Please talk to me about Hybrids/Plug ins!
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Anonymous
Hey 
So, I'm looking to buy a new/newish car in the next 18 mo. I'd like to keep it for a very long time. I commute approx 70 miles (RT) about half highway half surface rd. Warm climate, flat roads. No plug in access at job. I'm thinking of entry level hybrid-not a Tesla purchaser here! I prefer American but am open to Kia, Toyota, ect. I've heard Toyota has Corolla in a hybrid now. What about Chevrolet, Volt/Bolt (what is that situation?). I have never bought a new car so I'm way out of the loop, and never had a hybrid. Currently drive a Chevy HHR, love it but seems like the hybrids have double the 24 mpg I get with it, and it's older and has a bazilion miles. |
Anonymous
| I’m currently very excited about the Honda Insight. It may be my DH’s next car/second family car. We also have a minivan. |
Anonymous
| OP here- oooohh I like the look of that one! I didn't know about the Honda! Nice price point. |
Anonymous
| We had a Prius before we got our current Tesla and I really loved the Prius. Very comfortable and drove well. No issues with it. |
Anonymous
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ford Cmax.
2018 is the last year. I have a 2013 with 80K miles. lifetime fuel economy is 45mpg. my commute is 18 miles each way, surface streets which a short stint on rt 7(55mph) same size as a prius LxW but is taller. Ie more interior volume and I feel it has better interior build. its plastic, but look and feels nicer than the prius (i owned a 2010 before i owned the ford. car has been bulletproof. a few minor recalls but other than that. no problems. when pressed on the hiway, your MPGs will be high 30's you could probably find a 2018 with low miles. but 18 months is a long to a few new models could be out from various auto makers. the new ford mustang mach E might be an option |
Anonymous
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So, what are the features that you like about the HHR. That will help make the best comparison.
Do you want to stay with a car of similar size? Cargo capacity? Do you want to downsize to a smaller car? What do you need it to do regularly? Do you only commute? Do you travel? Do you haul things around? How old are any kids that ride regularly in the car (so that we can figure out a car that will age with them appropriately). I just upgraded my 14 year old Ford Escape hybrid (small SUV) to a Toyota Highlander hybrid. I got a lot more space, optional 3rd row and only lost about 2-3 mpg (from 29-31 to 27-28). That was going from a small to a mid-sized SUV. A good option for you, in a comparable sized car: Toyota RAV4 gets 41/38 mpg and still has a little more cargo capacity than your HHR had.j |
Anonymous
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The Chevy Volt has been phased out, but it was a plug in hybrid. Its replacement is the Chevy Bolt, which is all electric.
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Anonymous
| We recently bought a used 2016 Chevy Volt. I LOVE it. It gets 60 miles per day on one charge. My only (minor) complaint is that it's not very big (for trips and/or camping.) But since I mostly use it to commute 40+ total miles per day, it's truly perfect for me. |
Anonymous
| I have a 90 mile round trip commute and am on my second Prius. The first (2009) went 250,000 miles and the second (2016) is at 125,000. Very few issues other than regular maintenance. What is surprising is how roomy the car is, my 6'3" 33 year old son can sit comfortable in the back seat. The cargo space is great, especially with the back seat down. |
Anonymous
Did you have to replace battery on the first Prius? |
Anonymous
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Op here. Thanks for the input! So the day after I posted this, I saw a billboard for a car show (large metro area) so dh, kids and I went on Sunday.
-Yes, the Chevy Volt is plug-in only now, and Chevy has no hybrids now. -I saw the Mustang! Awesome but I'm still mommin' it and need 4 doors. -The Toyota Corolla is a nice car. I liked that one a lot. And it's built in the USA. It also has American-style dash guages, which I prefer, and why I'm not crazy about the Prius. -The Honda Insight was nice too, but I'm not crazy about the interior, too many buttons and binging for me. -I particularly liked the Kia Niro. It actually comes in two flavors, a regular Hybrid and a plug-in plus driving hybrid. That one has a 26 mile range on the battery and then switches to regular hybrid. It's pretty clever really. I also liked that it was hatchback and sized similar to my HHR. And had American style dash guages. -Subaru had a big fancy display complete with puppies to pet (not kidding) but didn't have their hybrid there because apparently it's only sold in special states??? -didn't look at Fords (dh has a thing about them for some reason and since he does a lot of maintenance on my car, I go along with that) -to the PP who asked- So I commute about 70 miles RT, daily. I have a 5 and 16 yo who ride locally with me (not on the commute). I usually haul things like groceries, although I would love to be able to haul my 2 small kayaks (this is not a dealbreaker though). The features I like about my HHR is that it's a hatchback, and it's paid for LOL. I do not want to go much bigger or smaller. |
Anonymous
Never had to replace the batteries on either. |
Anonymous
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Battery replacement is the big scare against getting a hybrid. I think it is overblown.
Like many others, my Prius is rolling toward 200,000 miles on the original battery and it's just fine. Yes, it will probably have to be replaced and I will have the choice to spend several thousand dollars at the dealer or, more likely, get one of the many non-dealer battery packs for $1500. If my battery pack was dead tomorrow, would I pay $1500 to keep my ancient Prius rolling along at 45 mpg? Absolutely. |
Anonymous
The Chevy Volt is not plug in only. They did discontinue it, but it never was only an EV. Consider a used Volt. We have a 2017 and our avg. MPG over the past two months sits at about 119 mpg. Depending on the season we still get between 50 and 65 miles of electric range and rarely use gasoline. |
Anonymous
The Chevy Bolt isn't a replacement for the Volt. Two very different vehicles. I'd say the Bolt is a replacement for the Spark EV. |