Gen 5 Prius V speculation

I was intrigued by the Mazda5. If I had actually ended up with one, the very rear seat would likely have been pulled out. Most reviews were claiming they were only suitable for children. Which is likely why we never got the Prius v nor C-max with the third row.

 

Same over here. A 5 with the back row deleted would have been a great fit for our family. I love the 6 sedan we have now, but with both 5 & 6 NLA in the USA it's our first and last Mazda.

 

I would imagine v owners who love the pitch and bounce control ride, higher output ac, reclining rear seats and bigger standard wheels can simply get a rebuilt engine when the time comes. The rest of the car holds up pretty pretty pretty good.

The Venza hybrid is basically the same form factor as the v and about the same mpg with more power.


Larry David - Gen3

 

I think that's a very good assessment.

Unfortunately for taxi & rideshare operators, the Venza includes... too much. Of everything. Of things that break and stain and chip and scratch. And there was no need for that extra power, so it's just more crap they're stuck paying for.

I couldn't say if it fully ruins the economics of fleet operation, but I don't see how any of the differences between a v and a Venza are in the hack's favor.

 

Personally I find the Venza a good prospect: our miles are low, so giving up some mpg not a big deal. Like the RAV4 it’s got a spare, but is less truck-like.

 

The Venza is a Buickfied Rav4. It could work for the fancy Uber service and like.
Earlier Escape hybrids were seeing taxi use in NYC. No reason why the Rav4 can't now.

 

The new Venza is almost, but not quite, a Lexus. The Car Car Nut did a glowing review of it where he theorized that Toyota originally intended it to be a Lexus, but couldn't make the numbers work and made it a Toyota instead and brought back the Venza marquee. It's not quite Lexus-level comfort or quiet, but he suspected the cost to get it to that level would have raised the price beyond the intended price point. So Toyota had the choice of an inferior Lexus or a over spec Toyota. To protect the Lexus brand, they made it a Toyota.

Anyway, that's just his theory based on 15+ years of experience with what options Toyota typically puts on Lexus models and which options typically go on Toyotas.

 

Lexus has had the NX for some time now. The Venza came about because the Rav4 styling went more truck, and that turned off some buyers. Toyota is trying to make some of the line up more upscale, thus why I think of Buick. The tried with the first Prius Prime, and the gen5's are a little nicer than the Corolla. The Crown is also in that nicer Toyota group.

 

Discontinuation of Camry Wagon not a factor?

 

Maybe a little. I was thinking the new one was going to be Toyota's answer to the Blazer. A crossover bigger than the 'compact' Rav4, but not big enough to have a third row seat like the Highlander. Instead, we got an on road Rav4 for the people that didn't want a SUV, but also didn't want a Camry anymore. If the Camry wagon returns, it will be a Crown.

Toyota's real reason the new Venza could have been to increase Harrier production at its Japan factory.

 

The Mirage now is the same price as my old Sonic, which was a small class larger as a subcompact. All prices are up. I'd actually think it's time to bring back kei cars.

The mess with the parts supply is limiting the amounts car companies can build, so they are making what brings in the most profit. SUVs bring in more, and that is what Americans want now. I don't think Ford and Chevy even have a car for sale here. I got an Outback cause it the closest thing to a wagon without paying for the European upcharge. Subaru had cancelled the Legacy wagon years ago.

The inflation adjusted price of a 2017 Prius v starts at $33,130. If it can be found on a dealer lot, a Rav4 hybrid starts at $30,750. The v is closer in price to the Venza. None of the the Prius models were cheap. They were affordable for what they were, but still thousands more than a comparable ICE model. Without high fuel prices, sales slumped. Enough that the c and v were cancelled.

The real lament here isn't the death of the Prius v in the US, it is the death of the wagon. The last Focus wagon sold here could haul as much as the Rav4 of the time, and do so for lower price and with less fuel. Now you are stuck with only the SUV option in the US, whether hybrid or not.

 

I saw a new Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid driving around town yesterday. It is also about the size of a v. Pretty standard Toyota styling, Car and Driver says you can get a base model for under $30k.