Prius Prime to the Rav4 Prime

In some states it can be dramatic. I am being offered over 10k off inbetween dealer mark down and incentives on a new Prius Prime and being told there are no Rav4 Prime available at MSRP. In my case, in the Northeast the difference is 15K.

 

How are you doing on the Pacifica? Time to retire our ICE highlander and starting to look around.

Sienna Limited MSRP around 50 with maybe 5k off between dealer and rebate. Pacifica Hybrid Limited MSRP around 50 but selling for 40 and then another 9k of rebates (Federal and MA) on top of that. Tracking an almost 15k difference but SO loves the new Sienna and wants AWD.

Trying to wait it out to see if Toyota announces what model their next PHEV will be.

 

Yeah, Pacifica Hybrid is a bargain with all the rebates and incentives plus tax credit. No such discounts on the all-new Sienna Hybrid. We purchased a used Pathfinder Hybrid a couple years ago. It is still going strong. But, we miss the cavernous space our previous Sienna mini-van offered. Although the all-new Sienna hybrid offers a much better mpg and AWD option, it has one huge drawback besides the cost to buy. The second-row seats of the new Sienna are not removable, making it impossible to fit an 8x4 sheet of drywall or plywood flat on the deck.

Yeah, I am going to wait at least until later this year, so if I pull the trigger, there will be less time to wait for the tax refund.

 

I would avoid the AWD Sienna unless Toyota decided to fit a spare tire on the new generation Sienna. I had the previous generation and RFTs are expensive. The cost of replacing one tire on an AWD vehicle (vs 4WD SUV/truck running mostly on RWD) may cost more than switching to winter tires as needed.

Back to topic: The 6.6kw charge rate on the RAV4 XSE Premium is a nice option to have. I think I saw one at Home Depot hauling off a medium size grill still in a box. Fairly cavernous interior just a tad less than the non-Prime RAV4s.

 

As many of the Toyota cars are becoming spareless, Sienna (hybrid) is no exception. None of 2021 Sienna has a spare tire either AWD or FWD. But they do not have RFT. Comes only with a goop repair kit.

I haven't checked, but I believe Rav4 Prime is also spareless while Rav4 Hybrid still comes with temp spare. Correct me if I am wrong.

EDIT: @fuzzy1 pointed out info that there is a spare tire in the Rav4 Prime. Although, I am not sure where it is stored.

 

You can get the Sienna with a spare! $75 option.

 

That's very cheap. Is it an OEM option? An OEM spare kit that was available on our 2005 AWD Sienna was outrageously expensive and it disabled the third-row bench seat stow ability. Is the optional spare for the new 2021 Sienna (hybrid) stored undercarriage? For our AWD Sienna, I had an extra set of full-size wheels and tires, but most of the time we never carried it with the car. AAA Platinum plan with 200 miles towing was good enough to cover the emergency.

BTW, it originally came with RFT, but twice the tire failed miserably that it would not run after the flat. So we had to wait for AAA flatbed to tow it to the nearest Toyota dealer. After the second set of free replacement of the RFT by Toyota was worn which lasted only ~20K miles/set total ~40K miles for two sets, I swapped all the tires to conventional tires, and never had flat for the rest of the ownership close to 60K miles with a single set of tires.

 

Seems to be narrower, like a big donut. But fits right in there. (van not mine)

 

Found this article. 2021 Toyota Sienna Spare Tire: Wait, it’s WHERE? | Torque News
Yey! Kudos to Toyota! But for a mere $75, why didn't they put this spare as standard in all trims.

 

... because then they couldn't also use it to sell an optional $1990 package:

 

Thanks. The Spec page for the Rav4 Prime did not show the Tires. I guess it must be mounted on the undercarriage then.

 

Yes.
Yes, Banks Are Reordering Your Transactions And Charging Overdraft Fees

That's not how government works, generally. The legislative body makes general laws and delegates authority to develop detailed implementation regulations to the various agencies. Congress can pass a law that EVs get a non-refundable tax credit, and that people can get a refundable credit for college expenses without telling the IRS *how* to implement those laws.

 

Is the traction battery under the rear seat?

 

I remember Rav4 Hybrid I test drove back in 2019 had the back seat not completely flat when folded compared to regular Rav4 which could fold the rear seat flat. I thought that had to be due to the battery underneath. If that was the case, yeah, I wonder how Toyota managed to make more room for a huge traction battery for the RP while leaving the room for the spare under the deck.

 

Here is another image:

 

Right, but if the law designates college expenses as a refundable credit and EVs as a non-refundable credit, then the IRS has to implement the law in accordance with the definitions of refundable vs non-refundable credits. They can’t arbitrarily treat EVs as refundable credits.

 

In other words, it isn't the IRS's fault in regards to how tax credits are applied, it is Congress's.

 

Exactly! That’s how I should have stated it to begin with.