Will I replace my Mercedes with a hybrid?

I drive a 2020 Mercedes E 220 d with 61,200km on the clock and full MBSH covering circa 12,000km per annum. I have recently retired and will be doing less mileage and was wondering whether petrol or hybrid (e.g. Toyota Camry or Lexus ES 300h) is the best option and what choices are there if one were to go new or nearly new.

Thank you and look forward to your answer

Richard Bruton (Drogheda)

Dec 2024 Filed under: choosing new car

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Expert answer

Hi Richard,

It certainly sounds like you're the ideal candidate for a hybrid. Indeed, with less than 12,000km a year, you could easily live with a plug-in hybrid or a fully electric car if you wanted to install a home charger. 

A hybrid such as the Camry or Lexus would be nearly as efficient as your diesel Mercedes in most situations, and likely to mean much lower running costs in the long term. I'd certainly recommend a hybrid over a purely petrol alternative. 

In terms of new vs. nearly new, there are pros and cons to both. Nearly new cars have usually suffered a big chunk of their depreciation already, though you can't finance them the same way as you can a new car and of course, you're limited in choice to what's on the market at that moment in time rather than choosing your ideal specification. 

On that front, it's worth noting that the Toyota Camry is no longer on sale as a new car, though the Lexus ES is and it's an exceptionally well-made car. Almost all other hybrids in this sector are plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), however, so you'd ideally need to have a way to charge them up at home for them to be of use.

Shane O' Donoghue - Complete Car Advisor
@Shane_O_D