Should I buy a petrol, hybrid, PHEV or electric car?

Can you help me choose my next car?

I do about 9,000 miles per year. I am 70 years old and most of my motoring is local up to 30 miles. But I regularly travel for holidays, around 120 miles each way with no plug-in facilities. Do I stick with a conventional petrol car? Or choose a hybrid, PHEV or pure electric car?

Asked on 19 December 2022 by Alfanikon

Answered by Andrew Brady
If you can charge a car at home you might find a pure-electric model makes a lot of sense - with your local journeys, you'll only need to charge once a week or so. You'll have to factor in charging on a longer journey but it's not necessarily the faff you'd expect - a quick top-up at a rapid charger while you grab a coffee should give you more than enough range to get home. A new Kia Niro EV or MG 4 could be a good choice.

If you're not ready to make the jump, a PHEV could be a good stepping stone. It'll be able to complete your local journeys almost entirely under electric power, while you have the back up of a petrol engine for your longer journeys. PHEVs do tend to be expensive to buy, though, and aren't very efficient without regular charging. They're a bit compromised to drive compared to pure-electric vehicles, too.

Otherwise, a conventional hybrid like the Toyota Yaris Cross should be very cheap to run without any of the hassle of an electric car. You won't get the luxury of silent engine-off running but it'll still a very efficient and reliable choice.
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