Why is this argument frequently framed as either/or?
I love my hybrid vehicle (the Toyota gearbox is incredible, and apparently more reliable than a manual transmission).
Hybrids may be the best of both worlds, but they're also the worst of both worlds.
Also, this one is not a fancy hybrid like Toyota's one. It has a motor between the engine and the gearbox. It also does regen braking, but that's all.
My colleague's Toyota C-HR's fuel consumption is also pretty bad. Half of its nearest competitor, and lower than most car's highway consumption, in the city.
I traded-in a turbo-charged petrol-only vehicle, so I definitely understand your wanting to reduce complexity. My Camry is about as fast as the Subaru, and gets 2.5x the mileage on low-octane (city driving, primarily: high-40's).
On roadtrips the battery really isn't that helpful (other than brief accelerations), dropping to ~38 mpg.
Probably depends on usage patterns; I know someone with one of the plugin BMWs, and they effectively never end up running on petrol.