In terms of reliability a car's motor only accounts for a part of its overall reliability, with some possible exceptions. It is sensible to avoid diesel which can cause DPF issues and we have seen reports from some drivers of full hybrid vehicles who are having issues with 12V batteries becoming depleted by a lack of longer journeys. A plug-in hybrid would potentially be a good choice for regular short journeys if you can charge at home, as this could allow you to make many of your journeys on electric power only, and therefore be very cost efficient. A petrol car would also be a good choice for regular short journeys.

In terms of specific models, you can see our top ten most reliable cars here - www.honestjohn.co.uk/guides/reliable-cars/most-rel.../ - excluding full hybrids, we would suggest considering the Skoda Karoq, Hyundai Kona and Mazda CX-5.