Most reliable EV/ hybrid - not cost conscious but looking for a workhorse. RAV4? Volvo V60 Recharge?

[Anonymous]

Another car to check out would be a Nissan Leaf SV Plus. It may be too small for your needs since it is similar to the Chevy Bolt EUV but it is an EV; gets around 220 miles to the charge; peppy acceleration; has a hatchback with good space in the hatch area; only costs $36K before the tax credit; is built to also provide V2H charging; and it still qualifies for the $7500 tax break. It has also been made since 2010 so it doesn't have the issues the other new EV cars are running into. From what I have read, a Leaf battery has never caught on fire.

The issues are it looks like a hamster(if you see it from the side you will know what I mean); no one has a charger yet that allows it to be used for V2H charging; and it uses the CHADEMO fast charger which is being phased out in the US(there are still many around).

I bought one in May and drive it a ton to Stafford from Arlington and have driven it out to the Shenandoah River. I use a normal 120V house hold outlet to charge it. It will gain about 100 miles if plugged in over night.

I liked the RAV4 Prime but wasn't willing to pay 10K over sticker price which is the same for a lot of the other EVs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ask does the R4P qualify for the the IRA $7500 tax credit? Otherwise it’s nearly $10,000 more than the CRV hybrid touring…

It won’t. It’s not built in the US (and neither is its battery). I still live mine, but I’m a soccer mom driving M-F under 25 miles a day with low electric rates. It may still qualify for state rebates/credits.

I’m in the Prime FB page and it seems most people choose it for performance (it’s got amazing pick up), they mostly drive <35 miles a day and/or want something environmentally friendly, which currently is PEHV rather than full electric.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Another car to check out would be a Nissan Leaf SV Plus. It may be too small for your needs since it is similar to the Chevy Bolt EUV but it is an EV; gets around 220 miles to the charge; peppy acceleration; has a hatchback with good space in the hatch area; only costs $36K before the tax credit; is built to also provide V2H charging; and it still qualifies for the $7500 tax break. It has also been made since 2010 so it doesn't have the issues the other new EV cars are running into. From what I have read, a Leaf battery has never caught on fire.

The issues are it looks like a hamster(if you see it from the side you will know what I mean); no one has a charger yet that allows it to be used for V2H charging; and it uses the CHADEMO fast charger which is being phased out in the US(there are still many around).

I bought one in May and drive it a ton to Stafford from Arlington and have driven it out to the Shenandoah River. I use a normal 120V house hold outlet to charge it. It will gain about 100 miles if plugged in over night.

I liked the RAV4 Prime but wasn't willing to pay 10K over sticker price which is the same for a lot of the other EVs.

Not sure about this car but true LOL to it looking like a hampster!

[Anonymous]

Hamster, spelling , argh

[Anonymous]

We love our Camry Hybrid but we don’t have a dog and are less outdoorsy than you. Why not another Prius?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We love our Camry Hybrid but we don’t have a dog and are less outdoorsy than you. Why not another Prius?

Just a bit too small - we feel full to the brim on road trips even with the bubble

[Anonymous]

I love my ID.4 and it seems like it could be a workhorse with lots of interior space. But, my kids are in college so I haven't tested the workhorse thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there anyone out there who can help me justify the Volvo for these needs? I really like it aesthetically…

They are great. Electric motor makes it fun - for now. Long term we are worried about reliability, but it’s our second car so not super worried.

We have a regular XC60 and love it but the passenger area legroom is really not good. I don’t know if the hybrid would be different, but I think it’s not going to work for our family after the kids are out of elementary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here - trying to add a few more details - I have read many other threads and really appreciate them! I meant to say specifically that a plug-in hybrid seems great. We are also considering:

Mazda CX-90 - seems to be coming out soon? maybe a little big?
VW id4
Lexus NX plug-in hybrid

Biggest question with all these is - are they reliable?

The NX 350 Hybrid is one of the most reliable it's a Lexus. I have one 2023 I just got 40 miles to the gallon. It is noisy. I was driving a 2020 Audi Q5 love the quiet hated the lack of reliability so sold it. Audi's are so pretty and seats omg fantastic, but car was in shop more than out.
The cargo space is not great however definitely smaller than Rav 4 Prime.

CRV skip it. Honda has zero track record in this area. CRV has had major reliability issues over the years and they did a dumb thing with the new redesign back seat does not fold flat. Why they did something that dumb with a winning product is beyond me. We had a 2013 CRV you could fit a whole 1 bedroom apartment in that car. But it was definitely a lemon broke down a ton.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our 2008 Toyota Prius is not particularly long for this world and we're in the market for another family car. Do you have one that you love and want to recommend?

Priorities / details:
Low hassle car ownership - want a reliable, forget-about-it car for up to like, 10Y
Not cost sensitive, so don't nec need cheap, but care about long term value, reliability
No need for financing
No garage
One kid, one dog
We don't actually drive much - maybe 10-15k / year
Would prefer an EV or hybrid
Slight preference for a wagon, hatchback, or small SUV over a sedan - we occasionally camp, have the dog, kid stuff, etc
Have a bubble, ski, bike, so will put stuff on the car

Cars currently on our list to test drive:
Toyota RAV4 Prime
Volvo V60 Recharge Plug-In Hybrid
Kia EV6
Honda CR-V Hybrid
Toyota Prius V (available used only, I think)

Examples of cars we _don't_ want and why:
Not another Prius - we're thinking we'd like something just slightly bigger, though open to the Prius V
No Chevy Bolt - too small, feels cheap
No BMW, Mercedes - too ostentatious, no need to buy something for the prestige here, it's going to sit outside
No Tesla - we want this car to last like 10Y and don't want to deal with screen or details breaking, etc, also Elon is a joke right now - a little worried about the Volvo with this
No minivans - just one kid, although we enjoyed a Chrysler Pacifica hybrid on vacation
Slight preference against sedans but do like the Chevy Mustang

Again - biggest priority is reliability! Please DCUM, you have so much knowledge - what else should we consider?!

NP. I have the Lexus NX PHEV and LOVE it. I managed to snag one at MSRP last summer after calling around and a dealer near me in SoCal happened to have a model that had been stuck at the port and not claimed. It’s quiet, smooth with a great interface that’s super intuitive. I wish it was a little bigger but I also knew it was a compact SUV when I bought it. Not sure what that other poster is talking about with the windows - I don’t think they are tiny at all. Overall, highly recommend. I’ve only ever owned Hondas and Toyotas my whole life and prefer the known reliability of those brands.

[Anonymous]

OP, we were in the same boat and wanted something bigger. In the end we settled on the Prius. Bear car we’ve had. Period. Don’t get the Lexus NX. As PP said.

[Anonymous]

Best bet is a Tesla.