Best small affordable hybrid car help please

[LlamaLasagne]

Affordable may be slightly optimistic to be fair! My current VW Polo is great but is ten years old and the electrics are beginning to go. I would really like a hybrid car this time. Just electric isn't doable as I live rurally. I have driven SEATs and VWs most of my driving life but this time budget is key. I would rather take out a bank loan than get a lease car as that feels like renting not owning.
Renault Clios seem to rank decently. Please may I have any thoughts and other suggestions?

Are you looking for secondhand? If so, you could do a lot worse than a 6-yr old Kia Niro. You'll still have the remainder of the 7-yr warranty and you will have a fuel efficient car in a decently-low insurance group, that's comfortable, reliable and has lots of safety features. I don't work for them honest!!

Toyota Yaris are good

Toyota Yaris hybrid, I've had mine for 7 years and love it, economical, reliable, surprisingly roomy.

My amazing mechanic ranks Toyota first followed very closely by Honda as reliable, long lasting hybrids. I bought a used Honda jazz hybrid. Not exactly cheap but extremely economical and expecting 15 years plus out of it.

Thank you all. Just had the AA out and he also said Toyota Yaris. Said to go for 2020/1 and to go for a Japanese make as they have been doing electric for longer so everyone else is playing catch up.
Off to do Kia vs Toyota comparisons now!

Also said to go for service history over mileage, and HEV not PHEV.
Also need to google that 🤣

If you can find a Yaris with a Toyota service history that's really good as they have an excellent warranty, up to 10 years or 100,000 miles so long as you get it serviced by Toyota.

Mine is over 100,000 miles now at 8 years old, so high mileage and out of warranty but they did honour the warranty right up to the 100k miles (it started making funny noises at 99,500 miles) and it has never broken down on me.