Anonymous wrote:Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid with the $7500 federal tax credit. You can go 30+ miles on electricity alone. This seems like a no-brainer.

TBH, your husband is probably dreading that he will need to keep this new minivan 2-3 years longer than minivan that was just totaled. Of course, you could always trade in once the kids are bigger and don't require as much space to haul stuff.

I think this is part of it, for sure. He really wants an EV pick up, lol. I keep reminding that we are solidly in the minivan stage of life, and there really isn’t anything else like the Pacifica right now. I do think we could probably finance it for 2 years and not be paying it off for so long, which might make it more palatable. I’m glad they still have the $7500 credit, though. It would be our third time using it.

Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid with the $7500 federal tax credit. You can go 30+ miles on electricity alone. This seems like a no-brainer.

TBH, your husband is probably dreading that he will need to keep this new minivan 2-3 years longer than minivan that was just totaled. Of course, you could always trade in once the kids are bigger and don't require as much space to haul stuff.

Anonymous wrote:Subaru engines have gotten really crappy. The CVT shudders in this really unpleasant way and pauses before accelerating. So I would cross an Ascent off the list for that reason.

Toyota has no chip shortages (thanks to Fukushima, they decided to always have a 6-12 month supply of parts), so if you need something now, they should have it. Supposedly their eCVT technology is the best in the industry. Their plug-ins are not impressive on range though.

That was our impression of the Ascent, too. I liked the older Outback driving-wise but despised the Ascent. Interesting about Toyota. My dad has been on the waiting list for the Rav4 Prime for ages. I assumed some supply issues which would affect all of their vehicles.

Anonymous wrote:Have you considered another Pacifica? They keep their value well, especially the hybrids, and you will probably get a decent sum because of the used car markers right now.

After a quick industry review my conclusion was another Pacifica too! Maybe the Sienna since it’s hybrid, but I can literally use almost no gas in the summer except on road trips and very little in the winter. Most of my driving is 5-10 miles. I just assumed market values on them were crappy and was surprised our 3 yo van came in at just under $40k KBB. For some reason DH isn’t sold on another Pacifica because it’s “not a good value”, but I just don’t think a larger EV (besides the Tesla X or Y) or plug in is going to be available soon enough for our needs. They will have the $7500 credit, too, I believe. I wish the Sienna had a prime version like the Rav4 or Prius.

Anonymous wrote:The Tesla X starts at $80K, which is almost twice what they paid for their last car. I wouldn't call that a no brainer.

Tesla has raised their prices quite a bit lately. Go on tesla.com right now, build a Model X with no options at all and the rock bottom starting price is $99,990. And that's before taxes and fees which depending upon your state could be up to another $10k. Want 7 seats instead of 5? That's an extra $3,500.

I don't fault Tesla--they are pricing based on supply/demand--but in the past 6 months they bumped prices up significantly on most models. The Model X is nice but it's not $100,000 nice...

Anonymous wrote:Tesla Model X or Y. No brainer.

The Tesla X starts at $80K, which is almost twice what they paid for their last car. I wouldn't call that a no brainer.

Since you deemed the Highlander to be too small, you're looking at either a minivan or a biiiiiig SUV.

PHEVs and all-electrics are trickling in, but I'm not aware of any yet in the extra large vehicle category you are looking at. That will likely change over the next few years.

How about the Kia Carnival? Been getting really good reviews.

Another option would be a Tahoe or Suburban, though both are pricier than minivans.

At the moment you're going to have to choose to prioritize the large bigger-than-highlander size you are seeking OR a PHEV or all-electric. The good news is that minivan and large SUV mpgs are much better than they used to be.

I have a hybrid pacifica and I would either get another or get the hybrid (not a PHEV) sienna.

I love having a minivan even with just two kids and a dog. It's just so much easier. I prefer the PHEV but the regular hybrid sienna wasn't available 3 years ago when I was buying.

Subaru engines have gotten really crappy. The CVT shudders in this really unpleasant way and pauses before accelerating. So I would cross an Ascent off the list for that reason.

Toyota has no chip shortages (thanks to Fukushima, they decided to always have a 6-12 month supply of parts), so if you need something now, they should have it. Supposedly their eCVT technology is the best in the industry. Their plug-ins are not impressive on range though.

Have you considered another Pacifica? They keep their value well, especially the hybrids, and you will probably get a decent sum because of the used car markers right now.

Tesla Model X or Y. No brainer.

To; dr version

Need a reliable family vehicle with room for everyone including the dog with great fuel efficiency and/or EV modes

Our Hybrid Pacifica was smashed. I believe it will be totaled. It’s only 3 years old, and I was hoping our next vehicle in 5-6 years would be all electric, mainstream, non-Tesla, and (semi-)affordable. We have two plug in hybrids (best option when we bought the cars), and really need two vehicles. We still have two car seats (although one is in booster mode, he really needs the high back design and will likely for a while), and the other will be in a high back booster in the next year or so (currently convertible so the sliding doors are nice). Probably won’t be adding any new kiddos but do have a large dog who accompanies us on road trips. The van was the best choice when we were looking 3 years ago. I would like to be able to drive mostly or all electric, and the majority of our day to day driving is short distances in traffic. I charge with a level 2 charger at night. We have had some super obnoxious but mostly minor quality issues with our van like the damn sliding doors, weird console problems, and an apparent recall they have not had the parts to fix for a loooong time.

When we shopped last time we considered the Kona plug in hybrid (way too small), the Highlander (didn’t like the 3rd row, too small, Hybrid efficiency was meh), the Sienna (didn’t have plug in or Hybrid yet, liked the AWD), and the Subaru Ascent (didn’t like the handling, back seat was small, not as much storage, ok fu efficiency, liked AWD).

We don’t need a car immediately, but if the van is totaled we are probably going to be needing to pick something up in a couple weeks, since we have literally no way to transport the pup with us (second car is smash hatchback). If there’s something really great we should wait for, it’s possible but won’t be ideal. TIA for any leads! It took us weeks to decide last time and there weren’t any supply issues!

If it’s totaled, I’m expecting crap reimbursement given Chrysler resale market value, but I believe that vehicle was in the $45k range. Good lesson to not buy vehicles with crap resale value! We usually keep our cars for 8-10 years so it’s not a a big consideration, except in these cases (it was hit and run, probably a felonious activity, and I’m not expecting much from the perp/their insurance). Just want to know what cars we should even be looking at! Want planning on doing this right now.