10 Best Hybrid Used Cars

Hybrid cars are typically more expensive than their gas-only counterparts, but hybrid used cars have depreciation on their side to help take some of the sting out of the purchase price.  We're well past the first generation of hybrid cars, which means that there's really no risk from a technology perspective to go back in time a few years in order to save some money on a used hybrid.  With that in mind we're put together a short list of previously-owned battery-assisted vehicles you might want to take for a test drive.

Let's take a quick look at 10 of the best hybrid used cars.

10 Best Hybrid Used Cars - 01 - Ford Escape Hybrid

The Ford Escape Hybrid was one of the first truly success hybrid SUVs, and it managed to gather critical acclaim by way of its ability to combine excellent fuel efficiency with a high level of practicality.  Looking at the 2008 to 2012 models will net you the most recent version of the Ford Escape Hybrid, which delivers five passenger seating and 65 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear row folded forward.  Fuel mileage for a used Ford Escape Hybrid checks in at 34-mpg in stop and go driving and 32-mpg on the highway, thanks to the teaming of a 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine with an electric motor (or two electric motors, in the case of all-wheel drive versions), which together produce 177 horsepower.

10 Best Hybrid Used Cars - 02 - Honda Insight

The Honda Insight graduated from novelty two-seater to practical four-passenger commuter in 2010 when it was redesigned and re-launched in the American market.  Larger than before, the Honda Insight was notable for its affordable purchase price, which has kept its value low on the used market as well.  The Insight is motivated by a 1.3-liter, four-cylinder engine that works together with a single electric motor to generate a total of 98 horsepower and 123 lb-ft of torque.  Given its small size and relatively light weight, this helps the Honda achieve fuel mileage of 40-mpg in city driving and 43-mpg on the highway.

10 Best Hybrid Used Cars - 03 - Nissan Altima Hybrid

The first-generation Nissan Altima Hybrid was actually built using gasoline/electric technology licensed from Toyota - which means that there's a lot of research, development, and real-world experience standing behind this hybrid used car.  Built between 2007 and 2011, the Nissan Altima Hybrid is a bit more fun to drive than the Toyota Camry Hybrid with which is shares many of its mechanical details.  Rare to find secondhand, it's worth a closer look if you do come across one, as its 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine and single electric motor offer up 35-mpg around town and 33-mpg on the highway - not to mention just under 200 horsepower.

10 Best Hybrid Used Cars - 04 - Ford Fusion Hybrid

The Ford Fusion Hybrid has historically been one of the most successful hybrid family sedans.  The original Ford Fusion Hybrid was marketed in 2010 and 2011, and its 191 horsepower and willing chassis made it not unpleasant to drive in a spirited fashion.  The Ford hybrid combines a 2.5-liter, four-cylinder gas engine with a battery-powered electric motor that ensure excellent fuel efficiency figures of 41-mpg in the city and 36-mpg during highway cruising - far above many of its contemporaries.  The Fusion can also be found with the Ford SYNC vehicle interface, a blind spot warning system, and a navigation system that incorporates a hard drive for storing digital music files.

10 Best Hybrid Used Cars - 05 - Toyota Prius

The Toyota Prius is a stalwart when it comes to hybrid used cars, and has been one of - if not the - models that has helped to popularize hybrid technology in popular culture.  The most recent used Toyota Prius is the version that first hit showrooms in 2010, still in compact hatchback form but offering slicker styling and an upgraded interior.  Of course, the impressive fuel mileage that has always been part-and-parcel of the Prius experience is the primary draw for this surprisingly useful small car, showing as 51-mpg in stop and go driving and 48-mpg on the highway.  A 1.8-liter, four-cylinder engine and a pair of electric motors conspire to produce 134 horsepower in each and every used Prius from the past few years.

10 Best Hybrid Used Cars - 06 - Toyota Camry Hybrid

The Toyota Camry Hybrid has the benefit of being at the intersection of two incredibly strong market forces: the Camry's reputation for reliability and quality and Toyota's leadership in the hybrid segment.  This means you might end up paying a bit of a premium for the Toyota Camry Hybrid when shopping for hybrid used cars, but the advantage is you'll be getting a quality vehicle for your extra cash.  Look pre-2012 for the best deals on the Camry Hybrid, and the first-generation version of this car offered 187 horsepower from a 2.4-liter, four-cylinder engine matched with a single electric motor.  Fuel mileage for the Toyota sedan of this vintage is listed at 33-mpg in city driving and 34-mpg on the highway.

10 Best Hybrid Used Cars - 07 - Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid

The Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid is a bit of an outlier on this list, as it doesn't exactly post the sky-high fuel mileage figures that one typically associates with hybrid used cars.  That being said, a closer look reveals that the 20-mpg city and 23-mpg highway rating is actually a considerable improvement over a standard eight-cylinder pickup - close to 40 percent better than the gas-only Silverado.  The full-size pickup (whose second generation became available in 2009) still has plenty of grunt, too, thanks to a 6.0-liter V-8 engine that, in combination with its two electric motors, produces 379 horsepower and maintains a good 6,100 lbs of towing capacity as well as the option of four-wheel drive.

10 Best Hybrid Used Cars - 08 - Lincoln MKZ Hybrid

The Lincoln MKZ Hybrid is perhaps best known for the fact that its starting MSRP matched that of its gas-only counterpart, making it an easy choice for luxury-seeking buyers who wanted to go green.  In addition to being very comfortable in all manner of driving situations, the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid is remarkably efficient, sipping fuel at the relaxed rate of 41-mpg in city driving and 36-mpg on the highway.  191 total horsepower and produced by the vehicle's team of a 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine and battery-powered electric motor.  The 2011 model - the year the MKZ Hybrid was first introduced - represents the most affordable edition of the sedan to target.

10 Best Hybrid Used Cars - 09 - Chevrolet Volt

The Chevrolet Volt has been around since 2011, but it feels like it has been making headlines for far longer than that.  The Chevrolet Volt is considered an extended-range electric vehicle, with its gasoline engine intended to primarily serve as a generator to push past the hatchback's 50 miles of pure battery range.  The Volt remains a good deal as a hybrid used car, and with well over 300 miles of total range - and 149 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque on tap - it's one of the most daily-drivable electric vehicles around.

10 Best Hybrid Used Cars - 10 - Cadillac Escalade Hybrid

The Cadillac Escalade Hybrid is big, brash, and in your face with its larger-than-life full-size SUV styling.  The luxury sport-utility vehicle also happens to share a drivetrain that is very similar to the Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid, which means that it, too, benefits from a 6.0-liter V-8 and a pair of electric motors that grind out a total of 370 horsepower.  Available with all-wheel drive, and on the market since 2009, the eight-passenger Cadillac Escalade Hybrid can be relied on for fuel mileage of 20-mpg in stop and go driving and 23-mpg during highway cruising.