U.S. News Picks Best Hybrids - How Did Toyota Prius Stack Up?

U.S. News & World Report Autos picked its favorite hybrids in every category. Here's how Toyota Prius made out.

U.S. News & World Report Autos (USN) has just released its rankings of hybrids from every possible category. Toyota is presently the sales leader in every one of those categories. So how did Toyota rank?

USN - Hybrid Cars
In the non-plug-in car category, the Hyundai Ioniq was USN's pick. The Prius family presently outsells the Ioniq family by five to one. However, Prius buyers may be overlooking a gem at Hyundai according to USN editor Jamie Page Deaton, who says, "The Prius is the first – and only – hybrid many car shoppers consider. That's a mistake. Models like the Ioniq offer consumers all the benefits of the more established Prius, as well as some extras, all at a lower price."

USN - Best Hybrid SUV
USN chose the Kia Niro as the "Best Hybrid SUV." This despite the fact that the Niro is a car, not an SUV. The Niro has less cargo area than the Hyundai Ioniq and has no off-road capability or AWD system. USN says the of the Niro, "The Kia Niro is a pretty good SUV. Although its performance can’t match that of some rivals, its gas mileage ratings are the envy of the class. The Niro's well-built and great-looking interior packs a lot into a small package." The Toyota RAV4 Hybrid comes with standard all-wheel drive and presently outsells the Niro by roughly two to one.

USN - Best Plug-In Hybrid
The top-selling affordable EV in America for 2018 year to date is the Toyota Prius Prime plug-in hybrid. It also earned the highest ranking by USN in the plug-in category. USN said of the Prime, "The Prius line won Best Plug-In Hybrid with its Prime trim on the strength of its high overall score in the U.S. News Best Car Rankings and its high mpg-e rating."

USN - Best Luxury Hybrid and Best Luxury Plug-In Hybrid
The Lexus NX Hybrid, which shares its drivetrain with the RAV4 hybrid, earned the top spot on USN's best luxury hybrid ranking. The BMW 3-Series was the top luxury plug-in hybrid. USN says that while luxury hybrids, "...may not provide the same value as hybrids and EVs from mainstream brands, they allow consumers to make a positive environmental impact without compromising performance or luxury."

See the full story and details at the USN site.