The Japanese and South-Korean brands of Plug-in hybrids are all very well reviewed in CR, receiving scores in the high 80’s, and the reliability ratings are averaging around 4 if not higher. Interestingly the EV cars are more reliable than their SUV counterparts, which surprises me since I’m sure they’re all CUVs that share drivetrains and quite a few parts.
In many cases the plug-in hybrids are outpacing traditional cars in terms of CR’s rating, and in both predicted and actual reliability.
So did I, that was always conventional wisdom anywhere I looked, but parusing the plug-in hybrid reliability/performance ratings from CR back as far as they go all of these vehicles have consistently been on the higher end.
I’d imagine they are much heavier (and thus likely less fun to drive but it would seem that as of right now, a plug-in hybrid with enough battery capacity to handle your commute may well be the better option. Something for me to think about in a year or so when I start looking for an EV/PHEV, as well as to see if Tesla can move their ratings at all. I’m guessing not.
