The cars you loved reading about in 2024

Reviews of hybrid and electric cars are popular with Which? members, with examples of these models making up the entire top 10 most-read car reviews of 2024 on which.co.uk. 

With more than 30% of new cars sold in 2024 being full hybrid or electric, it’s not surprising our reviews of these cars have proved popular. However, no plug-in hybrid car featured in our list this year.

Interestingly, all but one car in our top 10 was produced by an Asian-owned manufacturer (and even the odd one out is produced by Smart, which is part-owned by an Asian manufacturer), while four models are only available to buy used.

We base these rankings on the number of people that read our online reviews of new and used cars during 2024.

Interested in making the switch to an EV? Our list of the best electric cars details the models we recommend

Most-viewed car reviews of 2024

5.  Lexus RX ​​​​(2015-22)

• Typical price: £15,407
• Fuel type: Hybrid

Our review of this large hybrid SUV is always popular, and the car scored well for customer satisfaction in our latest survey.

The V6 450h model we tested is both powerful and refined, but you’ll need to read our full review to find out what impact this has on fuel consumption.

There’s also plenty of safety kit across the range, and the RX scored five stars when it was crash-tested by Euro NCAP in 2015 (although this rating expired in 2022, as all NCAP ratings do after seven years).

It was replaced by an all-new RX model and the similar (but all-electric) Lexus RZ, both of which we’re looking to lab test in 2025.

In the meantime, read our full Lexus RX (2015-22) review.

4. Smart #1 (2023-)

• Typical price: £29,950
• Fuel type: Electric

It may not have done well in terms of registrations (less than 1,000 were sold in the UK during the first half of 2024), but our review of the Smart #1 has proved surprisingly popular.

The #1 is the first SUV model from Smart and is distinctive, with a minimalist interior and pop-out door handles. It was joined by the #3 coupé-SUV in 2024; both are EVs.

The #1 also comes with plenty of equipment as standard, although our lab test showed its boot wasn’t particularly large by class standards. The model we tested came with 272hp and proved extremely quick when accelerating.

We also thought the interior was very upmarket, although the touchscreen wasn’t particularly easy to use while physical controls are in short supply.

Should you consider a #1? Our full Smart #1 (2023-) review tells all.

3. Honda Jazz (2020-)

• Typical price: £25,705
• Fuel type: Hybrid

The Jazz may have been our most popular review of 2023, but it's slipped a few places this year.

Updated in 2023 with a revised exterior, additional trim levels and extra equipment as standard, this model is known for its spacious interior and clever features, such as its ‘magic’ rear seats that flip upwards at the base to easily store taller items.

While the Jazz is relatively expensive for a small car, our lab tests show that low running costs somewhat offset the purchase price. Honda’s reputation for building dependable cars should reduce maintenance costs, too.

We also tested the updated Crosstar model this year.

Find out if we recommend the Honda Jazz (2020-) and the Honda Jazz Crosstar (2020-) in our full reviews.

2. Hyundai Kona Electric (2018-2023)

• Typical price: £12,023
• Fuel type: Electric

Hyundai’s first electric SUV is a good-value used electric SUV and (after an update in 2020) has a claimed 300-mile driving range. It proved to be efficient in terms of energy use in our lab tests, but check our full review to see how close it got to Hyundai's claimed range.

More recent models come with Hyundai's unlimited mileage five-year warranty, which may prove useful as the car didn’t perform particularly well for reliability in our latest survey (see our guide on the most and least reliable cars for more).

We weren’t hugely impressed by the stopping distance of our pre-update test car, while both models were affected by poor rear visibility. That said, the Kona Electric is very easy to drive and has plenty of space.

Is the Kona Electric a Best Buy? Find out by reading our full Hyundai Kona Electric (2018-2023) review.

1. Kia Niro Hybrid (2022-)

• Typical price: £28,459
• Fuel type: Hybrid

With nearly twice as many views as the second-placed Kona Electric, the Niro Hybrid was easily our most-popular review of 2024.

Sitting between the Stonic and Sportage in Kia’s SUV range, the Niro is available in hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric guises. All models come with a lot of equipment, along with Kia’s seven-year warranty.

The hybrid model’s interior and boot are very spacious while the hybrid system helps to deliver good fuel economy. We were unimpressed by how unrefined the hybrid’s engine was, though, while some small SUVs are more engaging to drive.

Read our full Kia Niro Hybrid (2022-) review to see if it’s worth considering.

The top 10 most-viewed car reviews in full

Our guide to the best hybrid cars of 2024 shows you the models we recommend.

Our cars expert says

Dino Buratti, Which? cars expert

It’s clear that Britain’s enduring love for small cars isn’t something that’s going to fade anytime soon, with three of our ten most-popular reviews being for small cars. But with six of our top 10 reviews showcasing SUVs, it seems that traditional family cars such as estates and MPVs are proving less popular.

EV and full hybrid models that offer the potential for lower running costs fill our list this year, something that is surprising as more than half of all new cars registered in 2024 were petrol or petrol mild hybrid.

Models from traditional brands such as Ford, Vauxhall and BMW are once again notable for their absence from our list, with our members favouring models from brands such as Toyota, Honda and Lexus, which tend to focus on ease of driving and strong build quality.

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