---
title: Hybrid Interest Hits a Record With New-Car Shoppers as EV Consideration Slips
description: Hybrid consideration reached 22 percent of US new-car shoppers in the first half of 2026 while EV interest slipped to 10 percent and SUVs set records.
author: Darie Nani (Editor-in-Chief)
date: 2026-08-05T08:06:41.538Z
updated: 2026-08-05T08:06:41.546Z
canonical: https://www.richmanmagazine.com/article/hybrid-suv-shopper-consideration-first-half-2026
image: https://cdn.nanimediahouse.com/hybrid-suv-shopper-consideration-2026-101502.webp
categories: Lifestyle
content_type: News
region: United States
publication: Rich Man Magazine
schema_type: Article
---

Twenty-two percent of new-car shoppers in the United States considered a hybrid in the first half of 2026, [the highest share Kelley Blue Book has recorded](https://www.coxautoinc.com/insights/kelley-blue-book-brand-watch-audi-kia-subaru-hybrid-suv-shopper-interest-first-half-2026/) and up from 20 percent a year earlier. Interest in electric vehicles went the other way, down to 10 percent from 11 percent.

SUVs took over more of the shortlist in the same period. Luxury SUV consideration reached a record 79 percent, up four points on the year, while luxury sedan consideration fell to 39 percent. Among mainstream shoppers, SUV consideration hit an all-time high of 71 percent and sedans dropped to a record low of 25 percent.

## Toyota Fills Half the Electrified Top Ten

Toyota placed five models among the ten most-considered electrified vehicles, and all five are hybrids. The Honda Accord Hybrid and the Mazda CX-50 Hybrid joined that list for the first time this year.

Durability and safety are still the two things that weigh most on a shopper, but affordability and fuel economy have both grown in importance over the past five years, and driving performance has gained ground with mainstream buyers. Honda led on nine of the twelve factors Kelley Blue Book tracks, among them reliability, affordability and driving comfort. No luxury brand dominates in the same way: Lexus and Lincoln each took the top spot on three of the twelve.

## Only Two Mainstream Brands Gained Ground

Subaru and Kia were the only non-luxury brands to gain shopper consideration in the first half. Subaru was carried by stronger interest in the Crosstrek and the Forester Hybrid, Kia by demand for its value-priced SUVs and the Carnival minivan. In luxury, Audi was the only top-ten brand to improve, on growing interest in the A3 and A5 sedans.

“With affordability challenging many households, the strength of SUVs, which are typically more costly, was a surprise at first,” said Vanessa Ton, senior manager of market and customer research at Cox Automotive. “But we recognize that value-oriented SUVs are the heart of the market right now, providing shoppers the right mix of attributes and usability.”

## Buyers Are Settling in the Middle of the Lineup

The average new vehicle [sold for $49,758 in June](https://www.coxautoinc.com/insights/june-2026-atp-report/), up 0.6 percent on the year and still below the $50,609 peak of December 2025. The average sticker price was $51,654, and incentives ran at 7 percent of the transaction price.

The growth is in the cheaper and mid-sized segments. Subcompact SUVs averaged $31,113 in June and their sales rose more than 23 percent on the year, while midsize SUV sales climbed more than 16 percent. A full-size pickup still averaged $66,427.

“After several years of inflation, high interest rates, and policy volatility, many buyers have come to view uncertainty as the new normal,” said Erin Keating, an executive analyst at Cox Automotive. “If they need a vehicle, they’re moving forward and adjusting their budget and vehicle choice accordingly.”

EV prices have been coming down for six straight months. The average electric vehicle sold for $56,238 in June, 4.5 percent lower than a year earlier, and EV incentives ran at 13 percent of the transaction price against the 7 percent industry average.

## FAQ

**Q: Should I buy an EV or a hybrid in 2026?**
The research does not settle that for any one buyer, but it shows where the crowd is going. Hybrid consideration reached a record 22 percent in the first half of 2026 while EV consideration slipped to 10 percent, and the shoppers moving to hybrids are following affordability and fuel economy, the two factors that have gained the most importance over the past five years.

**Q: Why do people prefer hybrids over EVs right now?**
Price is a large part of it. Electric vehicles still need incentives worth about 13 percent of the transaction price to sell, nearly double the industry norm, while hybrids fill most of the ten most-considered electrified vehicles, five of them Toyotas.

**Q: What is the average cost of a new car in 2026?**
It was $49,758 in June, up 0.6 percent on the year. That average covers a wide spread: a compact SUV went for $37,707 and a midsize SUV for $49,792.