Best EV for around $50k, or RAV4 Prime???

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quantAndHold
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Re: Best EV for around $50k, or RAV4 Prime???

Post by quantAndHold »

Our next door neighbor just got an XC40. The car is *impressive*. I’m more of a compact hatchback type person, so I was figuring we would just get the 2013 Ford C-Max plug-in our tenant is selling, but now we’re reevaluating.

I know, apples and oranges…
m@ver1ck
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Re: Best EV for around $50k, or RAV4 Prime???

Post by m@ver1ck »

I have the ID4. I have had it about 6-9 months now. No issues. The software issues that people complain about seem overblown. Yeah, could take some improvements - but whatever. Focus on the road and drive!
bwalling
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Re: Best EV for around $50k, or RAV4 Prime???

Post by bwalling »

gtrplayer wrote: Sat Nov 19, 2022 10:06 pm
Personally, I’m not convinced the fully electric vehicle is ready for what I want to do (both driving in town and on long distance trips) but the Prius has been great. Drove in and out of California during the height of gas prices and avoided filling up the whole time…

I said that until owning an EV. Around town is light years ahead of ICE. I’m fully charged every morning. Never even think about it. For trips, the car figures it out. Stops are a little longer, but wife prefers that anyway, so it removes a little disagreement between us on road trips.
stoptothink
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Re: Best EV for around $50k, or RAV4 Prime???

Post by stoptothink »

gtrplayer wrote: Sat Nov 19, 2022 10:06 pm I know it’s not “cool,” but I drive a Prius, it gets on average over 50 mpg, and is very reliable. They just announced the 2023 Prius which gives it a much more appealing appearance, at least in my opinion, and you can get a plug in to avoid filling up at all in town.

Personally, I’m not convinced the fully electric vehicle is ready for what I want to do (both driving in town and on long distance trips) but the Prius has been great. Drove in and out of California during the height of gas prices and avoided filling up the whole time…

https://www.toyota.com/upcoming-vehicle ... lsrc=aw.ds
The new prius looks fantastic. Curious how efficiency is affected by the added power. If we were in the market for a new commuter in a year or so, it would definitely be on the top of the list.
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TomatoTomahto
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Re: Best EV for around $50k, or RAV4 Prime???

Post by TomatoTomahto »

bwalling wrote: Sun Nov 20, 2022 6:14 am
gtrplayer wrote: Sat Nov 19, 2022 10:06 pm
Personally, I’m not convinced the fully electric vehicle is ready for what I want to do (both driving in town and on long distance trips) but the Prius has been great. Drove in and out of California during the height of gas prices and avoided filling up the whole time…

I said that until owning an EV. Around town is light years ahead of ICE. I’m fully charged every morning. Never even think about it. For trips, the car figures it out. Stops are a little longer, but wife prefers that anyway, so it removes a little disagreement between us on road trips.
7 years along in owning an EV, and I just don’t get what the fuss is still about, especially for in-town use.
I get the FI part but not the RE part of FIRE.
cyclist
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Re: Best EV for around $50k, or RAV4 Prime???

Post by cyclist »

It’s not entirely surprising that a random mechanic would warn against electric cars. Electric cars are real threats to their livelihoods. There’s not much to go wrong other than tires/alignment, and what there is that might go wrong they can’t fix.

I like my independent mechanic. He’ll still fix our minivan. But he was understandably unhappy when we heard that we had a Tesla 3 on order.

Picked it up a couple of days ago. Nice car.

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Normchad
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Re: Best EV for around $50k, or RAV4 Prime???

Post by Normchad »

TomatoTomahto wrote: Sun Nov 20, 2022 7:31 am
bwalling wrote: Sun Nov 20, 2022 6:14 am
gtrplayer wrote: Sat Nov 19, 2022 10:06 pm
Personally, I’m not convinced the fully electric vehicle is ready for what I want to do (both driving in town and on long distance trips) but the Prius has been great. Drove in and out of California during the height of gas prices and avoided filling up the whole time…

I said that until owning an EV. Around town is light years ahead of ICE. I’m fully charged every morning. Never even think about it. For trips, the car figures it out. Stops are a little longer, but wife prefers that anyway, so it removes a little disagreement between us on road trips.
7 years along in owning an EV, and I just don’t get what the fuss is still about, especially for in-town use.
Prior to owning one, I had many of the same questions and concerns. So I’m not at all surprised that others do as well.

They’re not a great answer for everybody right now. And that’s fine. We don’t need a one-size-fits-all answer for every person and use case.

For me, I,love my EV. I go ion longish trips with it without concern, worry, or forethought. But for really long trips, I fly. I wouldn’t want to drive across America in my EV, although I could.

After buying it, I had range anxiety for about 2 months. Now I never even think about it. A lot of other EV owners have had that same experience.
gtrplayer
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Re: Best EV for around $50k, or RAV4 Prime???

Post by gtrplayer »

Normchad wrote: Sun Nov 20, 2022 8:58 am
TomatoTomahto wrote: Sun Nov 20, 2022 7:31 am
bwalling wrote: Sun Nov 20, 2022 6:14 am
gtrplayer wrote: Sat Nov 19, 2022 10:06 pm
Personally, I’m not convinced the fully electric vehicle is ready for what I want to do (both driving in town and on long distance trips) but the Prius has been great. Drove in and out of California during the height of gas prices and avoided filling up the whole time…

I said that until owning an EV. Around town is light years ahead of ICE. I’m fully charged every morning. Never even think about it. For trips, the car figures it out. Stops are a little longer, but wife prefers that anyway, so it removes a little disagreement between us on road trips.
7 years along in owning an EV, and I just don’t get what the fuss is still about, especially for in-town use.
Prior to owning one, I had many of the same questions and concerns. So I’m not at all surprised that others do as well.

They’re not a great answer for everybody right now. And that’s fine. We don’t need a one-size-fits-all answer for every person and use case.

For me, I,love my EV. I go ion longish trips with it without concern, worry, or forethought. But for really long trips, I fly. I wouldn’t want to drive across America in my EV, although I could.

After buying it, I had range anxiety for about 2 months. Now I never even think about it. A lot of other EV owners have had that same experience.
My issue is that I do frequently drive really long trips (live in the center of the country and have driven to San Diego, New York, down south)… I prefer it to flying. I can’t picture how it would work with a fully electric with the length of time to charge… or the prospect of having to find a charging station in rural Wyoming…
Normchad
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Re: Best EV for around $50k, or RAV4 Prime???

Post by Normchad »

gtrplayer wrote: Sun Nov 20, 2022 8:29 pm
Normchad wrote: Sun Nov 20, 2022 8:58 am
TomatoTomahto wrote: Sun Nov 20, 2022 7:31 am
bwalling wrote: Sun Nov 20, 2022 6:14 am
gtrplayer wrote: Sat Nov 19, 2022 10:06 pm
Personally, I’m not convinced the fully electric vehicle is ready for what I want to do (both driving in town and on long distance trips) but the Prius has been great. Drove in and out of California during the height of gas prices and avoided filling up the whole time…

I said that until owning an EV. Around town is light years ahead of ICE. I’m fully charged every morning. Never even think about it. For trips, the car figures it out. Stops are a little longer, but wife prefers that anyway, so it removes a little disagreement between us on road trips.
7 years along in owning an EV, and I just don’t get what the fuss is still about, especially for in-town use.
Prior to owning one, I had many of the same questions and concerns. So I’m not at all surprised that others do as well.

They’re not a great answer for everybody right now. And that’s fine. We don’t need a one-size-fits-all answer for every person and use case.

For me, I,love my EV. I go ion longish trips with it without concern, worry, or forethought. But for really long trips, I fly. I wouldn’t want to drive across America in my EV, although I could.

After buying it, I had range anxiety for about 2 months. Now I never even think about it. A lot of other EV owners have had that same experience.
My issue is that I do frequently drive really long trips (live in the center of the country and have driven to San Diego, New York, down south)… I prefer it to flying. I can’t picture how it would work with a fully electric with the length of time to charge… or the prospect of having to find a charging station in rural Wyoming…
I completely understand. In your shoes, I’d stick with gas for now. Gas is still hugely more convenient for long trips. Hopefully electric catches up soon, but it’s not there yet.
JR52
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Re: Best EV for around $50k, or RAV4 Prime???

Post by JR52 »

Normchad wrote: Sun Nov 20, 2022 8:35 pm
gtrplayer wrote: Sun Nov 20, 2022 8:29 pm
Normchad wrote: Sun Nov 20, 2022 8:58 am
TomatoTomahto wrote: Sun Nov 20, 2022 7:31 am
bwalling wrote: Sun Nov 20, 2022 6:14 am


I said that until owning an EV. Around town is light years ahead of ICE. I’m fully charged every morning. Never even think about it. For trips, the car figures it out. Stops are a little longer, but wife prefers that anyway, so it removes a little disagreement between us on road trips.
7 years along in owning an EV, and I just don’t get what the fuss is still about, especially for in-town use.
Prior to owning one, I had many of the same questions and concerns. So I’m not at all surprised that others do as well.

They’re not a great answer for everybody right now. And that’s fine. We don’t need a one-size-fits-all answer for every person and use case.

For me, I,love my EV. I go ion longish trips with it without concern, worry, or forethought. But for really long trips, I fly. I wouldn’t want to drive across America in my EV, although I could.

After buying it, I had range anxiety for about 2 months. Now I never even think about it. A lot of other EV owners have had that same experience.
My issue is that I do frequently drive really long trips (live in the center of the country and have driven to San Diego, New York, down south)… I prefer it to flying. I can’t picture how it would work with a fully electric with the length of time to charge… or the prospect of having to find a charging station in rural Wyoming…
I completely understand. In your shoes, I’d stick with gas for now. Gas is still hugely more convenient for long trips. Hopefully electric catches up soon, but it’s not there yet.
I appreciate this response. As someone who has never owned an EC but considering for my next car, I don’t know how much of a pain coordination/inconvenience it is for longer trips. I was always thinking it would be difficult but most EV owners downplay this aspect.
delamer
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Re: Best EV for around $50k, or RAV4 Prime???

Post by delamer »

JR52 wrote: Sun Nov 20, 2022 9:10 pm
Normchad wrote: Sun Nov 20, 2022 8:35 pm
gtrplayer wrote: Sun Nov 20, 2022 8:29 pm
Normchad wrote: Sun Nov 20, 2022 8:58 am
TomatoTomahto wrote: Sun Nov 20, 2022 7:31 am

7 years along in owning an EV, and I just don’t get what the fuss is still about, especially for in-town use.
Prior to owning one, I had many of the same questions and concerns. So I’m not at all surprised that others do as well.

They’re not a great answer for everybody right now. And that’s fine. We don’t need a one-size-fits-all answer for every person and use case.

For me, I,love my EV. I go ion longish trips with it without concern, worry, or forethought. But for really long trips, I fly. I wouldn’t want to drive across America in my EV, although I could.

After buying it, I had range anxiety for about 2 months. Now I never even think about it. A lot of other EV owners have had that same experience.
My issue is that I do frequently drive really long trips (live in the center of the country and have driven to San Diego, New York, down south)… I prefer it to flying. I can’t picture how it would work with a fully electric with the length of time to charge… or the prospect of having to find a charging station in rural Wyoming…
I completely understand. In your shoes, I’d stick with gas for now. Gas is still hugely more convenient for long trips. Hopefully electric catches up soon, but it’s not there yet.
I appreciate this response. As someone who has never owned an EC but considering for my next car, I don’t know how much of a pain coordination/inconvenience it is for longer trips. I was always thinking it would be difficult but most EV owners downplay this aspect.
As an EV owner of 6 weeks, I’m not downplaying it. :D

We have an ICE car also, but it is not ideal for long trips (sporty and low-slung, with an almost unusable backseat).

I’d like to see a study on this issue, from both the financial and environmental perspectives: Owning two EVs and renting an ICE vehicle for four week-long trips of 500 miles/year versus owning one EV and one ICE vehicle used for the same 500 mile trips.

I’m not a fan of hybrids. Maybe I’m the glass half-empty type, but I see more downsides than upsides.
One thing that humbles me deeply is to see that human genius has its limits while human stupidity does not. - Alexandre Dumas, fils
bwalling
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Re: Best EV for around $50k, or RAV4 Prime???

Post by bwalling »

JR52 wrote: Sun Nov 20, 2022 9:10 pmI appreciate this response. As someone who has never owned an EC but considering for my next car, I don’t know how much of a pain coordination/inconvenience it is for longer trips. I was always thinking it would be difficult but most EV owners downplay this aspect.
I drive 850 miles each way between our primary and secondary homes. The Tesla adds about 80 minutes to the drive, and also dictates when and where we stop. EV route mappers will tell you longer, compared with what you'll see on Google Maps, but it evens out more when you add actual stopping time to what Google Maps tells you.

If you want to see what a trip would be like, have a look at https://abetterrouteplanner.com/ . It lets you toggle between different EVs, and will map routes for trips, taking charger locations and actual usage for that vehicle into account. I don't worry about "coordination" as the car deals with it, or that app deals with it. It's like using Google Maps or Waze, but will take your charging into account.
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TomatoTomahto
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Re: Best EV for around $50k, or RAV4 Prime???

Post by TomatoTomahto »

JR52 wrote: Sun Nov 20, 2022 9:10 pm I appreciate this response. As someone who has never owned an EC but considering for my next car, I don’t know how much of a pain coordination/inconvenience it is for longer trips. I was always thinking it would be difficult but most EV owners downplay this aspect.
Even when I had only ICE cars, I never took car trips of more than 4 or 5 hours. It just didn’t happen; I hate driving for long stretches. I enjoy trains, and my once a month or so trips from around Boston to NYC are done on the Acela. My ex-wife thought nothing of driving 20+ hours to Florida, for example; that didn’t cause our divorce, but it didn’t prevent it either. There seem to be people who enjoy road trips and take them, although I’m not always sure it’s as common as they’d have you believe.

The car figures out when/where/how long to charge on the occasional trips that require charging outside the home.
I get the FI part but not the RE part of FIRE.
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mrmass
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Re: Best EV for around $50k, or RAV4 Prime???

Post by mrmass »

Electrical constraints aside, it would be wonderful if there could be a physical standard for the charging attachment.
7eight9
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Re: Best EV for around $50k, or RAV4 Prime???

Post by 7eight9 »

bwalling wrote: Mon Nov 21, 2022 5:39 am
JR52 wrote: Sun Nov 20, 2022 9:10 pmI appreciate this response. As someone who has never owned an EC but considering for my next car, I don’t know how much of a pain coordination/inconvenience it is for longer trips. I was always thinking it would be difficult but most EV owners downplay this aspect.
I drive 850 miles each way between our primary and secondary homes. The Tesla adds about 80 minutes to the drive, and also dictates when and where we stop. EV route mappers will tell you longer, compared with what you'll see on Google Maps, but it evens out more when you add actual stopping time to what Google Maps tells you.

If you want to see what a trip would be like, have a look at https://abetterrouteplanner.com/ . It lets you toggle between different EVs, and will map routes for trips, taking charger locations and actual usage for that vehicle into account. I don't worry about "coordination" as the car deals with it, or that app deals with it. It's like using Google Maps or Waze, but will take your charging into account.
Thanks for the link. For a Nissan Leaf S - from Las Vegas to Laguna Beach - 3 stops totalling 1:48 in charging time. Which pretty much equals my experience bringing it back from California. The three stops took longer because of difficulty finding a working charger. No future trips will be made outside the Las Vegas Valley in the Leaf.
I guess it all could be much worse. | They could be warming up my hearse.
MGBMartin
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Re: Best EV for around $50k, or RAV4 Prime???

Post by MGBMartin »

mrmass wrote: Mon Nov 21, 2022 7:39 am Electrical constraints aside, it would be wonderful if there could be a physical standard for the charging attachment.
There is isn’t there?
J1772 for 120 volt and 240 volt AC charging and CCS for Level 3 fast DC charging. There is the CHADEMO connectors on some cars like the Leaf and Soul but that is dying out and it looks like all current models and EVs in the pipeline will have CCS other than those two.

Or, are you referring to the myriad DC fast charging network and all the various apps?
Hopefully one day there will be a standard on those and you will be able to just plug in and scan your credit card or better still just plug in and the charger recognizes your car and charges your card on file which is available now with some manufacturers.
Bad spellers of the world untie | Autocorrect is my worst enema
Keenobserver
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Re: Best EV for around $50k, or RAV4 Prime???

Post by Keenobserver »

Checkout Cadalac Lyriq
earlywynnfan
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Re: Best EV for around $50k, or RAV4 Prime???

Post by earlywynnfan »

Keenobserver wrote: Mon Nov 21, 2022 10:42 am Checkout Cadalac Lyriq
Gorgeous-looking car! I called my local dealer and he said there's no way to drive, you just have to order one. I like the Polestar, too.

I'm in line for two Fisker Oceans for next year. Too late for tax incentives, and I cannot imagine the price won't go up. Their Pear is intriguing, too, and supposed to be built in OH.

I'm able to wait for the car I want. If my current car gets totaled today, I'm probably buying a Bolt.
twh
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Re: Best EV for around $50k, or RAV4 Prime???

Post by twh »

Rav4 Prime is enough capacity for daily city driving. To and from most work places. No range problems as the gas engine kicks in. It is very very peppy. Nice car all around.
WhiteMaxima
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Re: Best EV for around $50k, or RAV4 Prime???

Post by WhiteMaxima »

4th gen Toyota Prius is coming. it will get you 52mpg and a 200hp engine. or Prime plugin model will get you 40mile om charge. Toyota quality.
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SuperSaver
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Re: Best EV for around $50k, or RAV4 Prime???

Post by SuperSaver »

Looks like Ford Mustang E just lost its reliability rating from CR

https://carbuzz.com/news/ford-mustang-m ... mmended-ev

Scratch this one off the list. The new Honda Protege coming out in 2024 looks promising. But will be jointly produced with GM
michaeljc70
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Re: Best EV for around $50k, or RAV4 Prime???

Post by michaeljc70 »

stoptothink wrote: Sun Nov 20, 2022 7:24 am
gtrplayer wrote: Sat Nov 19, 2022 10:06 pm I know it’s not “cool,” but I drive a Prius, it gets on average over 50 mpg, and is very reliable. They just announced the 2023 Prius which gives it a much more appealing appearance, at least in my opinion, and you can get a plug in to avoid filling up at all in town.

Personally, I’m not convinced the fully electric vehicle is ready for what I want to do (both driving in town and on long distance trips) but the Prius has been great. Drove in and out of California during the height of gas prices and avoided filling up the whole time…

https://www.toyota.com/upcoming-vehicle ... lsrc=aw.ds
The new prius looks fantastic. Curious how efficiency is affected by the added power. If we were in the market for a new commuter in a year or so, it would definitely be on the top of the list.
IMO...it is the first Prius that isn't ugly.
Weathering
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Re: Best EV for around $50k, or RAV4 Prime???

Post by Weathering »

Anyone know how to confirm which EVs will get the federal tax credit starting Jan 1, 2023?
I keep hearing conflicting information about battery materials, lobbying by South Korean car companies who have US plants under construction, etc. Hopefully, by now, there is a definitive list of vehicles. I need to buy a new EV by March 30, 2023.
Pdxnative
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Re: Best EV for around $50k, or RAV4 Prime???

Post by Pdxnative »

Weathering wrote: Sun Dec 04, 2022 3:05 pm Anyone know how to confirm which EVs will get the federal tax credit starting Jan 1, 2023?
I keep hearing conflicting information about battery materials, lobbying by South Korean car companies who have US plants under construction, etc. Hopefully, by now, there is a definitive list of vehicles. I need to buy a new EV by March 30, 2023.
There is not a definitive list yet. The IRS has indicated they will issue guidance by Jan 1, 2023, which is when the new battery requirements kick in. Without that guidance, it’s tough to know for sure what will qualify for the full credit, for half the credit, or for no credit.

The one requirement that is pretty clear right now is the North American assembly requirement. That went into effect for new purchases on Aug 17 this year. Non-NA assembled cars will not qualify at all, but NA assembly is not sufficient for a full or partial credit.

Most experts have said that few if any EVs would qualify right now under most interpretations of the 2023 battery requirements in the law, but some might qualify for a partial credit next year as supply chains and record-keeping conform to some of the requirements. The lobbying you see discussed is over whether some of these rules violate international trade agreements and also whether the Treasury Secretary can interpret the law in a way that’s flexible and would allow a large chunk of batteries and/or non NA-built cars to qualify.

Probably a discussion of lobbying isn’t appropriate here. I would just say that nobody can really say for sure right now what will qualify as of Jan 1. But any EV manufactured in NA that qualified under the old rules still qualifies for the full credit this year, with no income limits.
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SuperSaver
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Re: Best EV for around $50k, or RAV4 Prime???

Post by SuperSaver »

OP HERE:

Bought a CRV Hybrid Sport last weekend. Added leather to it.
Could not be happier. Averaging 48-52mpg in town

First new car in 14 years.
Felt that EV wasn’t right time for us, or the premium.
CloseEnough
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Re: Best EV for around $50k, or RAV4 Prime???

Post by CloseEnough »

SuperSaver wrote: Mon May 22, 2023 12:16 pm OP HERE:

Bought a CRV Hybrid Sport last weekend. Added leather to it.
Could not be happier. Averaging 48-52mpg in town

First new car in 14 years.
Felt that EV wasn’t right time for us, or the premium.
And I was just about to say, add the Ioniq 6 to your list to consider. Too late. Anyway, congrats, enjoy your new car!!
runswithscissors
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Re: Best EV for around $50k, or RAV4 Prime???

Post by runswithscissors »

SuperSaver wrote: Mon May 22, 2023 12:16 pm OP HERE:

Bought a CRV Hybrid Sport last weekend. Added leather to it.
Could not be happier. Averaging 48-52mpg in town

First new car in 14 years.
Felt that EV wasn’t right time for us, or the premium.
Congrats! What did you pay for the CRV (before local taxes, reg, etc)?
Topic Author
SuperSaver
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Re: Best EV for around $50k, or RAV4 Prime???

Post by SuperSaver »

$35,870.
Including Leather seats and Cargo/Floor mats

(Not including $799 Doc Fee, $1100 tax, and $100 other fees)
YeahBuddy
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Re: Best EV for around $50k?

Post by YeahBuddy »

BicycleBuiltForTwo wrote: Sun Nov 13, 2022 5:30 pm

The Muskiness is an issue. More so now than when I bought mine. I handled the issue by taking my wife along for the test drive… :D

How's your take on the Muskiness now? Do you still own your Tesla and any regrets?


As for OP - I see you decided upon the Rav4 Prime. I've never owned one but wouldn't hesitate to do it! We have owned Corollas, Camrys, Prius, Siennas and next possibility the new Grand Highlander Hybrid! Would love a Tesla (my highest ranked EV at the price point) but the CEO turns me off, plus the service issues, quality control, months long wait for parts if I need body work, and glitches made up my mind for me.
Light weight baby!
Topic Author
SuperSaver
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Re: Best EV for around $50k, or RAV4 Prime???

Post by SuperSaver »

I didn’t buy a RAV4


I bought a CRV HYBRID
TravellingTechOnFire
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Re: Best EV for around $50k, or RAV4 Prime???

Post by TravellingTechOnFire »

SuperSaver wrote: Mon May 22, 2023 12:16 pm OP HERE:

Bought a CRV Hybrid Sport last weekend. Added leather to it.
Could not be happier. Averaging 48-52mpg in town

First new car in 14 years.
Felt that EV wasn’t right time for us, or the premium.
I love the idea of a PHEV if not going full EV, but choices are limited, and if you are getting 50 mpg, I doubt there'd much benefit especially if your electric rates aren't cheap. Sounds like you made a great choice. Congrats and enjoy!
BicycleBuiltForTwo
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Re: Best EV for around $50k?

Post by BicycleBuiltForTwo »

RobLyons wrote: Mon May 22, 2023 3:32 pm
BicycleBuiltForTwo wrote: Sun Nov 13, 2022 5:30 pm

The Muskiness is an issue. More so now than when I bought mine. I handled the issue by taking my wife along for the test drive… :D
How's your take on the Muskiness now?
Not going there lol, but thanks for asking!
Do you still own your Tesla and any regrets?
Yes, I still have it, and I enjoy it. I have one with a dual motor, and I love the acceleration. The cabin is comfortable and fancy enough for me. Perhaps if I were coming from a different luxury car I’d feel differently, but I’m coming from a Chevy.

I don’t like the controls. The map is great, but I don’t remember where anything is on the touchscreen, it keeps changing with software updates, and I wouldn’t want to use it while driving anyway. There are occasional little niggles like I can never get the cabin overheat protection to work, I mean, not a big deal, but for what you pay for the car…

tl;dr: I’m happy with it. I would also consider other options for my next car (politics aside, just for the car).
YeahBuddy
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Re: Best EV for around $50k?

Post by YeahBuddy »

BicycleBuiltForTwo wrote: Sat May 27, 2023 8:28 pm
RobLyons wrote: Mon May 22, 2023 3:32 pm
BicycleBuiltForTwo wrote: Sun Nov 13, 2022 5:30 pm

The Muskiness is an issue. More so now than when I bought mine. I handled the issue by taking my wife along for the test drive… :D
How's your take on the Muskiness now?
Not going there lol, but thanks for asking!
Do you still own your Tesla and any regrets?
Yes, I still have it, and I enjoy it. I have one with a dual motor, and I love the acceleration. The cabin is comfortable and fancy enough for me. Perhaps if I were coming from a different luxury car I’d feel differently, but I’m coming from a Chevy.

I don’t like the controls. The map is great, but I don’t remember where anything is on the touchscreen, it keeps changing with software updates, and I wouldn’t want to use it while driving anyway. There are occasional little niggles like I can never get the cabin overheat protection to work, I mean, not a big deal, but for what you pay for the car…

tl;dr: I’m happy with it. I would also consider other options for my next car (politics aside, just for the car).


Thanks for the response. I ask because we are spoiled with our Toyotas reliability (despite a few odd problems with family van). I enjoyed my test drives in the 3, Y, and S. I have about 3 years before my oldest gets his license so that's 3 years of many new exciting EV releases. My Boglehead side says to go with another Prius but my wilder side says go Model 3 Performance (or Y Performance). I would take full advantage of my solar panels, despite perhaps needing an electrical upgrade. I enjoy input from current owners.
Thanks again!
Light weight baby!
TravellingTechOnFire
Posts: 385
Joined: Mon Nov 21, 2022 9:54 am

Re: Best EV for around $50k?

Post by TravellingTechOnFire »

RobLyons wrote: Sun May 28, 2023 6:20 am Thanks for the response. I ask because we are spoiled with our Toyotas reliability (despite a few odd problems with family van). I enjoyed my test drives in the 3, Y, and S. I have about 3 years before my oldest gets his license so that's 3 years of many new exciting EV releases. My Boglehead side says to go with another Prius but my wilder side says go Model 3 Performance (or Y Performance). I would take full advantage of my solar panels, despite perhaps needing an electrical upgrade. I enjoy input from current owners.
Thanks again!
Something to consider regarding the Performance versions. First, the pricing is not an issue....it's only about $3k difference for bigger wheels and tires, bigger brakes, faster 0-60.

However, I personally would not buy the Performance models even if interested in speed for the following reasons:

The bigger wheels reduce range. IMO, maximum possible range is important. If this is a car you will own for 10 years, range will become an issue at some point in time i.e. maybe an unexpected long road trip, extreme cold weather, highway, in an area without lots of chargers etc etc.

Bigger wheels = more expensive tires.

These cars all have firm, sporty suspension. Bigger wheels = shorter sidewalls= rougher ride. 1cm of sidewall just won't soak up bumps very well. So for the 99.99% of time you aren't doing a full throttle 0-60 run, ride quality will be worse.

Performance model will likely cost more to insure.

The standard version cars can add acceleration boost for $2k, giving you most of the 0-60 benefit, = or better power and acceleration from a roll, and none of the trade off of the bigger wheels/tires.

I have an AWD M3 and would have gotten RWD had a long range version been available. I've owned and been very interested in fast cars in the past, but for 99.9% of my driving, I keep the car in Chill Mode and it has far more power and acceleration than I need.
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