New buyer - plug in vs. lift back

Welcome, Jim. Here are some of my thoughts.

It's been my experience with the PiP that, even if I'm driving beyond the range of my battery, I'm still way ahead having those non-gasoline miles "in the tank." FL is pretty flat, so I don't have much experience with it on long grades, but what goes up must come down, so you'll get it back on the way home. If you can plug in at work, that'll be a big bonus, too. You might get home almost for free. If you have long, steep downgrades, make sure you have room in the battery to store the energy you'll be able to accumulate as you coast. The PiP can go a lot farther down those big hills before the battery fills up.

I would not say that a non-plugin would be better, but I would say that your situation makes the PiP less of an advantage. And remember, if you'll also be doing local errands and your electricity at home is reasonably priced, you'll save a lot of gas by not needing to fire up the ICE for short trips.

When I drove last Nov-Dec to Ohio and back, our PiP managed 50 mpg average (calculated at the pump) in cold weather with 20 mph headwinds and rain in both directions and the car fully loaded. I wish I could try that in decent weather without the extra weight!! I don't think I'd have done much worse, though, on a drive that long with a non-plugin.

Last summer, we took a little trip that was about 100 miles round trip and I got something like 70 mpg on that one. I started with a full charge, drove all back roads at 45-65 mph, and did not plug in along the way. But I've been driving it a while and have developed some ideas on maximizing the effectiveness of the EV range.

Up hill at highway speed, you will probably not be able to run EV, but you can leave it in EV mode and let the battery help the engine. Or save the battery for the low speed portions of the trip. Besides, you'd use up the battery range in a hurry under those conditions.

The price for the car you're looking at seems to be pretty reasonable, at least in California.

I think you'll be happy with either vehicle.

 

welcome!

what charging opportunities are available to you, and how much do your electrons cost?

 

Like JerryMildred's post, I am speaking about ideas I am not the expert on.

I do not think the older Prius PHV gets you carpools stickers in California, like the new Prime, these can drastically change your commute. I know the non plugin Prius no longer has car pool stickers.

The Prime will drive electrically just fine up to 84 MPH, although I doubt that is uphill.

If you buy new, or used from a Toyota dealer, read the owners manual on customization, and have customization done before the sale.
How long the headlights stay on after you leave the car, the number of times it beeps to remind you you are in Reverse, how many doors unlock when you press the fob, and how many unlock when you grab the drivers door handle, etc.

 

1) The Gen 3 plug in generally has slightly better mileage (a few MPG's) than the regular Gen 3.
2) The regular Gen 3 will do slightly better uphill and feels slightly less sluggish in terms of performance because of the smaller battery, and hence reduced weight.
3) Depends on how much you can get it for, and how much you can take advantage of federal, state, and local rebates.

Since you're buying used, you have to check the date the HOV sticker was issued. If it was issued before 1/1/17, it will expire 1/1/19. If it's issued after 1/1/17, then you can renew it for an additional 3 years starting 1/1/19. Note that the model year of car has nothing to do with the date the sticker was issued.

Regarding the Volt, it has more EV range and will drive like a rocket ship compared to a Prius, but the interior/trunk is compromised. Its gasoline MPG is lower than a Prius though, so you'll have to do the math to determine if the extra EV range, driving dynamics, and space issues fit your needs.