Edmunds: These are the best lightly used hybrid cars, SUVs and trucks

Buying a hybrid can significantly boost fuel efficiency and your monthly fuel bills. And these days, there are plenty of new hybrid cars, SUVs and even trucks to choose from. But what if you can’t afford to buy a new car? Consider buying a used one. A lightly used hybrid can save you thousands of dollars compared to an equivalent new one and be a trustworthy vehicle for many years to come.

The car experts at Edmunds have identified five top picks for used car, truck and SUV hybrids based on Edmunds’ testing, fuel economy and overall value. The prices listed are what you can typically expect to pay at a nationwide no-haggle dealership such as CarMax or Carvana.

The Prius is the hybrid that started it all, and it remains a benchmark of fuel economy and versatility. A 2021 Prius, for example, can get up to an EPA-estimated 56 mpg in combined city/highway driving depending on the trim level. Its handy liftback design makes for easy loading and unloading of cargo too. An all-wheel-drive version of the Prius is also available. The Prius’ main downside is its slow acceleration.

Look for: Our pick is either the LE or XLE trim because they offer the best mix of efficiency and convenience. Shoppers can also consider the Prius Prime, a plug-in hybrid with up to 25 miles of electric range. The Prime isn’t as widely available but typically doesn’t cost much more.

2021-2022 Prius pricing: approximately $23,000 to $29,000

The Honda Accord boasts a roomy interior, a big trunk and an enjoyable-to-drive nature. All of those qualities are also present for the Accord Hybrid. A 2022 Accord Hybrid, for example, gets up to an EPA-estimated 47 mpg combined, which is excellent for a midsize sedan. Nearly every aspect of the Accord Hybrid reflects an impressive level of refinement, and it’s entirely possible to forget you’re even driving a hybrid.

Look for: Shop for an Accord EX-L trim. It gets 47 mpg and has some desirable features not offered on the base model, such as heated seats, leather and a premium audio system. The fully loaded Touring trim is nice but it has 19-inch wheels that drop the car’s mpg combined rating to 43 mpg combined.

2021-2022 Accord Hybrid pricing: approximately $25,000 to $30,000

Consider the Kia Niro if you want a thrifty crossover SUV alternative to the Prius. A base 2022 Niro gets comparable fuel economy, up to 50 mpg combined, but costs thousands less. It’s also a pretty practical runabout. The Niro’s passenger and cargo space are roomy considering the vehicle’s small overall size. Downsides to the Niro are few but include slow acceleration and the lack of available all-wheel drive.

Look for: Try to get a Niro EX Premium trim. This is the most expensive Niro but it comes with a surprising amount of features, including a premium audio system, ventilated front seats and synthetic leather upholstery. A plug-in hybrid version of the Niro is also available.

2021-2022 Niro pricing: approximately $20,000 to $26,000

The Toyota RAV4 is a great choice for a small SUV. Guess what? The RAV4 Hybrid is even better. It has the same space and comfort of a regular RAV4 but with standard all-wheel drive and an EPA-estimated 40 mpg combined for either a 2021 or 2022 model. It’s also quicker to 60 mph than its gas-only counterpart. That’s what you can call a win-win.

Look for: The XLE Premium is the sweet spot in the RAV4 Hybrid lineup for value. It’s a midlevel trim but comes with some appealing standard features such as a sunroof and a power liftgate.

2021-2022 RAV4 Hybrid pricing: approximately $30,000 to $38,000

Pickups and hybrids aren’t typical allies, but Ford is leading the way with its F-150 fitted with an optional hybrid powertrain. Called PowerBoost, it has a turbocharged V6 plus hybrid components to produce a robust 430 horsepower. It also gets up to an EPA-estimated 25 mpg combined. When new, the PowerBoost was a fairly expensive upgrade, but it’s much less of a hit to get it on a used F-150.

Look for: The PowerBoost is an optional powertrain, not a trim level. As such, you’ll need to do some searching in used inventory to find one. The good news is that nearly every F-150 trim level has the hybrid available.

2021-2022 F-150 equipped with PowerBoost: approximately $38,000 to $51,000

Buying a lightly used hybrid is a smart choice for savvy consumers. It helps you avoid the full hit of a hybrid’s cost while still getting you a vehicle that’s likely under warranty.

This story was provided to The Associated Press by the automotive website Edmunds.

Dan Frio is a contributor at Edmunds.

This photo provided by Edmunds shows a 2021 F-150. Equipped with the hybrid engine, the F-150 gets up to an EPA-estimated 25 mpg combined. (Courtesy of Edmunds via AP)

This photo provided by Toyota shows a 2022 RAV4 Hybrid. The EPA estimates it gets up to 40 mpg in combined city/highway driving. (Courtesy of Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. via AP)

This photo provided by Kia shows a 2022 Niro. The EPA estimates it gets up to 50 mpg in combined city/highway driving. (Courtesy of Kia America via AP)

This photo provided by Honda shows a 2022 Accord Hybrid. The EPA estimates it gets up to 47 mpg in combined city/highway driving. (Courtesy of American Honda Motor Co. via AP)

This photo provided by Toyota shows a 2021 Prius. The EPA estimates it gets up to 56 mpg in combined city/highway driving. (Courtesy of Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. via AP)

PARIS (AP) — For powerful men in France’s film industry, this was a week of reckoning. Gérard Depardieu — the country’s most famous male actor — was convicted of sexual assault. Two days later, the Cannes Film Festival barred another actor accused of rape from walking the red carpet.

Together, the decisions sent a message that France had long resisted: that artistic brilliance may no longer shield those who abuse their power.

For decades, Depardieu was revered as French cinema’s “sacred monster” — a towering talent whose gluttony, volatility and magnetism became part of his myth. With more than 250 films to his name, many believed he would remain untouchable even after more than 20 women accused him of sexual misconduct.

Now, that myth has cracked.

The verdict has revived a broader question France has ducked since the dawn of #MeToo: Can a country that celebrates seduction and irreverence finally hold its male icons to account?

France has long lived its own #MeToo contradiction. That talent, charm, or intellect forgives misconduct. That the art excuses the artist. This is the land that gave the world Brigitte Bardot’s pout and Catherine Deneuve’s poise — and then watched both recoil when the movement came knocking. Deneuve has defended “the right" to seduce, while Bardot has dismissed feminism outright: “I like men.”

But the ground is shifting — fast.

Depardieu was handed an 18-month suspended sentence Tuesday for groping two women on a 2021 film set. He denies the charges and is appealing.

“It’s the end of impunity of artists with a capital A,” Carine Durrieu Diebolt, a lawyer for one of the two women who won their case against Depardieu, told The Associated Press. The verdict represented “a bookend for putting actors on a pedestal because they were talented,” she added.

Two days later, the prestigious Cannes Film Festival barred actor Théo Navarro-Mussy — accused of rape by three former partners — from attending the premiere of a film he stars in, even though the file was dropped for lack of evidence. The women are launching a civil complaint.

Navarro-Mussy denies wrongdoing. His lawyer said that she’s unaware of any ongoing proceedings against him.

What stunned wasn’t just the decision, but who made it. Cannes director Thierry Frémaux had long been seen as emblematic of the old guard. He defended Roman Polanski for years and continued to screen his films despite the director’s 1977 guilty plea in the U.S. for sex with a 13-year-old. In 2018, when asked why Cannes still included Polanski, Frémaux said: “These are complicated matters.”

Frémaux opened 2023's festival with a film starring Johnny Depp, despite the actor’s highly public legal battle with ex-wife Amber Heard over allegations of domestic abuse, in which he was never criminally charged. When asked about the backlash, Frémaux replied: “I only have one rule: it’s the freedom of thinking, and the freedom of speech and acting within a legal framework.”

This week, the rules changed.

“The Cannes decision is of course linked to the Depardieu verdict,” said Céline Piques of Osez le féminisme (“Dare Feminism!”), a group that campaigns against sexual violence. “(They’ve) realized which way the wind is blowing. Frémaux is trying to right the wrongs.”

Not everyone welcomed the verdict — or what followed — as a cultural turning point.

Fanny Ardant, one of French cinema’s grandes dames and a longtime friend of Depardieu, sat on his side in court. She is now directing him in a film in Portugal, despite the conviction.

“Fanny Ardant? She completely missed the point,” said Piques. “She downplayed the violence, normalized it. That’s rape culture, plain and simple.”

Juliette Binoche, Cannes jury president and one of France’s most respected actors, struck a note of restraint: “He’s not a monster. He’s a man — one who has, apparently, been desacralized.”

Her caution captured something deeper: a country caught between the urge to change and the instinct to protect its giants.

In 2024, more than 22,000 rapes were reported in France. Fewer than 3% led to convictions. “The Depardieu verdict shows there’s progress,” said lawyer Anne-Sophie Laguens, who works with victims of sexual assault. “But for most women, the barriers to justice remain enormous.”

When Bertrand Cantat — front man of Noir Désir and once one of France’s bestselling rock singers — launched a 2018 comeback tour, he had served just four years in prison for killing his partner, actor Marie Trintignant, during a violent assault.

Despite public outrage, he returned to the stage and performed.

“That would be unthinkable today,” said Piques. “The public mood has changed. What we tolerate has changed.”

One breakthrough came not from a film set, but an Avignon courtroom. The conviction of 51 men for drugging and raping Gisele Pelicot — a case long ignored despite her pleas — marked a turning point. For years, shame was hers. Now, it belongs to the perpetrators.

“It proved rapists aren’t just strangers in alleys,” said Piques. “They’re husbands. Colleagues. Respected men.”

That shift in shame is now rippling through the cultural world — once seen as a bastion of male privilege. Recently. director Christophe Ruggia was convicted of abusing actor Adèle Haenel when she was a minor, though he is appealing; and actor-director Nicolas Bedos, was sentenced for sexual assault.

Slowly but surely, yes. The system that long protected men like Depardieu is not yet dismantled, but it is shifting.

As one of the actor’s accusers said through tears after the ruling: “I’m very, very much satisfied with the decision. That’s a victory for me, really. And a big progress, a step forward. I feel justice was made.”

FILE - French actor Gerard Depardieu, left, and Belgian actress Cecile de France pose during a photo call for the film "Quand J'etais Chanteur," at the 59th International film festival in Cannes, southern France, on May 26, 2006. (AP Photo/Francois Mori, File)