019 Honda Insight also happens to be the Green Car Journal 2019 Green Car of the Year, with EPA marks of 55 mpg city/49 mpg highway/52 mpg combined. As a further advantage, the new Insight carries the Honda Sensing bundle of safety technologies as standard equipment.