Frustrated car shopping, clubs don't fit in Prius

I was very excited when our local dealer got a Prius Prime. It was already sold so we rushed to see it before it was delivered. The sale fell through so we had a very short window to buy. We LOVED it, until the salesperson opened the hatch to show us the charging cable. OMG it was so narrow there was no room for clubs! Didn't matter anyway because it sold while we were looking at it.

Hmmm, maybe another Camry hybrid? But there is no wireless Android Auto, the LE is ugly, my eyes are worse and the climate controls are not getting any bigger...

Maybe a Crown? But more expensive, lower mileage, and the batteries are not lithium.

Maybe a Hyundai? But it is nearly impossible (and getting harder) to get both wireless Android Auto and wireless charging, grrr.

Kia, same.

Maybe a 626 or Mazda 6? Nope discontinued.

Maybe a Nissan? Nope can't avoid their belt and pulley CVT.

Ford doesn't even sell a normal sedan anymore.

Which brings us to the Honda Accord hybrid. The price has jumped a lot and my other 2 Hondas both burn more oil than I'd like but the Accord looks to fit the bill.

Does the Accord hybrid have a belt and pulley CVT?

Maybe wait for the 2025 Camry hybrid?

Oh I could get a Tesla model 3 for cheaper than most but no Android Auto and their free standard data runs out in 8 years with no word on what happens after that. Plus long trips would need to be planned around charging stations. Plus my state penalizes BEVs to make up for the lack of fuel taxes.

 

Maybe?

I view the Corolla as a step down from the Camry but might be worth a look. The Corolla's trunk is big enough for clubs (we checked).

Need to look into the infotainment and hybrid system of the Corolla. Last I knew the Corolla was a generation behind the Prius, checking...

 

I believe the 2024 hycam has wired AA, while the Prius, Corolla, and Crown all have wireless AA, which I greatly prefer.

So yes the Corolla has wireless AA, which is great but it only has 138 hp vs 208 for the hycam and 220 for the Prius Prime.

 

Guess where we went today?

 

Yep! My kid loved it. A misunderstanding about the price is going prevent us from getting one but we did enjoy the features and quirks.

 

Do you live somewhere that offers more than the $7500 tax credit?

Tesla's website defaults to an optimistic view they call "Probable Savings" which includes the $7500 tax credit along with other things?? You gotta switch tabs to "Purchase Price" to get the actual pricing, which is much higher.

The purchase price for a Model 3 with no options, no fancy color, no charger, nothing extra at all is $40,630, minus $7500 is $33,130. Meanwhile the default "Probable Savings" tab shows the price to be $28,490.

 

We have added spares to any vehicle that didn't come with a spare.

My HyCamry came with one so that was great.

Looked at the Accord hybrid and it was nice but very expensive and they have weird trims like an expensive one with luxury and a sporty version with expensive "RIMS" but no plain Jane version. In a word, expensive. The sales guy was incredible and nearly had me talked into spending $38k.

If the Camry had wireless Android Auto it would be a front runner. EDIT: At least they added wired Android Auto which mine lacked. I loved the interior styling, the spare, the 4 window auto up/down, the power and the mileage.

Looked at a K5 non-hybrid and that might be the one. Need to check the spare situation. That salesguy was, well, inexperienced and I'm being polite. The car is really nice for what I'm hoping will be around $24k.

 

Duplicate

 

28/38 but I get your point.

There was $10k difference between the Sonata and Camry hybrid, that will buy a lot of fuel.

I don't drive enough on a daily basis to make it worth the extra money to buy a hybrid. On our on yearly 1600 mile vacation the Camry SE would burn 34 gallons vs 42 gallons in the Sonata SE saving perhaps $38 or so. Meanwhile my state penalizes EVs and hybrids so I would never break even.

Part of the story is that every dealership (including Kia) except Hyundai made it sound like MSRP was impossible to get down to. They were all asking MSRP plus a market adjustment. Some did eventually come down to MSRP but they made it seem like God's gift just to get to MSRP.

The Sonata has wireless Android Auto which is my must have option. I might have suffered the high price of the Camry if it had that one feature. Yes I know I could buy a janky dongle but no thanks.

Finally I don't need to worry about replacing an expensive traction battery someday.

I still love the idea of a hybrid (had 2) but I'm not paying my state extra money for the privilege. They should be rewarding efficient vehicles not penalizing them.

 

Understandable

Google Maps / Android Auto is the only way to go these days.

 

Pics

 

Sonata vs the LE hycam I'm gaining a great warranty, heated mirrors, alloy wheels and wireless Android Auto.

Losing Toyota reliability, Hybrid MPG, heated seats, push button start, and auto dual climate.

IMHO the exterior of the Sonata looks better while the hyCam's interior was nicer.

Both have a spare and tools which is rare these days.