hybrid car question

[markie]

as I am stuck here on the sofa recovering from accident, I have nothing to do but wonder and contemplate

my Subaru Forester was totaled in the accident and I still have a relatively new Chevy Spark... thinking that with trade in for Chevy and the payout for the Subaru I be able to get a decent hybrid... anybody have thoughts about the Hyundai Ioniq?? or other hybrid

https://www.hyundaiusa.com/us/en/vehicles/ioniq-hybrid

[Miguelito Loveless]

1. I am an EV driver

and have heard nothing but rave reviews about the EV and hybrid version. I have owned several gas Hyundais, and they were very reliable.

[markie]

2. thanks for the feedback

I love my Spark and did love the Subaru (both for different reasons)... I had a Hyundai accent years ago and thought it was great... about time to go hybrid/EV Living in rural Vermont I think the best choice is hybrid

[Miguelito Loveless]

6. Agreed.

BTW, I have an Electric Spark. Cute car and fun to drive.

[underpants]

3. I'd jump on it.

$32k and 55-60 MPG is a nice combination

Looks nice too.

I really like my Honda hybrid. Filled it up (10 gallons) 2 weeks ago and still have 2 gallons left. ~100 miles.

[markie]

5. + $3000 rebate

from the state! My daughter has the Prius C and loves it. I rented a Prius Prime to get home after the accident (happened in Maryland and I live in Vermont) only took one tank of gas!

[mitch96]

4. I dipped my toe into the hybrid pond with a Prius V. No longer made. It was a nice car but

It just did not do anything for me. I'm no lead foot, did all the "hypermile" stuff and "only" got 39-40 mpg on a good day. Like I said it was nice but did not do anything for me. Very low to the ground to get good aerodynamics and kept on hitting raised driveways and speed bumps. About 400 mile range and reliable as a stone. I'm probably gonna get a plug in hybrid as the bigger plug in battery gives 45 mile range on electric. Thats about all the errands I do around town and short trips would be on all plug in electric. Long trips the gas engine would kick in . The RAV 4 plug in hybrid is calling me. It also it a rocket ship at 300 combined horsepower and a bucket load of torque. Better fuel miles than the Prius V I had owned.
Yes expensive if you can find one.
The nice thing about the Prius family is you can get after market batteries when the time comes. Toyota wants an arm and a leg to swap them out.. That is if you plan on keeping the car for a while.
Ok enough.....Just my opinion hope this helps...
m

[markie]

7. I have looked at the Rav4 Hybrid

I do like it

https://www.buyatoyota.com/newengland/vehicles/rav4hybrid/

[Fiendish Thingy]

10. If most of your driving is around town, 40 mpg is pretty good for. Prius V

Before I retired, I drove a lot for work, about half my miles were freeway miles, and I averaged 50-55 mpg in my Prius without any hypermiling, just learned the feel of my car. Now that I’m retired, and with COVID limiting the majority of my driving to around town, I average about 40-45mpg.

[Fiendish Thingy]

8. Prius C is a very good car, we love ours.

I thought I just read that Hyundai just had a massive recall, might want to research that.

[TreasonousBastard]

9. I've also heard rave reviews about the Ioniq and that cute truck-- the Ford Maverick. Tried and...

true is the Prius, of course, and it's really popular around here.

There's a new Subaru hybrid out there that's mostly Toyota, so if you were happy with the Forester, you might give that a look.

Hybrids and electrics are taking over, thanks to gas problems, but I would be wary of companies just getting into the electric business. Ford seems to be the only US company getting it close to right, and for everyone but the Japanese it may be too early to see how it goes. Most companies seem to be heading toward totally electric, which means apartment dwellers are left out and everyone waits for the few charging stations they are compatible with. It will eventually get straightened out, but you have to drive somehow until then.

[markie]

15. my electric company

has been providing free chargers to customers who had a plug-in vehicle.... seems there is a slight glitch in the system right now but hopefully will start up again...

https://www.efficiencyvermont.com/powershift

I have looked at the Crosstrek but not sure about it

[Easterncedar]

11. Honda Insight

When I had to give up my 2006 Honda Civic last summer (sudden frame death by salt, the engine was still strong), I chose the only car available within 100 miles (Augusta, Maine) that got better mileage, which was still 41 mpg on secondary roads or if I didn't speed on the interstate. There was just the one new Honda Insight anywhere; used cars all cost as much or more. Crazy.

The Insight, a hybrid, is not especially exciting to drive - it feels a lot like the old Civic, and is built on the same platform - but the mileage is solidly satisfying, averaging 51 MPG and getting even better on short slow trips, and the technology adds some elements of fun, even for this old Luddite.

It's a little low to the ground for some of the snowy roads I occasionally drive, so that's potentially a problem for any northerner, but in town I can get around using almost no gas at all, and I love that.

[markie]

18. "low to the ground"

always thought that about the Insight

[mitch96]

12. "US company getting it close to right" To me it seems like a no brainer. Do what the Chinese do

Buy one and reverse engineer it..boom, done.. Why re invent the wheel..
My friend told me people in her condo development are paying 1500 to $2000 to get a charging station next to her parking spot. Not a quick charge just a 240v hook up. No problem with the condo association. Then again it kind kills the total saving of going electric. You have to to your homework. When Prius first came out Car and Driver mag did a comparison of Prius vs Corolla "cost to own" over 5 years. The Corolla was les expensive by about $2000. YMMV
m

[markie]

16. my electric company

has been providing chargers (free) to customers that own plug-in!!

[mitch96]

20. That is a nice perk... I wonder if it's just the charger or includes the installation too...nt

[GP6971]

13. We really like our Kia Optima hybrid.

35 mpg local and 45 mpg highway.

[Pobeka]

14. We looked at the Ioniq and the Kia Niro plugin.

Just a year ago.

Ended up with a Kia Niro plugin. It is a crossover style, so it rides just a little higher, just a little more visibility and definitely more room inside.

The MPG is slightly less when it goes hybrid, but it is getting 30 miles all electric before it hits that point. So basically, it's all electric for 99% of all trips we make. When we have to go more than 30 miles in a day, it will get about 53 MPG if you are under 60 miles per hour, and the total range is about 540 miles.

It charges overnight from a standard outlet.
---

Last fall we were in a nearly head-on collision, where an oncoming driver lost control on a stretch with no shoulders and guardrails on both sides, so there was no where to go except two lanes. This guy ended up in our lane, I think he froze with his foot on the gas and was probably doing 65 mph, and we were doing about 45 mph.

At the last second, when I knew he'd stay in our lane, I veered left. The oncoming caught our Niro just behind the left front wheel and pretty much smashed it all the way to the rear bumper, crushing the right side about 8 inches inward the whole way. The force of his impact caused our Niro to spin 90 degrees and we stopped facing the guardrail on our side.

Here's the good part, if you will -- air bags went off. right passenger window shattered, but there is a side impact beam in the doors which saved my SO from major injury. We were both just battered by the airbags and a little G-force from the instant side-to-side acceleration.

Because I didn't know where this guy was going to be, I had to leave my foot on the gas the whole time so I could accelerate to the "gap" when I made that decision. You know what? The Niro stopped itself, and we didn't make contact with either guardrail.

Guess what we replaced it with -- yep, another Niro Plugin.

[markie]

17. just took a look

at the Niro online... not bad

your accident is similar to mine
plow truck hit primarily left side as I swerved to the left to avoid him as he didn't stop at a stop sign... my injuries are primarily from air bag impact but glad to be alive

[Pobeka]

19. Did you notice time "slowing down" in a crisis?

I can definitely say it didn't slow down for me. I can describe what happened but it was all entirely reaction on my part. Whole thing lasted about 2 seconds. It was friggin' fast.

[markie]

21. yup... just about 2 seconds

I'll never forget the moment of impact... there is something innate in me that causes me to immediately stop and consider what just happened and what to do next... I just knew my legs were on fire (figuratively) and I wanted to make sure I could walk (been almost 2 weeks and they are still on fire but I can walk)...

[Liberal In Texas]

24. Dang. Makes me sad to see a Niro so trashed.

The collision tests are supposed to be very good. I can see the proof right there.

[Pobeka]

25. That wasn't our Niro.

Looked kinda similar though.

[markie]

26. that was my Subaru...

but image it would have been same for Niro... a big plow truck coming at you is not a welcome thing

[Liberal In Texas]

22. Highly recommend a plug-in.

I have a Kia Niro PHEV with all the bells and whistles including heated leather seats and steering wheel. Love it. And it's reasonably priced. Sticker was $36K. Then you get rebates, in my case bringing the price down about $8K.

I can drive all over for errands and never use a drop of gas.

[markie]

23. thanks for the info

someone else suggested the Niro and I have taken a closer look at it

[Liberal In Texas]

31. Good luck. I had a hard time back in 2018 trying to find a '19 to buy.

Kia didn't do orders probably still doesn't. Ended up having to have one shipped in from a dealership in Colorado. Probably still hard because of the car shortage.

[Liberal In Texas]

34. One more thing.

I just thought of this. The Kia warranty is for 10 years. That includes the battery. Hard to beat that with other car makers.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

36. I don't think people realize how freeing it is to never have to buy gas.

If you get a plug in you can most likely charge it on a regular 110 volt outlet. It just takes longer.

Divide projected range by about 4. You get about 4 miles added per hour on regular house power.

About 30 miles on 220/240 volt. Depending on amperage.

[texasfiddler]

27. I drive a Hyundai Ioniq. Purchased it a couple of years ago.

I commute 400 miles per week for work. It has been reliable. 50-55 mpg depending on wind and road conditions.

[markie]

28. thanks!

[Laurelin]

29. I love my Pruis Prime

Really, absolutely love it. Mostly I get by on electric only but can do long road trips with hybrid.

[louis-t]

30. I bought a Hyundai Elantra in 2017.

It was a year old and had 40,000 miles on it. Paid less than $11,000 for it and I get up to 50 mpg on the freeway and average about 33. It's not a hybrid. I'll buy another one.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

32. I have a 2008 Prius. I've put over 200K miles on it

I highly recommend.

[sinkingfeeling]

33. My son has one. He loves it. Great pickup and go and

super gas mileage. His is a 2019.

[TexasBushwhacker]

35. I have a 2017 RAV4 Hybrid

I love it. They do have a plug in model now, but it costs $10K more.