I looked at a 2015 PiP. BUt limited 11 mile range. To bump range to 25 miles AND have 5 seats..a must with dogs and children....I would need a 2020 prime. Limited is the trim I'm looking at. a used 2020 is almost the cost of a new 2022. For 5K more 40K you can get a used Tesla Model 3..but the insurance on a Tesla is the black sheep. upwards of 1,800 a year for full insurance. So now I'm back to 18K for a 2015 PiP advanced IF I can even find one. I'm in no hurry and I have time so I'm trying to figure out a plan should I need to buy in a hurry. My wife's last car was totaled and we bought the wrong car before returning it and getting an 08 Prius. I don't want to make that mistake again. What does the hive think?
Considered a Tesla but too problematic. 2020 Prime gets 25 miles in winter, more like 33-35 in warmer months. 240v charge in 2 hours 15 minutes max. It’s all I need, and trouble-free. Didn’t want Tesla nightmare fit and finish and sketchy service.
It's a terrible time to buy, anything. When you do, don't let your ego make the decisions; get something practical, maybe used. 200 mile EV range is not mandatory for most.
True, My wife commutes 100 miles round trip for work 3 days a week and then on days she does its an extra 35 miles to pick up our child. I commute 160 miles maybe once a month so its not as practical for me. Used for sure I think. I have heard good things about the 2015 PiP. Leaning towards that right now. Thanks for the feedback.
Didn't Colorado offer a big state incentive on EVs? When doing math, make sure to include applicable tax credits and incentives. New Tesla has no tax credit, but the new PP right now still qualifies for a $4502 tax credit while the used PP does not. As commented already, it is not a good time to buy any car unless you do the math carefully. For your reference, I purchased two new PPs (2017 PP Premium and 2020 PP LE) for under $20K. The last one 2021 PP Ltd cost me $23K. I am thinking of selling the 2021 PP for a gain of ~$6K and purchasing a BEV. But right now, the only BEV that can be even traded for my 6 mo old 2021 PP is a LEAF. For anything fancier, I would have to pay substantially more than just trade-in.
You may also want to look at used Prius V. They're in the low to mid 40mpg; but you can drag a lot of junk in them. I'm not sure how much of an advantage your going to get with a plug-in vs a standard Prius; based on your long commutes. Most of us who bought the plug-in new, bought it because the tax incentives and rebates, offset the prices enough for us to justify it. Hope this helps...
I think I'd get a 4th gen Prius. Tesla is no longer the only game in the EV world. They are facing some serious competition now from VW, Hyundai, and soon Kia, Subaru and Toyota. The Mustang MachE is no slouch either. For winter driving in an EV, you'd want at least a 200 mile range to have a safety margin. But thos would be new cars. If you're limited to the used car price range, the gen 4 is probably best. The range available on a Prime, much less a PiP, will not make a very large dent in your gas consumption. I would look for the lowest miles Gen 4 I could afford. The other drawback to the PiP is that, once the miles pile up, it's susceptible to clogged EGR circuits and blown head gaskets just like all the gen 3 Prii. That's not a show stopped since the EGR can be cleaned, but it's one more thing to maintain. We don't know if Gen 4 is immune, but so far it looks good.
Yeah. Depending on how the next 10 weeks go we might relocate to another state. Pretty much decided on a PEHV like a Prime. Prius or Rav 4. or BZ4X I can install a home charger no problem. Also if my dream job comes through I get to work from home and communing will be a moot point. So a lot to consider. Thank you all for your insight. My wife and I spoke and we HAVE to have a car that plugs in. So time will tell but reviews of Rav 4 prime and BZ4X look very good.
Toyota's tax credit may be going away soon. I have a commute similar to your wife. An alternative is a LEAF SV Plus. I prefer it over the Prime because it's all electric, better adaptive cruise and lane centering, faster, and bigger cargo area. I have put over 75k miles on LEAFs and the only problem was a dead 12v battery. I'm not a CO resident, but I think you can apply the $2500 state incentive at the time of purchase. I'm not sure if there are any stipulations on the terms of that since you might move.
