Prius Prime vs Rav4 Hybrid

where does that say oil change?

 

Tires may be cheaper for the Prime, but you will need winter tires as well as LRR tires. RAV4 only needs one set.

 

Why not consider the eAWD Prius? Traction almost as good as a Rav4 (no trail mode but otherwise the same). On the other hand even a Rav4 can benefit from snow tires in very snowy environments.

 

awd is close though

 

still confused between maintenance and oil change i guess, and not replying to any other posts for some reason

 

Got through college in a hatchback, eh?

Not as old as I would have expected you to be.

Wise beyond your years .

 

As someone new to be considering a high mpg vehicle, here is something to consider: There is a law of diminishing returns that applies to fuel costs.

For example, if you are currently driving a 30 mpg vehicle for 12,000 miles per year and change to a vehicle that gets 10 more mpg (40 mpg), you reduce your fuel use by 100 gallons (from 400 to 300). If yo then change to another vehicle that gets 10 more mpg (50 mpg), you reduce your fuel use by 60 more gallons. If you then change to a vehicle that gets 10 more mpg (60 mpg) you reduce your fuel use by 40 more gallons. And so on. Plug in any figure for gas cost to get dollar figures.

So, to me, anything at 40 mpg or over is great, Beyond that you save some more but not a lot because your fuel costs are already low at 40. Of course, it's great to brag about 50 (as I do with my Prius) or 60 mpg.

(Figuring in the effect of a plug in is beyond my grasp at this point but the diminishing returns factor does apply. )

Something to think about.

 

Where is that documented (10K oil change)?

I know the dealer claims it’s 5K, but I guess I can’t rule out that they’re full of excrement...

 

Look in the maintenance interval section of the owners booklets.

Every 10k interval (starting at 10k miles), you’ll see the oil change highlighted.

 

They leave a sticker in the top edge of the windshield mentioning the current mileage plus 5000. Admittedly, I haven’t read it in enough detail to verify whether or not it says oil change specifically at that time. I usually look at it only in enough detail to figure how to peel it off!

 

I just took my Rav4 hybrid in for the first service (5,000 mile service, a bit early at 4,000 because we are about to take a road trip.) No oil change.

Some more math: Boise to Boston one way (2660 miles) would cost about $200 if gas is $3 per gallon. At 75 mpg it would be $106. To me those figures are not exorbitant but I'm at a different stage of life.

 

I’ll look it up... I bought prepaid maintenance with it, and I’m pretty sure they’re changing oil every service interval. Maybe I’m just remembering wrong; I confess I’m usually too busy to notice... It never occurred to me that they might (or might not) be misquoting the service intervals...

But lessee...

Well, it looks like the 5K, 15K, (etc.) oil change is described as “additional maintenance items for special operating conditions.” I haven’t yet found what those “special operating conditions” might be, although I’d be pretty surprised if they applied to me...

 

Both vehicles have low total cost of ownership and are statistically high on the reliability curve. One gets better mpg relative to the other and the other is more versitle. What you need to do now is go drive both "comparably equipped" and try to decide...forward thinking and without emotion. Good luck on life's journey.

 

Ah, come to think of it, I do distinctly remember now that they did not change the oil on the 5K service. I’ve been assuming they’ve been changing it every time since, but, in hindsight, I’ve probably just been just assuming that...

 

An assumption.

I changed both the oil and trans fluid in our 2019 at 4 k miles as I read the manual and it wasn’t to be done until 10 k on the engine oil.

Made sure I was ahead of the game.

 

I'm seeing that Boise to Boston at $3 gas is like $200 in the RAV4 vs $150 in the prime. Just a random Expedia flight search in September shows flights are cheaper than driving even with high mpg vehicle. Plus driving that long is uncomfortable and dangerous.

If you must drive this, best to get a car you can sleep in.